Chapter 9 The Frostbite He Caused

• At this moment, Conrad and Angela felt a tingling sensation all over their bodies, as if an electric current had been jolted through them.
• She was so taken aback that her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, and she became as rigid as a statue, unable to move a muscle. This is my first kiss! When their lips touched, she felt a chill that made her think of mint candies. The impact of the fall should have jolted her consciousness into action, but instead, her mind was fogged, as if she were lacking oxygen.
• In the meantime, Conrad's body went rigid as he experienced his first kiss. Despite being a severe neatnik who would reject any physical contact with a woman, he did not feel nauseous at this moment. Angela... What a slick woman!
• Suddenly, an icy breeze blew in through the open window, jolting her out of her dreamy state and prompting her to quickly stand up. Her cheeks were as red as apples, and they burned so intensely that she felt as if she had been set ablaze. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Heathcliff. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"
• His usual cold demeanor instantly snapped into place, and he continued as though nothing had happened. "Is this another symptom of your pregnancy?"
• "No. The spilled coffee caused me to lose my footing." While saying this, Angela shook her head and hands in apparent embarrassment. I wish the earth would cave in on itself and swallow me up.
• On the other hand, Conrad slowly stood up before slamming his hands against the partition behind her, effectively enclosing her. "Do not try any of your ridiculous tricks against me. I will never be interested in a lowly woman like you."
• She could see the icy derision and hatred simmering in his eyes as every word he spoke struck her like bullets to the spine. Despite this, she did her best to maintain her composure, as if desperately clinging to her remaining vestiges of dignity. "Mr. Heathcliff, I am well aware of my place in life. I only wish to focus on my work, never even indulging in pointless dreams at night. You are the brightest star in the sky while I'm just mud. I can only look up to you and not dare to dream of you. I never ever will."
• Even though her tone and words make it abundantly clear that she is groveling, there appears to be an underlying taunt hidden within her rambling. At that, Conrad shot Angela a stern, icy gaze. He seemed to have X-ray vision, and no matter what she did, he could see right through it with a single glance, rendering all of her schemes and tricks useless against him. After that, he returned to his desk with a frosty expression, as if he were made of ice, and ignored her.
• With no response from him, she walked out of his office. She could feel the stiffness in her lips as if she had frostbite from the coldness of that man. I should maintain a safe distance from someone like him.
• ...
• After reassessment by the HR Department, Angela was promoted to become a designer. In contrast, Kelly had been demoted from department head to manager.
• In the meantime, the Design Department was filled with an odd tension, and Angela could sense that she was subtly socially excluded by Kelly, who kept disparaging her. She was aware that Kelly likely held a grudge against her for the incident. Nevertheless, she did not pay too much attention to what Kelly was doing because she knew she had to avoid making a single mistake, and a new department head would be appointed.
• On the day she received her paycheck, the first thing she intended to do with her salary was to repay the loan. Since her brother had been discharged from the ICU and she had just received a promotion, she could now afford the daily medical fees, so she decided to pay 750 for the time being.
• After getting off the elevator, she was about to enter the president's office when her mother called.
• "Angie, I just met with Jake's attending doctor today. Apparently, Jake developed a resistance to the drugs. That means the drugs he's on aren't working anymore, and his illness might worsen at any moment. We can try a new imported drug that's supposed to be very effective. It's just somewhat expensive, and one box costs 15,000. Please transfer over 15,000 as soon as possible so he can try them out."
• Angela's heart skipped a beat when she heard this because 15,000 was a huge sum for her. Aside from the small amount I needed to cover my expenses, I would send home every dime I made. With no savings, it seems impossible to come up with 15,000. Unless… Then, she lowered her eyes and bit her lips as she slowly walked forward.
• Meanwhile, Conrad had just concluded his international meeting in the president's office. Then, he received a message from Kevin. 'Miss Banner has withdrawn 15,000 from the card, Mr. Heathcliff.' Suddenly, his eyes gleamed with disdain as he read the text. I don't mind a gold digger, but she needs to know her place and avoid delusions.
• ...
• When Angela got home from work, she found Lana getting ready to go out and buy some fruit, so she decided to tag along. They had just gotten some apples when they ran into a "familiar" face.
• Lana had worked with the Heathcliffs for years, so Wilhelmina recognized her immediately. Then, she asked, "Why are you here, Ms. Poller? Why are you with Angela? Did Conrad tell you to look after her?"