A few hours later.
Adaline sat in the waiting area in front of her COO's office, nervously squeezing her hands. Before lunch, Mrs. Jessica and Duncan had contacted her, stating that their boss wanted to talk to her directly after work. Mrs. Jessica reassured Adaline to stay calm so that their COO could approve her loan, while Duncan questioned her about the reason their COO needed to meet Adaline in person. However, Adaline chose not to give any answers until everything was certain.
Half an hour had passed since the office closed, but neither Sir Altezza nor Duncan had shown up. Earlier, Duncan had contacted their COO's secretary, explaining that the meeting was delayed due to a few matters they needed to resolve, asking Adaline to be patient.
Adaline was not usually an impatient person, but this time she was overwhelmed with anxiety. She feared that her loan application might not be approved, and she was confused about where else to seek a loan. Meanwhile, her mother's surgery was scheduled for tomorrow. If she didn't complete the paperwork today, her mother's operation would have to be postponed until there was another available slot.
The private director's lift door opened, and Adaline tensed immediately. The sound of shoes on the marble floor echoed in her ears. Adaline rose from her seat nervously. She could guess who was coming but dared not look up. Not far from her, she could see shiny leather shoes coming to a stop.
"Come in," a gentle command reached her ears but did little to ease Adaline's nervousness.
Adaline tilted her head slightly to see Duncan smiling sweetly at her, holding the door open. He nodded, signaling Adaline to enter their boss's office without saying a word.
As Adaline stepped in, she expected Duncan to follow, but instead of entering the room, her friend excused himself and closed the door from the outside, leaving Altezza and her alone in the room.
Adaline stood frozen, still squeezing her hands nervously, too afraid to look at her dominant boss standing tall in the spacious room.
"Have a seat," the command nearly made Adaline shriek with surprise. She swallowed hard, took a deep breath to calm herself, and then sat at the edge of the nearest sofa.
Throughout her life, she had never made a significant mistake. She had committed small errors that led to punishments from her parents, but nothing fatal. However, for some reason, being in Altezza's office now made Adaline feel extremely nervous, as if she were waiting for a severe judgment from a judge for committing an unforgivable and immense mistake. Adaline bowed her head even lower, her heart incessantly reciting prayers, hoping that Altezza would be willing to help her.
***
Altezza was quite surprised when he exited the elevator and saw a petite figure with fair skin and long black hair tied in a ponytail standing nervously before him. Was she Adaline? She seemed diminutive, more like a high school student than a mature woman in her mid-twenties. Did the girl fake her credentials? He found the thought absurd.
Standing right in front of the petite girl, Altezza observed her. She was shorter than Claire, and certainly far from Jovanka's proportional figure. The girl's height barely reached half of her chest. It seemed Altezza needed to review her profile to know her exact height.
"Come in," he instructed softly, leading the girl towards his office.
Behind him, he sensed Duncan moving, doing something with the girl. His secretary opened the door and bowed politely as she entered, and Duncan held her back until Adaline followed him inside. His assistant then closed the door, leaving Altezza and the petite girl alone, following his earlier instructions.
Altezza stood in the middle of his office, looking at the girl who still stood nervously, her small hands clasped together. She wore no jewelry, no rings. He made sure there were no bracelets behind the long-sleeved blazer.
He lifted his gaze and noticed the slender neck of the girl. Observing closely, he saw no glint of jewelry behind the open-collar shirt.
Did she dislike wearing jewelry, or perhaps she couldn't afford it? In a world where women often competed to look beautiful by wearing expensive jewelry or imitation accessories, this girl seemed not to wear any at all.
"Take a seat," he ordered again when he noticed the girl hesitated to move from her standing position. Altezza could sense her nervousness as she moved her neck and appeared to swallow saliva anxiously.
In his mind, Altezza wanted to laugh. He was used to seeing women who flirted with him, women who challenged him, and women who pretended to be shy in his presence. But this was the first time he saw a woman who seemed genuinely afraid of him and reluctant to meet his gaze.
Come on, his face wasn't that intimidating, right?
"So, Miss Adaline Scott?" he began, and he saw the girl's shoulders tense.
"Y-Yes, Sir," she replied nervously, briefly lifting her head to look at Altezza before lowering it again due to nervousness.
Altezza smiled again. It seemed dealing with this girl would be more amusing.
"I've received information from your manager about the loan you applied for from the company. Are you aware that the loan amount you requested is quite substantial?"
The girl's eyes widened for a moment, her head nodding quickly. "Y-Yes, Sir," she replied in a panic. "B-but I promise I will repay it. I've already given my house certificate to Mrs. Jessica as collateral. I've even stated the amount I can afford to be deducted every month. I promise not to default on that debt, Sir. I'll pay it off in full," she said quickly, as if not allowing herself to breathe.
Altezza tried to hold back his laughter. Honestly, he found her cute. Seeing Adaline reminded him of his niece's friend, Carina.
"But we don't know if you'll still be working here ten years from now, or not," he replied, trying to press her.
Altezza had to make Adaline feel pressured and without other options so that her only choice would be his offer.
"I s-swear, Sir. I won't default on my debt, unless God takes my life," she said firmly. For a fraction of a second, their gazes clashed, and Altezza noticed the girl's face. Her swollen and puffy eyes were evidence that she had cried a lot. Her face was also pale.
"And I also know that the collateral I provided can exceed the amount of the loan I applied for," she continued in a soft tone, lowering her head again, making it hard for Altezza to scrutinize her more closely.
The only conclusion Altezza could draw was that Adaline was beautiful. Very beautiful. And for a moment, he was enchanted by her beauty to the point of being speechless.
"I'm still not sure about that collateral," Altezza said, clearing his throat to neutralize the dryness that had crept in. "Especially since I can't assess the value of the house in this 'urgent' time. As a businessman, I need to be sure whether the house you've pledged indeed has a high market value or not," he said flatly. "And I haven't confirmed if the house is in a strategically advantageous location and can be easily sold."
"T-that."
"I know you don't have time to accompany me to see the house you've pledged today. And I can't simply grant your request. I need time to calculate the market value of the house, and I also need experts to do so."
"It might take three days to a week for the assessment of your house value to be completed," Altezza stated. Hearing the length of time he mentioned made Adaline panic. Three days? A week? Would her mother's condition be okay if they delayed it for that long?
"S-Sir?" Adaline tried to change Altezza's mind, but she didn't know what to offer.
"Is your need extremely urgent?" Altezza asked, and Adaline quickly nodded. "But I have to be professional, Miss. Even though your matter is urgent, I have to consider everything from all sides. Even if you promise to repay it all, I still have to be cautious. I also have to anticipate the possibility of other employees seeking loans if I grant your request."
Adaline knew Altezza was just doing his duty. The decision he made would have implications for the company's policies. And Adaline would do the same if she were in Altezza's position. However, as someone in a desperate situation, she felt frustrated and couldn't hold back her tears.
Seeing Adaline's despair, Altezza smiled. His plan had just begun.
"From the company's perspective, I need to consider many factors. But on a personal level, I think I can help you," Altezza said, looking sharply at Adaline.
Adaline raised her head again, looking at Altezza with her tear-filled eyes.