The Lord Mayor Falls in Love with Me

Chapter 34 The first time she ever lied

Allen didn’t argue with Joey. He smiled and nodded, “All right, I’ll wait for you in the car.”

“Fine, I’ll be back soon.”

Joey sighed with relief. She waved at him and went upstairs.

What she didn't know was that Ben Hawk, who was supposed to be in the office now, was actually

standing by the window upstairs with a sullen face and watching them all the time.

When Joey opened the door, she found her mother watching TV on the couch and Ben Hawk sitting

next to her.

She was surprised to find him at home. But she forced a smile and said to her mother, “Mom, I’m back.”

Mrs. Linderman wasn’t happy to see her, “What did you go last night? Don’t you know that your father,

Ben and I have been worried sick about you? Especially Ben, he has been looking for you all day long.

He didn't even go to work today. You'd better come up with a good explanation.”

Standing at the door, Joey tried to keep a safe distance from Ben Hawk. She decided to go with the

plan she had come up with in Allen’s car a moment ago, “Mom, when I was about to get off work

yesterday, Mr. Walter sent me to another city to negotiate a business plan on his behalf, so it was too

late for me to get back home. Besides, it was an undeveloped and remote area and the phone signal

was terrible. I wasn't able to call you in the end. But I rushed back home as soon I was in town because

I knew you would be worried about me.”

Mrs. Linderman wasn't fully convinced, “Really?’

“Of course, Mom, you know I never lie.”

Joey nodded seriously. It was the first time she had ever lied to her parents. She was surprised to find

that she could be such a good liar.

Ben Hawk frowned more when he heard her explanation because he couldn’t tell whether her story

was true or not. As a business manager in the Walter Group, he didn't know much about the

development programs of the company because they were generally too important to be handed over

to anyone else by John Walter.

However, he saw the man he had seen the other night at the door. Even if Joey had really gone on a

business trip to another city, she had rushed to her secret lover first, instead of her mother and himself.

Ben Hawk was annoyed at the thought of it.

It was a pity that Joey had been ignoring him since she got home. She added, “Mom, the program is

really important for our company and Mr. Walter takes it very seriously. As his chief secretary, I have a

lot of work to do. He has rented a house for me near the company so that I could concentrate more on

work. I’m leaving this afternoon.”

“So suddenly?”

Her mother stood up in surprise.

Ben Hawk’s voice was cold at the news, “I don’t think the program is important enough for you to move

out. I disagree, you’re not leaving.”

He wouldn't allow her to move out of the home, whether it was work requirement or not. He knew well

that the moment she walked out the door, she would never come back. In that case, she would be

definitely out of his reach.

Joey sneered, “Whether you allow it or not, I’m leaving anyway.”

“Don't you dare!”

Ben Hawk was outraged. Joey had always been a sweet-tempered girl. She had never rebutted him

with such ferocity before. It was obvious that his advances the other night had upset her very much. He

decided to soften his voice, “Joey, you’re a girl. A girl should put her family first. Why are you so

obsessed with work? You will return to family life anyhow and I’m happy to be the breadwinner. Why

don’t you quit your job and stay home to spend more time with your parents?”

Mrs. Linderman was very happy with his decision.

However, Joey found it ridiculous because he even wanted to rob her of the freedom to work. It was so

selfish of him to try to imprison her as a housewife in the future.

She didn't bother to acknowledge his presence. She asked her mother, “Where is Dad?”

She hadn’t seen her father after she got home.

“Your father is cooking in the kitchen!” Mrs. Linderman answered.

“I’ll tell Dad about it.”

She trotted to the kitchen because she hated to stay in the same room with Ben Hawk. She was

leaving home today anyhow.