Chapter 39 Almost
Audrey finally realized their position. Her eyes widened, her hand quickly pulled away, and her face began to flush. "O-oh my! I'm sorry, Sir!" the woman immediately backed away.
Elliot let out a long sigh, trying to calm himself. He drank the rest of the water in his glass, hoping to quell his still rapidly beating heart.
"I'm fine. You don't need to worry." Elliot tried hard to look normal.
"But your face is really red," Audrey said softly, her eyes still looking at Elliot with an expression full of concern.
Elliot diverted his gaze, trying to avoid that look. "You're the one who needs to be worried about!"
Audrey was silent for a moment, observing Elliot in silence before finally excusing herself. "In that case, I'll go back to my room."
However, before she could walk away, Elliot called her again. "Audrey."
Audrey stopped, turning carefully. "Yes, Sir?"
"Make sure you get enough rest tonight. Our schedule is packed tomorrow morning, so take care of your condition."
His secretary gave an awkward smile at her boss's command. "Alright, Sir. Thank you."
As Audrey entered her room and closed the door, Elliot dropped his body onto the sofa with a gasp.
He closed his eyes, trying to calm the turmoil in his chest. His body trembled slightly, not from fatigue, but from the major battle he had just won—the battle against himself.
The image of Audrey's face being so close just now kept haunting him. The look full of concern, the hand that gently touched his forehead, even the faint scent of her perfume was still in his nose.
"Haaah!" Elliot snorted loudly, trying to vent his anxiety. "What were you thinking, idiot?!"
He massaged his temples, feeling frustrated with himself and feeling fortunate that he hadn't let his desires take over at that moment.
Elliot got up from his chair, grabbed another glass of water, and drank it in one gulp. However, the more he tried to dismiss it, the stronger Audrey's image surged into his mind. "Damn it!"
"Control yourself, Elliot!" Elliot slammed the glass onto the table slightly hard. "Don't let yourself do anything that will ruin everything!"
Meanwhile, inside her room, Audrey stood near the door, holding her chest, which was still beating fast. She tried to regulate her breathing, even though her face still felt hot.
"Oh my gosh, Audrey. What did you just do?" she whispered to herself. She walked to the bed and sat on the edge of the mattress, trying to process the incident.
Audrey couldn't forget how red Elliot's face looked, how his gaze seemed to hold something more than just fatigue.
"But... why do I feel strange too?" she mumbled, biting her lower lip gently.
The woman closed her eyes, shaking her head intensely. "No, no, no! This must just be the atmosphere. Don't think strange things, Audrey! Focus on work!"
Henry stood in front of Audrey's living place, his eyes sweeping the small yard inside the fence. His face was tense, his rough hand holding his phone while thinking hard.
"This is the place, right?" he muttered while glancing at the address he had written down on the crumpled paper.
He tried to look for gaps, hoping to confirm Audrey was there without having to go in.
However, not long after, a young woman, Audrey's housemate, came out of the main door and looked at him with raised eyebrows.
"Who are you looking for, Sir?" the woman asked politely, although her face hinted at suspicion.
Henry flinched but immediately composed his face to be more friendly. "Oh, I'm looking for Audrey. I have a package for her."
The woman nodded slightly, her expression starting to soften. "Audrey, you say? She seems to be out of town, I think. Work stuff. If you want, you can leave it with me. I'll give it to her when she returns."
Hearing that, Henry’s face hardened for a moment, though he quickly hid it behind a faint smile. "Oh, no need, Miss. The package must be handed directly to her. It's important, you see."
The woman only nodded again, seemingly not paying too much attention to Henry’s reason. "In that case, try contacting her first, Sir. Maybe she'll let you know when she's back."
"Yes, thank you," Henry’s answered curtly, then turned around with a slightly rough movement.
The woman watched Henry for a moment before going back inside the boarding house, not wanting to get further involved.
Outside the gate, Henry walked away while grinding his teeth. He punched the lamppost nearby with his hand, venting his frustration.
"Damn it! Out of town?" he grumbled, his face red with contained anger. "There's always a problem!"
As he walked away, Henry roughly reached into his pants pocket, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it with a hurried motion. He deeply inhaled the cigarette smoke, as if trying to calm his troubled mind.
However, his mind only became complicated. "The Boss might rage if I don't fulfill my promise to introduce Audrey to him soon," Henry muttered softly, starting to worry.
"If this continues, I might die a stupid death!" he said with a furious tone. He had to find Audrey quickly because The Boss had flatly rejected Renatha and only wanted Audrey.
"Damn it! I have to meet Audrey quickly!" Henry muttered with a tone full of hatred. "I won't let this plan fail. No matter what!"