Walter momentarily faltered, but his smile quickly returned. "Is that so? I''ll review it again," he said, his tone light and casual. He scooped up the documents, adding, "I''ll make the revisions and have you look it over." Alexander offered no response, his silence serving as tacit agreement. Walter collected the document and exited the room, leaving Alexander alone. Thetter loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, his face expressionless. He sat in the conference room, his gaze distant and unfocused.


    His solitude was interrupted when Ruby knocked and entered the room. "Alexander," she began, her tone professional, "I couldn''t reach you by phone yesterday, so I went ahead and met with the client. We sealed the deal. Here''s the contract for you to review."


    Alexander epted the contract, flipping through it casually. "Okay, you keep handling it," he instructed. Ruby nodded, her eyes lingering on him a moment longer than necessary.


    "Alexander, is something bothering you?" she asked hesitantly. He looked up, his surprise evident. "Is it that obvious?" Ruby chuckled softly, "Quite obvious. You barely flipped through two pages of this contract without really looking." Alexander remained silent for a moment before standing up and leaving the conference room....


    Quinn awoke on the cold, hard floor, her body aching from the previous night''s trials. The chill of the floor numbed her cheek, which was pressed against the ground, devoid of any sensation. She nced around, finding herself in the same room as the day before, her wrists still bound.


    A bowl filled with cold leftovers had been ced in front of her. Despite the chill of the food, the lingering aroma tantalized her taste buds, saliva pooling in her mouth. However, the prospect of eating from the bowl was degrading, akin to a dog.


    She gripped the armrest of the chair, her eyes fixated on the bowl, her lips twitching. After a few seconds, she closed her eyes and turned her head away. Her will to live seemed to wane, the pangs of hunger less intense.


    Suddenly, the door swung open. Quinn startled, her eyes darting up to see Walter standing there in his dark red suit. He squatted down in front of her, his head slightly tilted as he studied her. His slightly curled, short hair cast a gentle shadow across his face, giving him an air of tenderness.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    He shifted his gaze to the bowl of food, chuckling softly, "You do have some spirit." His words weren''tplimentary, and as if to prove it, he grabbed her hair, lifting her up.


    She was still bound to the chair, her hair barely able to bear the weight. Strands of her hair were ripped out, the pain turning her face pale. Her veins rippled, distorting her features. "With such a backbone, how can you still stay by Alexander''s side and be a tail-wagging dog?" he mumbled, seemingly to himself, yet also to her.


    Walter picked up the bowl of rice and brought it to Quinn''s mouth, his voice still soft, "Eat, or you''ll starve." Heughed, "You can''t die." Hisughter was soft, but his actions were cruel. He forced her face into the bowl of food, blocking her nose and mouth.


    Quinn''s chest contracted violently as she coughed, the leftovers sucked into her nose. Walter held her head down, her coughing shaking the food out of the bowl and onto his hand, scattering it across the floor.


    She twisted and struggled, but her strength was depleted from being tied up and starved. Her head began tock oxygen, her consciousness blurring. Walter''s voice echoed above her, "You can make a sound. Howe you can''t speak?" Her coughing was barely audible, more like a gasp of air than a sound. Quinn was too groggy toprehend his words, her strength fading until she stopped struggling.


    Walter removed the bowl, and air rushed back into Quinn''s nostrils, carrying remnants of the food into her windpipe.