Mystery: Gray Walker

Chapter 38 Henry's Hobbies

Henry was in a good mood, humming an off-key tune as he walked briskly down the dark red carpeted corridor on the third floor.

Sunlight streamed in through the window at the end of the corridor.

As Henry passed the open doorway of the clerk's office, he heard the pleasant laughter of a young woman, mixed with the rustling of papers turning and whispers. He slowed his pace and stopped at the doorway.

The people inside fell silent the moment they saw him.

Behind several desks, a group of young female employees stopped what they were doing and looked toward the door with different expressions.

Some people subconsciously lowered their heads, pretending to organize documents. Some avoided Henry's gaze, unable to meet his eyes. Others showed a barely perceptible hint of excitement and anticipation on their faces, subtly straightening their backs to display their ample figures.

Henry's gaze swept over several young and pretty faces, finally settling on the woman behind the table by the window.

She looked to be in her early twenties, with her brown hair styled in a simple bun at the back of her head, and a few wisps of hair hanging down beside her ears, making her neck appear long and fair.

At this moment, she was slightly lowering her head, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes, appearing somewhat nervous.

"Annaise, come to my office for a moment," Henry said, his voice gentle, even with a hint of a smile.

The female employee named Anaïs trembled almost imperceptibly, raised her head, revealing a pretty but somewhat pale face.

She opened her mouth as if to say something, but under Henry's unquestionable gaze, she finally nodded and whispered, "Yes, Supervisor."

Henry smiled with satisfaction, said nothing more, and turned to walk towards his office at the other end of the corridor.

He could feel several gazes following him from behind, some curious, some inquisitive, and perhaps even a hint of barely perceptible disdain, but he didn't care.

Henry pushed open the heavy oak door to his office, walked to his large desk, sat down, picked up a document, but didn't look at it. He simply tapped the surface with his fingers and waited patiently.

A short while later, there was a soft knock on the door, the sound was very soft and hesitant.

"Come in." Henry put down the documents, his voice regaining its usual authority.

The door was pushed open a crack, and Anaïs timidly peeked in, whispering, "Manager, did you call me?"

"Come in, and close the door." Henry gestured to the sofa opposite him. "Sit down, don't be nervous."

Anaïs walked in as instructed, gently closing the door behind her. However, she did not sit down immediately but stood awkwardly beside the sofa, her hands folded in front of her and her head bowed.

Henry's smile deepened as he looked at her. He stood up, walked around the large desk, and instead of going to Anaïs, headed straight for the office door.

"Click".

The sound of the lock clicking shut made Anaïs's body stiffen abruptly, her clasped hands clenching instantly. She looked up, a flicker of panic and fear in her eyes.

"Don't be afraid, Anaïs."

Henry's voice remained gentle, even soothing. He walked back to his desk, sat down again, and looked at her with composure.

"I just hope... my apology won't be heard by anyone. After all, it's for your sake, isn't it?"

"Apologize...?" Anaïs's voice was a little dry. She didn't seem to understand what Henry meant, or rather, she couldn't believe it.

"yes."

Henry sighed, looking completely open and honest. "About yesterday... I'm very sorry. I was too hasty and neglected your feelings. Looking back, it really wasn't appropriate."

He paused, observing Anaïs's reaction. Anaïs kept her head down, her shoulders slightly hunched, and remained silent.

Henry continued, "So, I wanted to apologize to you privately. I hope you won't take it to heart. Of course, to show my sincerity..."

He opened the drawer of his desk, took out a small paper bag tied with a ribbon, placed it on the table, and gently pushed it forward.

In Henry's view, no woman is immune to the charm of an exquisite gift; if she is, it is simply because it is not sophisticated or exquisite enough.

"This small gift is a token of my apology and also a thank you for your hard work. You know, I always appreciate hardworking employees. Especially... someone like you, who is both hardworking and... sensible."

Henry saw that she stood still, head bowed, and his feigned patience quickly wore thin. The gentle smile on his face vanished.

He stood up, picked up the gift bag from the table, and walked straight to Anaïs.

"Take it," he commanded, shoving the gift bag into the other person's hand.

Anaïs jerked her hand back, the gift bag falling to the ground. She took a step back in alarm, her voice trembling with fear:

"No... Supervisor, it's... it's okay, I don't need it... please..."

"Hmph! You don't know what's good for you!" Henry's face darkened completely. He grabbed Anaïs's slender wrist with such force that she cried out in pain.

