Chapter 5
Ophelia slowly raised her eyes to meet the security guard's polite gaze.
The guard paused momentarily, struck by her beauty. She looked like a doll from a television commercial—delicate features that instinctively made one want to protect her rather than speak harshly.
"No," She replied simply.
"Well then, we'll need to check you in at the front desk. What brings you to Harold Plaza today?" The guard asked, gesturing toward the reception area.
"I'm looking for someone."
The security guard retrieved the visitor log from the reception desk, flipping to the page for recording guests.
"Your name, age..."
Silence fell between them. The guard looked up, quickly explaining, "Miss, this is for building security. Please cooperate with our procedures."
Ophelia had little patience for this conversation. Glancing at the wall clock, she noticed evening was approaching.
"I need to see Felix Hall. Just tell him the crazy girl is here."
The guard's pen hovered above the paper, his eyes widening as he stared at Ophelia.
His mouth fell slightly open, clearly shocked by her words.
After a moment, he lowered his eyebrows and warned her sternly, "Miss, we're not joking around. If you don't cooperate, I'll have to escort you out immediately!"
Ophelia stepped back from the security guard, eyeing him warily.
In that instant, she had already calculated their relative fighting capabilities.
It was clear—her combat skills surpassed his.
Her tension eased slightly. "I've told you my purpose, but you haven't taken any action. Now you're criticizing me? Is this how you do your job?"
The guard hadn't expected to encounter someone so difficult, especially someone who looked so refined. Beautiful, yes, but clearly something was wrong with her mind.
His expression turned contemptuous and arrogant. "Miss, I'm not trying to be difficult, but Mr. Hall is our CEO. Even we can't see him casually. You're just a girl with no appointment who I've never seen before—how could Mr. Hall possibly meet with you?"
Just then, a more formally dressed security officer approached, his thick black eyebrows furrowed over stern eyes.
"What's happening here?" He demanded.
"There's a girl who wants to see our CEO! Without an appointment!"
The security captain glanced at Ophelia once, not even pausing to really look at her. "Remove her immediately. Don't waste time on matters like this."
The guard saluted promptly. After the captain left, he glared at Ophelia menacingly. "Leave now. Stop interfering with my work!"
He pushed Ophelia, but she deftly sidestepped his hand.
The guard was visibly angered. He reached out to grab her, and other security personnel moved to assist.
Within moments, Ophelia found herself surrounded by guards with no escape route.
The commotion attracted attention from people in the lobby, who gathered around, taking photos and videos with their phones.
Outside Harold Plaza, a sleek Bentley pulled up. The custom leather shoe that emerged first belonged to a pair of long, elegant legs. Felix Hall stood beside the car.
His posture was graceful, almost princely in its elegance.
As his assistant efficiently closed the car door behind him, Felix reviewed his morning schedule.
Entering through the revolving doors, Felix stopped abruptly, his gaze fixed on the crowd gathered in the distance.
His assistant, noticing Felix's pause, followed his line of sight and tensed.
'Good heavens, when does such a crowd gather!' His assistant thought nervously.
Looking closer, he noticed Felix's brow slightly furrowed—clearly displeased.
The assistant rushed forward, dispersing the crowd.
The security guards were still in a standoff with Ophelia. They had already exchanged blows once.
It was evident that despite their numbers, they were no match for this seemingly delicate young woman.
They circled Ophelia, seeking an opening, but before they could act, a calm voice cut through the tension.
"What's going on here?"
The familiar voice made all the security guards snap to attention. They straightened immediately, legs pressed together as they saluted Felix.
"Mr. Hall! We're removing this young lady. She has no appointment but insists on seeing you, claiming to be... crazy."
Felix slowly turned his head, looking at the half-hidden figure behind the security guards.
Though only a small portion of her was visible, the sight made him freeze.
Before anyone could react, the guards and assistant watched in astonishment as Felix—the normally composed CEO who rarely showed emotion—strode directly to Ophelia. "Ms. Hayes?"
Ophelia faced Felix without fear, shrugging slightly. "I got out. Suddenly remembered you existed, so I came for a favor. Didn't expect to be blocked by your employees."
Hearing this, Felix looked at the security guard who had spoken earlier. His voice was deceptively light. "You're fired. Effective immediately."
The guard hadn't even processed what was happening when Felix led Ophelia into the executive elevator.
The remaining staff stood dumbfounded.
They had never seen Felix with a woman before. In fact, rumors circulated throughout Harold Plaza that their CEO might be asexual.
Some more outlandish gossip even suggested he might not be interested in women at all.
For Felix to not only speak to this young woman but to invite her into his private elevator was shocking enough. But to fire someone on her behalf? Who could she possibly be?
Inside the top-floor executive office, Felix stepped out of the elevator into a vast open space.
The walls were covered with premium wallpaper, some areas featuring embossed designs. In the open areas hung priceless paintings.
Everything exuded a subtle blend of classical elegance and luxury.
Ophelia's eyes moved slightly, mentally registering her surprise. She had known Felix was wealthy, but hadn't realized the extent of his fortune.
Their acquaintance began three years ago when she had first entered Oak Haven Retreat.
Everyone there had disliked her, but couldn't overpower her.
During her time with the Hayes family, she had accidentally discovered boxing.
She had even fought in underground matches to earn money.