Chapter 107
"You're awake."
At seven-thirty in the morning, the housekeeper woke Nora up.
Nora sat up in a panic, looking around nervously.
When did she get back?
Did Michael carry her home?
"Where's Mr. Smith?" Nora asked quietly.
"Mr. Smith is in the dining room," the housekeeper answered with a smile.
Nora nervously got out of bed, quickly washed up and rushed out. "I'm sorry."
"Eat breakfast." Michael spoke calmly, his face still showing no change in emotion.
Nora sat down beside him with her head lowered, only then noticing that the wound on her finger from biting herself had been treated and covered with a band-aid.
"Mr. Smith, your partnership in Harmony City..." Nora asked quietly.
"This afternoon, no rush." Michael noticed that Nora liked to bite herself when nervous, either her hand or her lip.
"I'm sorry, I didn't want to cause you trouble." Nora felt very guilty.
"Then stay away from Walter from now on." Michael put down his coffee cup, his voice detached.
Nora couldn't figure Michael out, didn't know if this counted as being angry.
She wanted to apologize again, but Michael spoke first. "Let's eat."
Nora's eyes reddened, and she nodded.
Once Samuel's condition stabilized, she would leave as soon as possible. She couldn't keep causing Michael trouble.
After eating in silence, Nora wanted to go to the office.
"This is for you." Michael pushed a new phone in front of Nora.
"I'm sorry." Nora choked up. She had lost her phone again.
"Remember our relationship. Since this is a partnership, we should use each other. When something happens, you should tell me first, not make decisions on your own." Michael was relatively calm, but his words were somewhat heavy.
Last night, Nora had been frightened, and Michael hadn't blamed her right away.
But now that she was clear-headed, he needed to say some things.
Nora couldn't possibly not guess what Walter was thinking about her.
Since she could guess, she should avoid it as much as possible.
"I'm sorry." Nora gripped her fingers tightly.
Michael must hate her now.
Sure enough, she only made people hate her.
"I'm not saying you did wrong. Savannah is your friend, it was right to rush over. But next time you should choose me, not Walter." Michael got up and walked into the dressing room. "Come help me pick a tie."
Nora sniffled and quickly ran over.
Comparing it with Michael's suit color, she reached out and selected a tie in a matching shade. "Is this okay?"
The corners of his mouth lifted slightly. Michael was fairly satisfied with his life assistant's taste.
At least what Nora chose was what he liked at first glance.
"Can you tie a tie?" Michael asked.
Nora nodded and spoke quietly. "I used to help James..."
Halfway through, Nora shut her mouth.
Standing on her toes, Nora helped Michael tie his tie.
Perhaps because they were too close, Nora clearly sensed Michael's mood dropping sharply, and that cold, noble face visibly darkened.
"I'm sorry." Knowing she had said the wrong thing, Nora apologized instinctively.
"Let's go to the office." Michael spoke in a deep voice.
Nora lowered her head and left, dejected.
She had upset Michael again.
After Nora left, Michael frowned and rubbed his temples.
Was it because he hadn't had a woman around him for so many years? Not only did he not dislike Nora's closeness, he even...
Just now, when Nora stood on her toes to tie his tie, he actually...
Looking rather displeased, Michael walked out with a heavy atmosphere.
"Mr. Smith, today's tie choice is nice." David, sporting huge dark circles under his eyes, smiled foolishly.
Michael's expression was darker than David's circles. He didn't even acknowledge him and got straight into the car.
David looked confused. Was Michael angry?
"Mr. Smith, Nora dropped the charges. James is out and was taken home by Mr. Nolan Smith. He should stay quiet at home for a while." David reported carefully.
"When did James and Nora meet?" Michael asked indifferently.
"Aren't they famously childhood sweethearts who grew up together? So they've known each other since they were kids, right? Each other's first love? Don't you remember when James was eighteen, he stayed up late in the rain to deliver birthday chocolate to Nora, homemade too."
David, not sensing any danger at all, spoke excitedly. "How could a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl not be moved? After all, it was first love. I really don't know what James is thinking now—love turned to hate?"
"You can shut up now." Michael's face darkened, his mood unclear.
David opened his mouth. Hadn't Michael asked?
The atmosphere in the car was heavy for a long time before Michael spoke quietly. "Childish."
David had almost forgotten what he had just said.
Who was childish? What was childish?
Nora endured three days at the company. During that time, countless people mocked and ridiculed her, but she pretended not to hear.
"Nora, just because you passed the probation period doesn't mean you can definitely stay with the company." Gia called Nora into her office, looking at the evaluation form David had handed over. "Actually a perfect score. Assistant Jones thinks very highly of you."
Nora looked up at Gia in surprise. David had actually given her a perfect score?
She thought David didn't like her and wouldn't give her too high a score, but unexpectedly...
"She parachuted in as an assistant. Who knows what messy relationship she has with Assistant Jones? Her sexual performance is probably perfect too." Gia's assistant said sarcastically.
"Haven't you heard she's slept with all the men in the heir circle?"
Nora looked at the employment notice and stayed silent for a long time.
If she couldn't stay with the company, she wouldn't care about these people's gossip.
But now she was Michael's life assistant. If these people kept slandering her like this, it would damage Michael's image.
As a life assistant, she couldn't let her boss suffer even the slightest harm.
"When I was having sex with them, were you standing by the bed?" Nora took a deep breath and looked up at the assistant.
The other person was clearly stunned, confused by Nora's question.
"Who doesn't know what you are? Plenty of people have slept with you. You're famous, Nora. A criminal, quite something—stealing twenty years of a rich young lady's life, wasn't that you?"
Nora picked up the employment notice, her voice hoarse. "We're colleagues. Slandering me and smearing the company also smears yourself. If you slander me without evidence or being present, I'll sue you."
"Sue now? If you sue me, I can provide evidence. I've screenshot all those rumors they posted in the group chat." At the door, David leaned against the frame, his voice low.
Gia's assistant panicked and looked at Gia fearfully. "Gia."
"David, we're all colleagues. There's no need." Gia stood up with a smile, trying to smooth things over.
David said nothing, his gaze falling on Nora.
"I have the right to sue." Nora's voice was hoarse.
"Fine, I'll call the police for you. Spreading rumors, defamation, slander—with a group of over five hundred people, that's jail time." David took out his phone and called the police, looking at the assistant. "Spreading rumors gets you imprisoned. When you get out, you'll be a criminal too."
David didn't want to meddle in other people's business. He didn't know what kindness Michael had suddenly shown, telling him to come down and help Nora.