The more pitiful Steve acted, the more she wanted to vent her frustration on him.
Joanna Lawrence, that snobbish minx, is always playing the victim to garner men’s pity.
"You’re afraid it will affect me?" Annie came close to Steve, staring at his pale, delicate face as she tightly pinched his cheeks. "You’re just thrilled at the idea of me going down, don’t think I don’t know how much you’re enjoying this!" she spat venomously.
Her nails scraped against his flesh, leaving a red mark on his face.
"Annie, I... I wouldn’t dare," Steve could not fight back, fresh tears streaming down his face from the pain as he trembled in fear.
"So you say, but I think you dare! Just like Joanna, acting all helpless. There are no men here, who are you playing innocent for? Do you think a man will comfort or pity you? You are crying just to let others know that I am bullying you, isn’t it?"
"Annie, I... I really didn’t..."
Steve shook his head frantically, tears falling even harder.
He was scared of Annie.
Seeing him made Annie think of Joanna, and it just stoked her anger. She reached out again to pinch him.
Just then, a staff member walked out.
He paused in his tracks upon seeing the scene.
Annie noticed the staff member and paused as well, but quickly replaced her expression.
The hand that was moving to pinch Steve transformed into wiping his tears.
She quickly changed from the frightening creature she was seconds ago to the caring elder sister, gently saying: "Steve, stop crying. If you encounter any difficulties, tell me, and I’ll help you solve it."
"You’ve been with me for many years now. I’ve always considered you as my younger sibling. Please don’t feel embarrassed."
Something within Steve seemed to freeze.
When he noticed the TV station staff member watching them, he wiped his tears and said, while biting his lip, "Thank you, Annie. It’s not a big deal, I can handle it."
Joanna smiled and wiped Steve’s tears, "That’s good. If you can’t handle it, you must tell me."
The staff member scratched his head in confusion while witnessing the scene.
Did he misinterpret the situation?
Wasn’t Annie not bullying her assistant, but comforting him?
Annie left through a secure passage arranged by the staff.
She took the nanny car to Galaxy Agency.
Many journalists were already waiting at the entrance of Galaxy Agency.
The company arranged bodyguards to escort her. As soon as her car arrived, the bodyguards were there to protect her.
The reporters rushed over when they saw her alighting from the car.
Some had their recorders, others had their mics, and some carried cameras. If it were not for the bodyguards protecting Annie, she would’ve been mobbed by the group of reporters.
Dozens of journalists tried to break through the bodyguards’ defense, "Annie, can you respond to the revelations about you on the internet? Did you really become someone’s mistress? Is David’s ex-girlfriend really your biological sister?"
"Annie, I heard that David and your sister were engaged and were on the verge of getting married."