The CEO's Lovely Twins

"What'd you say?"

What Joseph said confused Belinda.

Hayden interrupted them when Joseph gave her a look.

"Joseph is now officially the director of the financial department."

"What?" Belinda's eye were wide open, her facial expression manifested her sheer disbelief, "that's impossible! He works for Downey Group, how could you give that post to him? And who gave you the rights to hire him without the board's permission? Is the board nothing to you now?"

"I treat the board with due respect, but do they treat me so? You tell me."

Hayden replied gloomily.

"Besides, I would've had the permission if someone hadn't been a Karen at the conference. I don't think we should have a meeting just to pander to you."

"You..."Belinda was furious, she said as she stomped her feet, "my mom was right about you, you're cursed, you're just a bane. You're the bane of my parents' existence. And even your sister almost died because of you."

Those words were a barb to Hayden, tearing apart the scars in her heart, her knuckles white, and her face pale.

Those words reverberated around her, awakening her miserable childhood experience.

"She's cursed. She blighted her mom's life right after her birth, and her grandpa's a few years later."

"Somebody's going to die now that she's here."

"Stay away from her."

15

"If what you're saying is true. Does that mean whatever happens to you now must be caused by Hayden. We won't even need the police to investigate."

Joseph's voice drew Hayden back to reality from her tragic memories. He took a few steps forward towards Belinda, said in a low voice.

"And if I'm not mistaken, something like curse is out of the purview of the law."

"What do you mean?" Belinda fell back a step, appalled, "We're in the company now, you dare not..."

"There nothing I dare not do." He stood still, the chill radiating from him crept even Hayden.

"If I ever hear anything negative about Hayden coming out of your mouth, I'll make sure that you won't talk again anymore. I wonder if you are any good if you family banishes you." Belinda's face became pale in terror and she could hardly stand on her feet. She fled before anyone else saw her embarrassment.

Joseph returned to Hayden when Belinda's gone. Face to face, he held her hands, "I know you as a eloquent debater. I would never expect that an ignoramus would mute you."

"I didn't know what to say. I had heard so much of those when I was a kid that sometime I would even think that they are right."

She looked down to the ground, sounded sullen.

If fate does exist, she's most likely destined to be alone to death. She thought.

She felt the warmth of Joseph's hands as the grips tightened. "Don't listen to them," he said, "if you were a bane, what would I be? People die, and nobody can do anything about that. If somebody have to accept that title, I'll get it before you do."

His father died when Joseph was thirteen and her mother was banished in the same year. For the next two decades, he was all alone. The word suited him better than Hayden, he thought.

"Is that how you console people?"Hayden snuffed, "Why don't you say that we are two banes being bound together?"

"I could if that's what you want to hear."

"Oh, you..."

Hayden gave him a light pat, which would look flirting to others.

Two employees happened to walked by. "Morning, Miss Hay..." one of them said.

The other dragged him away before he went any further. "Didn't you see that Miss Hayden was flirting with her boyfriend?" the other scoffed, "You idiot!"

Hayden kept her eyes down even when the two employees were long gone. Embarrassed, she rubbed her cheek.

"You are shy. Your face looks so red."

"I'm not!" she groaned, "It's because of Belinda, I'm just mad."

"Is that so?"

"It is," she took a dry cough, "Mr. Director of The financial Department, you should check in at the personnel now. There's procedure in our company you should go by."

"You didn't go by the procedure when you hire me."Joseph said, "the people here are still going to think that I got the post through the back door no matter I respect your policy or not."

"The whole city knows who you are, Mr. Joseph. We're privileged to have you here. Just cut the crap and go."

They both knew it's only expedient that Joseph worked here, he won't stay here for long. Joseph Beckham, the only grandchild of the old Master Beckham, the only rightful successor of the ST Group, would return to inherit the wealth and power sooner or later.

Working here was Joseph's own idea though.

It's killing two birds with one stone. With the position he's in now, Joseph would have access to the Downey's ledgers fix their financial problems if there is any. And when the news got to Harrison, he could rest assured knowing his grandson was working under his girlfriend. And Joseph would soon return to ST Group.

In the Beckham's Mansion, Harrison smashed an exquisite inkstone when he heard the news.

"Son of a bitch! What is he thinking working at Downey Group? He rather let people laugh and slap in my face than to say sorry."

"Sir." In Joseph's defense, Mark said, "you misunderstood Joseph. You kicked him out, he gotta do something to feed himself. He's defending your honor by doing so. Do you know what people are saying out there?"

"What?" Harrison asked, his eyebrows rose up a little.

"They're saying that you hate Joseph, and that you rather let some stranger take over your company than let Joseph have it. You know Joseph, and a lot of people has held grudges against him but never dared say anything. Now that he fell off, they all try to twist the knife in his back."

"Bastards."

Harrison smacked at the table really hard. Pacing around his den, he demanded Mark.

"Mark, go reach Joseph.00