Chapter 173 Rachel’s Flattery
The afternoon sunlight slanted through the flower shop windows, the delicate fragrance of lisianthus mingling with the warm light in the air.
Aria sat at the small table peeling grapes for Jasper, her fingertips holding the plump fruit, movements gentle, but her eyes held an unwavering wariness.
The glass door was knocked twice, very lightly, with a tentative, cautious touch.
Aria looked up to see Rachel standing outside, dressed in standard business attire, carrying elegant paper and thermal bags, eyes downcast in a submissive manner, completely lacking the confidence she'd shown when causing trouble last time.
It's her.
Aria's fingers paused. She placed the peeled grape in a small bowl, pushed it toward Jasper, then stood and walked over. Without opening the door, she looked at Rachel through the glass, her voice flat and cold. "What do you want?"
Rachel looked up, her gaze briefly sweeping over Aria before immediately dropping again. She gripped the bag handles with both hands, her tone respectful, carefully maintaining her role as an assistant, even deliberately softening her posture.
"Ms. Hall, I'm Rachel, Mr. Grant's assistant. I'm here because Mr. Grant specifically asked me to deliver something to you. I'll only take a minute of your time, very quick."
She lifted the paper bag, revealing the logo of an obscure foreign mother-and-baby brand, then pointed to the thermal bag. "This is desensitizing cream for your son. Mr. Grant said it's specially formulated for sensitive skin, no additives, heals skin quickly. And there's fresh bird's nest soup to nourish your body—he said you've been working hard these past few days."
Throughout, she didn't mention Sophie, only carefully presenting Arthur's thoughtfulness.
That was her calculation.
After being warned by Mr. Grant for rashly causing trouble last time, she couldn't afford to be foolish again.
Sophie had told her that as long as she properly pleased Aria and let Mr. Grant see her understanding and execution ability, she could return to her core assistant position and stop being marginalized.
So she treated this attempt to please as a crucial step to redeem herself and regain trust.
Aria's eyes narrowed slightly.
Arthur had already sent things before—why was he having this assistant come again today? What was he trying to do? Send this assistant who looked similar to her to disgust her?
Ha.
Aria didn't respond, just stood there with a cold expression, the low pressure around her making the air feel heavy.
Rachel felt the chill, her fingertips curling slightly. She steeled herself and leaned forward a bit, her tone carrying an eagerness to please. "Ms. Hall, I... I have something else to say, but I don't know if I should."
Aria looked up, her gaze falling on Rachel's face. She didn't respond, but her impatience was obvious. "When you don't know if you should say something, then don't."
"I think I should tell you—Mr. Grant has been working himself to exhaustion over Jasper's situation these past few days."
Rachel tried hard to imitate the tone Sophie had taught her, pretending to feel bad for Arthur while actually trying to build rapport.
"The office lights have been on every night. Mr. Grant barely eats. I just feel that if Jasper's condition could stabilize a bit on your end, Mr. Grant could have some peace of mind."
In Rachel's mind, this was showing loyalty and goodwill, but to Aria's ears, it had a completely different flavor.
It both pried into her child's wellbeing and subtly blamed Aria for being troublesome and making Arthur work so hard.
Aria's eyes darkened, her fingertips clenching. Her voice remained flat but carried a chill. "Oh? Did your Mr. Grant tell you to come say this to me? Well, you can go back and tell him that this matter had nothing to do with him in the first place. If he wants to create trouble for himself, he shouldn't blame it all on me. I don't have time to play games with him."
Rachel froze, thinking she hadn't expressed herself well enough. She quickly lowered her head in a knowing yet aggrieved manner, even squeezing out a few tears. "I spoke out of turn. That's not what I meant. Please don't take it to heart. I've just been with Mr. Grant for so long, and seeing him work so hard, I can't help but feel bad..."
She wanted to appear as an understanding subordinate, but every sentence hit Aria's sore spots.
Been with Mr. Grant for so long?
Can't help but feel bad for him?
Ha!
Aria found it laughable. So this was another way of asserting her claim over him, wasn't it?
Arthur, you really outdid yourself!
"None of my concern!"
Seeing Aria's continued cold expression, Rachel's heart sank. Had she said something wrong?
But she didn't dare stay longer. She bowed respectfully. "Ms. Hall, I've delivered the items. Everything I said today was my own idea—please don't read too much into it. I'll be going now."
With that, she didn't dare linger. She pushed open the door and quickly walked out, as if afraid that staying a moment longer would invite Aria's wrath.
The moment the glass door closed, Aria looked at the items on the counter, the coldness in her eyes intensifying.
Rachel's behavior only made her feel mocked. This Arthur was really something!
Meanwhile, Rachel left the flower shop and turned into an alley around the corner, immediately pulling out her phone to message Sophie, her words full of eagerness for credit and anxiety.
"Miss Smith, I did exactly what you said! I tried hard to please Aria, delivered those things, and said everything you taught me! Her attitude was cold, but she didn't chase me away, so it should count as success, right? Can I return to my assistant position?"
During this time in the logistics department, she'd really had enough of those cold faces!
Going from executive assistant to that position, she'd become a joke. Every day people talked about her behind her back. She really didn't want to miss this chance to return to the assistant position, even if it meant pleasing someone she found disgusting!
Within seconds of sending the message, Sophie's reply appeared: "Got it. Well done. Wait for news."
Rachel looked at the screen and breathed a sigh of relief, a glimmer of satisfaction in her eyes.
As long as she could become an assistant again and stay by Arthur's side, this little humiliation was nothing.
She had no idea that her every move had already been reported to Arthur in detail.
In the top-floor office of Grant Corporation, Arthur looked at the detailed report on his phone, his fingertips tapping heavily on the desk edge, the coldness in his eyes almost overflowing.
Rachel's nerve was getting bigger and bigger.
Warned once, she still dared to use his name, under the guise of pleasing, to try to establish her presence in front of Aria, even daring to take credit on his behalf. She was asking for it!
He picked up his phone and called Rachel. As soon as she answered, his voice was ice-cold, with no preamble, only a heavy warning: "Come back to the company immediately. To my office."
On the other end, Rachel's smile instantly froze on her face, her heart sinking heavily, a chill shooting from her feet straight to the top of her head.