Compared to Lina's nervousness and trepidation, Alice Parker was much more at ease. He walked right past Grace Sutton as if no one else was there and went straight into the office. This was actually Alice Parker's first time in Grace Sutton's office. He quickly glanced around and couldn't help but frown. To be fair, the office was luxuriously decorated, furnished with high-quality items, and tastefully adorned with various antiques and famous paintings. It was the very picture of a proper executive's office.

But in Alice Parker's eyes, he saw things differently. First of all, Grace Sutton was a woman—and his wife at that. No one wants their wife to be a rigid, by-the-book woman with no sense of romance. Yet, the way Grace Sutton had arranged her office was a perfect reflection of exactly that.

Alice Parker couldn't help but sigh inwardly. If it weren't for being an unfilial son who couldn't resist his father's earnest, expectant gaze—or if that incident that left him disheartened and even self-destructive hadn't happened—then, even though Grace Sutton was perfect in both family background and looks, Alice Parker didn't think he would have agreed to such an absurd marriage.

Chapter 11: Eunuch Qian

The gloom only flashed across his face for a moment. When Grace Sutton closed the door and turned back, a lazy, indifferent expression crept onto his face, as if he didn't care about anything. He lounged comfortably, half-reclining in Grace Sutton's office chair, leisurely crossing his legs, his eyes curiously fixed on the one-way glass. From here, he could clearly see most of the office area.

"Who would've thought that President Mu has a voyeuristic hobby," Alice Parker clicked his tongue in mock amazement, teasing as he watched the busy employees, "Looks like when I get home, I’ll have to check your boudoir too—see if you’ve installed a contraption like this there."

Judging by the fresh marks around the glass, it was obvious this was something Grace Sutton had installed after taking office.

"Alice Parker, if you dare enter my room without my permission..." With no outsiders present, Grace Sutton's expression was completely unguarded. She shot Alice Parker a look of disgust at his lazy, unmotivated demeanor. "I’ll kill you." The ever-meticulous Grace Sutton could never stand Alice Parker's slovenly, unruly attitude.

"Kill me?" Alice Parker couldn't help but laugh, getting up and nonchalantly grabbing a bottle of Hennessy XO from the fridge. He poured himself half a glass, then sat right down on the desk as if no one else was there. Downing the drink in one go, he chuckled, "That would be called husband-killing. Even just the thought of it would have been a capital offense in ancient times—being drowned in a pig cage would be getting off easy."

"I'm not in the mood to bicker with you." Seeing Alice Parker's behavior, Grace Sutton frowned slightly but held back her anger. "I called you here today to discuss some serious business."

Alice Parker poured himself another drink, playing with the delicate glass, a meaningful smile on his lips. "Serious business? Could it be that President Mu has finally come around and wants to live in harmony with me, sharing a passionate night together?"

Grace Sutton hated Alice Parker's flippant, smirking attitude the most. Her face instantly turned even colder. "Alice Parker, I'm warning you..."

"Alright, alright, just kidding." Alice Parker interrupted her with a light laugh. He knew all too well how tough his "good" wife could be. His expression turned a bit more serious. "If you have something serious to say, go ahead."

Maybe it was because they were in the office, but Grace Sutton was also doing her best to control her temper. She took a few deep breaths to suppress her anger before finally regaining some composure. "I've already received several complaints about you, including from your colleagues and even your superiors."

"So President Mu called me here today to fire me, huh?" Alice Parker couldn't help but shrug and laugh. "No wonder you made such a show of assigning me a task today. Looks like you want this good-for-nothing to use that order as an excuse to throw a fit and find a graceful way to resign on my own?"

Grace Sutton hadn't expected Alice Parker to catch on so quickly. She had only hinted at it a little, and he had already figured it all out. A flash of surprise crossed her face, but she quickly regained her cool composure. "That's right. I'm only doing this from the company's perspective."

"Mm, not bad, not bad. You’re able to set aside personal grudges and consider things purely from the company’s standpoint." Alice Parker squinted with a smile, as if trying to see through her soul, and said ambiguously, "My father-in-law would be very pleased."

"Alice Parker, what do you mean by that? Are you trying to..." Grace Sutton stood up, trembling slightly, her frosty face flushed with anger, her 34D chest heaving. She opened her mouth several times but stopped herself. After a long pause, she finally regained some calm and said almost word by word, "So what do you want?"

"I don't want anything. I own twelve percent of Maoyuan Group." Alice Parker looked at Grace Sutton's angry face and smiled lightly. "So, it's only natural for me to stay on at the company. I can also keep an eye on you, the chairman and CEO, to keep you from being too autocratic. As for that so-called assignment, well, the business world is full of beautiful women—hardly a tough job. Of course, if you use the board’s authority to fire me, I won’t say a word. But if you want me to resign on my own, that’s impossible." Alice Parker still enjoyed seeing her lose her composure; it made her seem much more human than her usual icy demeanor—more like a real woman.