After saying this, Ivan Warren gazed at Melody Summers with absolute confidence, a look of certain victory on his face.

He was certain Melody Summers would agree. After all, in this time of disaster, an ordinary person could never refuse such food.

His colleague was even keeping a recently graduated, innocent student for the price of five sweet potatoes a week.

Ivan Warren felt that by offering Melody Summers so much, he was already being an incredibly generous patron!

Melody Summers, however, stared at Ivan Warren as if he were a complete idiot. In a tone laced with shock, she asked, "Ivan Warren, are you insane?!"

’I should just crack open his skull and see what’s inside,’ Melody Summers thought. ’How else could he spout such inconceivable nonsense?’

Ivan Warren, however, assumed Melody didn’t believe him and hastily said, "Melody, do you think I’m joking? I’m serious! If you’re with me, I can really give you this food every single week!"

Melody Summers couldn’t listen to any more of this. She rolled her eyes at Ivan Warren and turned to leave. ’Saying another word to him would be a waste of my time!’

When Ivan Warren saw Melody Summers about to leave, he quickly took two steps forward to block her path. "Wait, wait, don’t go yet! I’m not making this up. Let me be honest with you—I’m working at Rhodes Enterprises now!"

Melody Summers froze. ’Rhodes Enterprises?’

’Rhodes Enterprises... Why do they always hire such pieces of trash? One Simon Lancaster wasn’t enough, and now there’s an Ivan Warren.’

Melody Summers discreetly hit the record button on her phone, then looked up at Ivan Warren and asked, "So what?"

Seeing Melody Summers’s indifferent expression, Ivan Warren grew anxious. "You can’t have never heard of Rhodes Enterprises, can you? It’s Rhodes, the leading company in indoor agriculture! The most sought-after company right now!"

After the disaster, Rhodes Enterprises partnered with the government and now controls most of the food supply in the city.

To give you an idea of how influential they are, if you go on the dating scene and say you work at Rhodes, you’re immediately the hottest commodity! Droves of single men and women will throw themselves at you!

Melody Summers played along, nodding. "I’ve heard of it. It’s a big company. And?"

Relieved that Melody knew of Rhodes, Ivan Warren continued, "I’m a permanent employee at Rhodes. I get my benefits from the company every week. Melody, if you agree to be with me, I promise I can give you at least two different types of food every week!"

In truth, Ivan Warren was just a low-level grunt who ran errands and did menial tasks. His weekly benefits weren’t much, just enough for him and Maisie Lynch to supplement their meals a little.

The fact that he was willing to give half of his share to Melody Summers was, in his mind, incredibly generous!

Melody Summers didn’t say yes, but she didn’t say no either.

She watched Ivan Warren with a calm, unhurried air and asked softly, "You want me to be with you? But isn’t your wife Maisie Lynch?"

Hearing this, Ivan Warren assumed Melody Summers was tempted. He quickly said, "Don’t worry about Maisie Lynch. She’s just a woman with a high school education; she’s nothing compared to you! As long as you’re with me, I guarantee she won’t dare to say a word!"

Melody Summers nearly burst out laughing from pure rage at his words.

’Maisie Lynch was a student at a top-tier university, and the only reason she ended up with just a high school diploma was because of this bastard, Ivan Warren!’

’And now he has the gall to look down on her for it? It’s completely absurd!’

Melody Summers mentally cursed Ivan Warren’s entire family tree, but her expression remained neutral. She continued, "Oh? So you’re planning on cheating on her? And you expect me and Maisie Lynch to just get along?"

Ivan Warren scratched his head. He knew Melody Summers came from a respectable family and would most likely never accept such an arrangement. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

So, he softened his tone, trying to coax her. "Melody, I don’t want this either, but I can’t break up with Maisie Lynch right now. Just give me one year. I promise, in one year, I’ll make Maisie Lynch leave, and you’ll be the one by my side."

It wasn’t that Ivan Warren was so in love with Maisie Lynch, but he worked for Rhodes, and Rhodes was extremely strict about its employees’ personal conduct.

He knew a male employee had been fired on the spot after someone reported him to HR for getting involved in another person’s marriage.

Ivan Warren was in the middle of building his work record for a promotion; he didn’t want any drama at home right now. If Maisie Lynch caused a scene at the company, the consequences would far outweigh any benefits.

’Besides,’ Ivan thought, ’Maisie Lynch is gentle and considerate. She keeps the house in perfect order and takes very good care of me. Even though I look down on her, I can’t deny her skills as a caretaker.’

’But one look at Melody Summers told him she wasn’t the type to wait on anyone...’

’He was a little reluctant to just dump Maisie Lynch.’

’So, for now, Ivan Warren hoped to have his cake and eat it too.’

’As for what would happen in a year, that would depend on how Maisie Lynch and Melody Summers behaved.’

’If Melody Summers gave him a son before Maisie Lynch did, he wouldn’t mind making her the official one...’

Listening to Ivan Warren’s tirade, Melody Summers, despite being mentally prepared, was still stunned by the sheer depth of his shamelessness.

As Ivan Warren beamed confidently, Melody Summers smiled right back at him.

Then, Melody Summers suddenly raised her fist and smashed it right into Ivan Warren’s face!

The punch carried immense force, instantly sending the unprepared Ivan Warren sprawling to the ground!

Ivan Warren had not seen that coming at all. He pushed himself up awkwardly from the ground, turning to stare at Melody Summers in utter disbelief. "You... You... How could you hit me?!"

Then, he tasted blood. He touched the corner of his mouth and saw a smear of fresh blood on his hand.

Melody Summers looked down at Ivan Warren on the ground, her eyes icy. "That’s my answer," she said, her voice devoid of mercy. "Ivan Warren, I’m warning you. Don’t you ever come near me and disgust me again."

Hearing her words, Ivan Warren scrambled to his feet, his embarrassment turning to fury.

He spat a mouthful of bloody saliva onto the ground, then turned and pointed a finger in Melody Summers’s face. "Melody Summers! You ungrateful bitch! Let me tell you, plenty of women would kill to be my mistress. You don’t know what’s good for you today, but in the future, you could beg me to sleep with you and I wouldn’t give you the time of day!"

’After all,’ Ivan Warren thought, ’I’m a graduate from a Top-2 university. As long as things go smoothly, I’ll get promoted within Rhodes soon enough based on my credentials. When that time comes, she could beg me to be her mistress, and I still wouldn’t agree!’

Melody Summers didn’t waste any more words on Ivan Warren. She strode forward, raised her leg, and viciously kicked him in the stomach.

Ivan Warren let out a choked grunt. His body lurched backward several steps as if he’d been struck by a sledgehammer.

He clutched his stomach with both hands, doubling over. A pained expression twisted his features as he snarled at Melody Summers, "Enough! Melody Summers, don’t think I won’t hit a woman!"

Melody Summers snorted. Just as she was about to step forward and land a few more kicks, a figure suddenly darted out of the stairwell.

The figure lunged forward, throwing itself over Ivan Warren.

Melody Summers looked closely and saw, to her surprise, that it was Maisie Lynch.