"Let me go! Please!" Anaïs struggled.

Without a word, Henry forcibly dragged her to the nearby sofa and shoved her down onto the soft leather. Anaïs tried to get up, but Henry held her down with his body.

"Don't move!"

Henry lowered his voice, leaning close to her ear, "Don't take my kindness for granted. Do you want everyone outside to hear you? Do you want to be pointed at and gossiped about as soon as you step out this door? Hmm?"

Upon hearing this, Anaïs froze, overwhelmed by fear.

She dared not shout, but could only shake her head desperately, pressing her hands against Henry's chest, trying with all her might to push him away, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.

"No...no...please...supervisor...let me go..." she sobbed.

But this humble plea seemed to only fuel Henry's excitement. His eyes gleamed with pleasure, as if he relished the feeling of complete control, watching his prey struggle helplessly.

"Let you go?" Henry sneered, roughly grabbing Anaïs's wrist with one hand and pressing it against the back of the sofa, while his other hand grabbed her hair, forcing her to tilt her head back.

A sharp pain shot through Anaïs's scalp, causing her to gasp in pain.

"Think about how you got this job, Anaïs. Think about your father, who toiled at the docks, and your sickly mother. Without me, would you have gotten a stable job at the port authority? Without this job, what would your family eat? What would you drink? Hmm?"

"Now it's time for you to repay me!"

These words struck Anaïs's heart like a hammer blow, instantly weakening her struggles and leaving only a desperate tremor and silent tears.

Work...family...she can't lose these...

Seeing her reaction, Henry knew his threat had worked. He smiled smugly, loosened her hair, and began to roughly tear at the front of her dress.

"No...don't..."

Anaïs felt her clothes being torn open, and despair surged up again. She began to writhe more violently.

"Behave yourself!" Henry growled impatiently, slapping her across the face.

The sharp sound of the slap echoed loudly in the office. Anaïs's cheek burned, her ears rang, and her vision blurred for a moment.

All resistance seemed to have been shattered by that slap, leaving only endless humiliation and bone-chilling despair.

Just then—

"Knock, knock, knock."

A clear, loud, even slightly leisurely tapping sound abruptly broke the suffocating atmosphere in the office.

The sound wasn't coming from the door, but... from the direction of Henry's desk.

Henry froze, stopped abruptly, and turned his head sharply to look.

At that moment, a person was sitting on his large oak desk, a symbol of power and status.

The man had one leg casually dangling over the edge of the table, the other bent and resting on the tabletop. His elbow was on his knee, and he was resting his chin on his hand, watching the unsightly scene on the sofa with great interest. There was no anger or shock in his eyes, only an almost cold sense of amusement and scrutiny.

It was Green, whom he had just dismissed and who should have been kicked out of the port authority!

"you--"

Henry's pupils contracted sharply, and he screamed in shock, his voice distorted with extreme shock and rage at being interrupted.

"You, you, how did you get in?!"

He clearly remembered locking the door from the inside...

Henry turned his head sharply, but the heavy oak door remained tightly shut, and the metal latch of the door lock was not moved at all!

The windows? The blinds are tightly closed; this is the third floor!

How did he appear here so silently, like a ghost?!

"Shh—!" Green made a shushing gesture.

Henry's mind went blank for a moment; he simply couldn't comprehend the bizarre scene before him.

Anaïs, who was beneath him, also saw Grin. She was startled at first, but then her survival instinct gave her the last bit of strength she needed.

Taking advantage of Henry's momentary lapse in concentration and loosening of his grip, Anaïs used all her strength to push him away, while simultaneously bending her knee and slamming into him!

"Well!"

Caught off guard, Henry groaned as he was hit and fell to the side.

Anaïs seized the opportunity to scramble off the sofa, not even bothering to straighten her torn and disheveled clothes or her shoes that had fallen to the floor. Barefoot, she stumbled and staggered toward the door, frantically unlocking it before rushing out without looking back and disappearing down the hallway.

Now, only two people remain in this spacious, luxurious office, which is permeated with an atmosphere of sin.

Green remained seated leisurely at his desk, his posture unchanged.

Henry scrambled to his feet from the sofa, his face alternating between pale and flushed, his chest heaving violently, a mixture of rage at being interrupted and annoyance at being hurt.

But more than that... it's the panic of things completely spiraling out of control, the fear of having the dirtiest side exposed, and the ruthlessness that follows.

He stared intently at Green, who simply returned his gaze calmly, a faint, almost mocking smile on his face.