Chapter 36 He Seems to Have Misunderstood Me
Caroline stole the spotlight and then claimed she had no choice—it was infuriating.
Aaron's face cycled between crimson and ghastly white, his nostrils flaring slightly. If Upton hadn't been standing right there keeping him in check, he might have completely lost it.
Upton maintained his smile. Though inwardly fuming, he outwardly praised Caroline.
"Listen to how Ms. Tudor thinks about the bigger picture," he said. "Then look at yourself—all you do is focus on your little assignments without building relationships with upper management. How do you expect to grow professionally? You should learn from Ms. Tudor. Your professional awareness needs work."
Was he passive-aggressively implying she was two-faced?
Caroline flashed her practiced PR smile. "Mr. Upton Hill, I genuinely want to improve my professional awareness. Nothing would please me more than learning from an exceptional leader like yourself, if I could be so lucky."
"Learn from me? I wouldn't dare claim to be your mentor—my position isn't senior enough," Upton replied with a genial smile, waving his hand dismissively. "You're already the rising star among the younger staff. If there's ever an issue, we can discuss it face-to-face. There's no misunderstanding that can't be cleared up, no need for outside interference. We never had any problems between us to begin with, right? Don't let others complicate things. When situations get complicated, misunderstandings follow."
"Wouldn't you agree, Ms. Tudor?"
Upton patted Aaron's shoulder. "Aaron here is straightforward and genuine. Help him navigate the complexities when needed, and don't listen to those baseless rumors. You two joined the power company around the same time—there's no competition. You're friends, right?"
Caroline nodded in agreement. "Mr. Upton Hill is absolutely right."
"Aaron?" Upton nudged Aaron's back. The latter put on a show of sincerity, though calculation glinted behind his eyes.
"If you ever need anything, I'm just a phone call away," Aaron offered.
"Mr. Aaron Hill, there's no need for such formality between us," Caroline replied. "That's just keeping me at arm's length."
"See? Caroline's a smart cookie," Upton's smile deepened the crow's feet around his eyes.
"Excuse me, Mr. Upton Hill, Mr. Aaron Hill. I need to use the restroom," Caroline said, using the opportunity to escape the pair.
She clearly recognized that Upton was trying to mediate between her and Aaron, playing peacemaker. If Aaron had shown genuine remorse, Caroline might have overlooked his previous underhanded behavior. But his attitude showed zero signs of repentance—on the contrary, given the chance, he would definitely throw her under the bus.
In the hallway, Caroline didn't notice someone following until Leopold quickened his pace to catch up with her. They walked side by side.
"Heading to the restroom too?" She asked.
Leopold smiled. "I've noticed your verbal sparring skills have seriously leveled up."
Caroline remembered their previous conversation. "Were you eavesdropping on us?"
"Don't make false accusations," he replied. "I wasn't eavesdropping. You guys weren't exactly whispering. Everyone could hear." Leopold slowed his pace, and Caroline unconsciously matched it.
Leopold turned to look at the petite Caroline. Despite her small frame, she hadn't lost an ounce of confidence facing those two men and had deftly navigated the exchange, speaking with more authority than either of them.
"I don't make a habit of listening to other people's conversations," Caroline said thoughtfully. "Besides, I didn't say anything inappropriate."
"I think you gave them too much face," Leopold remarked.
Caroline sighed slightly.
"Two grown men plotting against one woman—truly shameless," Leopold continued. "If they lack ability, they shouldn't blame others for being competent."
Caroline suddenly realized Leopold might have come to comfort her.
She barely suppressed a smile. "Are you trying to make me feel better?"
Leopold looked down. "Do you need comforting?"
Caroline found Leopold's roundabout way of talking amusing—he never answered her questions directly, always dancing around the topic.
"I asked you first."
"And I responded."
"What exactly did you respond with?"
"Do you need comforting?"
Caroline rolled her eyes in exasperation. Conversations with Leopold were never straightforward—saying one extra sentence could drive her crazy.
"The professional world is the same everywhere," Leopold observed. "Competition, comparison, survival of the fittest—these things exist because they're inherent to human nature. We're all following jungle law."
"Do you know why he's being so passive-aggressive with me?" Caroline asked.
Though he didn't know the specifics, Leopold could guess the general situation.
"Did you derail his career path?"
"Three people were competing for one manager position," Caroline explained. "I naively thought everyone would play fair and compete on merit, but I was being childish. Some relied on connections and backdoor deals, others pulled strings behind the scenes. I couldn't stand it, so I found someone to block their path. If you want to compete with me, show your actual skills. Let's have a fair competition. In the end, whoever wins or loses, I'll accept the results."
"I had no idea you were so principled. Put you in medieval times and you'd be a righteous female general, bringing justice to the corrupt."
Leopold's lips curved into a tender, almost adoring smile that sent ripples across Caroline's emotional lake.
She quickly averted her eyes as warmth crept into her cheeks.
He was so annoying. Why did he have to smile at her like that for no reason?
"Mr. Wipere."
A voice from behind interrupted their conversation. Caroline turned to see a waiter hurrying toward them. She told Leopold, "Go handle your business. I can find the restroom myself."
Leopold smiled slightly, nodded, and left.
Ever since their conversation, Caroline found herself replaying the image of Leopold's smile in her mind. Though it probably meant nothing special, she couldn't handle the effect it had on her.
She chatted with other male colleagues at work who also smiled kindly at her, but only when making eye contact with Leopold did her heart race like this.
He'd already made it clear he wasn't interested in pursuing anything further with her, but with their increasingly frequent interactions, Caroline was finding it harder to control her restless heart.
Her phone alarm went off—time to water the plants at Leopold's place again tonight. One of his plants had developed yellow leaves, so after work, Caroline went directly to a nearby garden center for advice and bought a specialized nutrient solution.
Their homes were close, and since she was just going to water plants, Caroline ate dinner and then headed over wearing her pajamas under a long down jacket.
She carried the nutrient solution in one hand and her purse in the other.
After entering, she first mixed the solution with water, then started watering the plants. By the third pot, the doorbell rang.
With Leopold not home, who could it be?
Caroline went to answer the door in her pajamas, checking through the peephole. "What is it?"
Leopold's driver, Milo Evans, stood outside. "It's me, Milo the driver. I'm here to pick up some documents for Mr. Wipere."
Cautious around strangers, Caroline spoke through the door, "Wait a moment, let me call him."
"Of course," Milo replied.
Caroline walked to the living room, picked up her phone and dialed Leopold's number. When he answered, she asked:
"There's a driver named Milo who says you sent him to get some documents?"
Leopold felt strangely pleased hearing her refer to his place. "Yes, he's the hotel's designated driver. I have an emergency meeting. The documents are in the second drawer on the left side in my study. Could you get the blue file box and give it to him?"
"Sure, what's the file called?"
"Pathfinder Program," Leopold replied.
Caroline hurried to the study, found the file box as instructed, and handed it to Milo. The driver clearly registered the sight of a woman in pajamas, looking completely at home in Leopold's apartment, with a watering can in hand. He glanced back at her one more time before leaving.
Caroline knew exactly what he was thinking. With a sigh, she sent Leopold a message.
Caroline: [You might want to explain to Milo that I'm just your plant-sitter. I think he got the wrong idea.]
North: [Will do.]