Adaline returned to her desk with her mind filled with various thoughts. If visualized, it seemed like the nerves in her brain had now turned into a tangled mess of threads.
Sitting in her chair, Adaline had a vacant stare. She didn't even respond to Tessa's question until her friend waved her hand in front of her eyes.
"You okay?" her friend asked with concern.
"Hah?" Adaline responded, startled after her friend patted her shoulder quite forcefully. "Oh, yes. I'm okay," she replied with a stiff smile. She returned her gaze to the blank screen in front of her, choosing to focus her mind on something other than the zeros Altezza had requested from her.
Five minutes later, Tessa glanced again at her friend, who was groaning while banging her forehead on the desk.
"Adaline, what's wrong? What happened?" she asked with concern.
Adaline looked genuinely frustrated, that's what went through Tessa's mind as Adaline turned her head to look at her.
"Tess..." she murmured softly. "What do I do now?" she continued, still with a murmur.
"Why?" asked Tessa, sliding her chair closer to Adaline's and gently rubbing her friend's back. "What's going on?" Instead of answering, Adaline tapped her forehead on the desk again.
"Adaline!" Tessa exclaimed, with a louder voice this time.
"Aarrrggghhhh....!!!" Adaline's loud scream made others in the room look in her direction. Instead of feeling embarrassed, as was her usual response, she chose to stand up and leave the room.
"What's up with your friend?" asked Indra, one of their colleagues. Tessa, who was still looking at Adaline's departure, just shrugged.
Adaline didn't know what to do. The thousands of dollars she needed for her mother were replaced by Altezza with a figure twice as much, and now he was asking for double the repayment, meaning Adaline had to prepare four times the amount of the initial loan.
Okay, if she could repay the initial loan that Altezza gave her-of course, with Joanna's help-after all, she had only used a quarter of the money. And Joanna promised to help her repay the money to Altezza.
But if it's tens of thousands of dollars, does Joanna have that?
Adaline knew Joanna was wealthy, and her job as a model certainly paid well. But Adaline also knew that most of her friend's wealth consisted of properties and jewelry.
And if there is, is the amount sufficient? And it's not just that occupying Adaline's mind. Tens of thousands of dollars are not a sum she can repay, even if she works her entire life. Aarrgghhh... Adaline groans in frustration again. Throughout her life, she has never been this frustrated. Even when she didn't get the campus scholarship she coveted, she could still smile. Now, what should she do?
There are too many things she can't fulfill. Her loan to Altezza. Joanna's anger if her friend finds out that Adaline disclosed the amount requested by Altezza. And Altezza's own request if she finally gives up and returns to their initial agreement.
Yes. Their initial agreement. Now Adaline realizes that she doesn't really know what agreement she actually made with her boss. Marriage and bearing children? How many children does she have to bear? And after giving birth, what about her fate? Because it's clear that Altezza wants that child, and of course, he will take the child.
Then what about Adaline's fate afterward? Will the man divorce her and separate her from the child she gave birth to? Doesn't that mean she has essentially sold her own flesh and blood? Even though, of course, it's also Altezza's flesh and blood.
Then if Altezza really lets her go, will she be able to see her child again? What if Altezza takes their child far from their country? Italy, for example? While going to Italy to meet her child and buying a ticket is not cheap.
Question after question seems to flood Adaline's mind simultaneously. One question emerges before she finds a solution to another. She's sure, eventually, she might go insane. Now, what should she do?
Adaline can't even cry even though she feels sad. Her chest feels tight even though she's breathing fine. 'Oh God, I know I'm not a devout woman, but at least give me enlightenment for this issue, O God...' Her prayer is filled with sadness.
After being silent for quite some time on the roof, which is her favorite place, Adaline goes back down to her room. Hopefully, before it's time to go home, she has found an answer.
***
Altezza glanced at his watch. Ten minutes until five o'clock. He tapped the end of his pen on the table while looking at the files sent by his detective via email on his phone.
The email stated that Adaline had no one to rely on. No one could pay the amount Altezza asked for. And whether he liked it or not, Altezza was pleased with it.
But why hadn't the woman shown up yet?
Altezza reached for the phone on the edge of the table and dialed the external room number. "Find out if Adaline has gone home," he ordered his secretary, then immediately hung up without waiting for an answer.
A minute later, the phone rang again.
"Adaline is still in her office, Sir," his secretary said from the other side. "Should I call her here?"
"No need. You can leave if your work is done."
"Yes, Sir," his secretary replied and hung up after her boss had disconnected first. She was about to get back to her work when she saw someone standing in front of her desk. "Adaline?" she asked in surprise.
Adaline nodded. "I need to meet with Sir Altezza. Is he busy?" she asked, trying to remain as composed as possible. Altezza's secretary looked at Adaline with an assessing gaze, but she picked up her phone and contacted Altezza.
Altezza stared at his two subordinates through the one-way mirror separating his office from his secretary's. The rhythm of his pen tapping on the table increased with impatience.
What were they talking about out there? Why hadn't the girl entered yet? Only two minutes left before the end of the working hours, and if the girl didn't enter within those two minutes...
Altezza's muttering stopped when his desk phone rang. "Yes!" he answered abruptly, his eyes fixed on his secretary and Adaline.
"Adaline is asking if she can meet with you, Sir?"
"Just tell her to come in," he said in a flat tone. Despite his calm tone, his heart was pounding. For the first time as a COO, he felt uneasy.
Altezza didn't take his eyes off the girl walking with a gloomy face in front of him. Just as the girl knocked on the door, Altezza pretended to be busy with his work. "Come in!" he ordered flatly when he heard the knock.
"Sir," the girl said softly.
"Please have a seat. There are some documents that I need to finish," he said coldly. In reality, Altezza couldn't focus on the writing in front of him. He was just putting on a show for the girl.
From the corner of his eye, Altezza could see Adaline sitting on the single sofa where she had sat twice before. One day, Altezza would ask the girl why she liked sitting there so much. That is if the girl gave him the answer he wanted to hear this evening.
Altezza couldn't delay any longer. He knew that his secretary had left five minutes ago. And he had let the girl wait for fifteen minutes. Finally, he put down his pen and looked seriously at the girl in front of him. He himself was eager to hear the answer from the lips of that beautiful girl. And he had nothing else to use to stall for time.
Finally, Altezza rose from his seat. Instead of walking towards the girl on the sofa, he chose to stand and lean his hips on one side of his desk.
"So, Miss Adaline Scott, do you have your answer?" The question made those golden-brown eyes look at him with a melancholic gaze, which for some reason, made Altezza want to pounce on their owner.