Chapter 175

Chapter 175
Elliot's POV

Inside my office, I snapped back to reality after Josie's interruption, steadying Natalie who had stumbled after stepping on a pen that had fallen to the floor. Her hand was still gripping my arm for balance.

My temple throbbed with irritation. I wanted to call after my sister who had clearly misinterpreted the situation, but she had already disappeared, thinking she was being "tactful" by leaving quickly.

"Are you alright?" I asked Natalie, helping her stand upright. "Did you twist your ankle?"

She winced, maintaining her grip on my arm even after finding her footing.

"I'm not sure," she replied, wincing slightly. "But it hurts."

I frowned deeply. If Michael had been here, I would have given him an earful. He'd dropped his pen when delivering documents earlier and left without picking it up. I had planned to get it later, but then Natalie had walked in and stepped on it.

"Can you walk? I can have my driver take you to a hospital."

Natalie's eyes gleamed subtly as her red lips curved into a slight smile. "A hospital isn't necessary. I still have some data charts to complete. Would you mind escorting me back to my office?"

I didn't refuse. As Natalie turned, apparently expecting me to support her as she limped back, I realized that walking might aggravate any injury. Without hesitation, I bent down and lifted her into my arms.

Natalie looked up at me in surprise, then quickly wrapped her arms around my neck for stability.

I felt my heartbeat falter momentarily but attributed it to the sudden movement. Avoiding her gaze, I focused straight ahead, adjusting to her weight before carrying her steadily toward the door.

"If you've twisted your ankle, moving will only make it worse," I explained. "I'll carry you back."

She composed herself quickly. "Thank you, Mr. Gray."

I glanced down at her briefly. "No need for formalities, Ms. Quinn."

After delivering Natalie to her office, I immediately returned to find my sister lurking around the corner, hunched over her phone, furiously typing. I clenched my jaw.

"Josie," I called out.

She reflexively looked up. "Elliot?"

I stopped in front of my office door and seeing that she wasn't moving from her hiding spot, I pinched the bridge of my nose in exasperation.

"What are you doing skulking around there? Come here."

Josie pocketed her phone and approached with an innocent smile. "That was quick. Is Natalie okay?"

I gave her a pointed look. "I just took her back to her office. How long could that possibly take?"

"When did you get back?" I asked as she followed me into my office.

"Last night. I wanted to surprise you, but it seems you had a surprise for me instead," she replied, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

She sat on the sofa, looking up at me eagerly. "Elliot, am I going to have a sister-in-law soon?"

I was retrieving some snacks for her and paused to give her a flat stare. "Stop jumping to conclusions."

"I'm just curious since I've been away so long," she persisted. "Are you and Natalie planning to get engaged or married anytime soon? If so, I'll definitely—"

Finding her speculation increasingly irritating, I ripped open a packet of chips and thrust it into her hands. "Less talking, more eating!"

Josie fell silent, but those gossip-hungry eyes of hers kept darting in my direction. "Elliot, there's also—"

I cut her off with a sharp glance. "Resume school next Monday?"

She paused, then replied obediently. "Yes."

"And how are things with Dylan?"

A smile spread across Josie's face—one she didn't seem aware of. "Very good. We had a wonderful time."

Having answered my questions, Josie's curiosity remained undeterred. She continued probing about Natalie and me, but I remained tight-lipped, refusing to feed her speculation.

When Michael entered to report on work matters, Josie stood up with her phone and waved goodbye. "I'll let you get back to work. I'm going to chat with Natalie for a bit."

Natalie's POV

After years of wearing high heels, I'd developed balance that rivaled most people in flat shoes. The chances of twisting my ankle on a simple pen were virtually zero.

But as a woman actively pursuing the elusive Elliot Gray, I wasn't about to miss this perfect opportunity to appear vulnerable and close the distance between us. When I saw him looking at my ankle with concern in his eyes, I knew I'd made the right move.

Over the past month, my progress with Elliot had been glacially slow, but there had been improvement. At least now when I approached him about market trends, he actually listened instead of dismissing me with his usual "Talk to Michael" without even looking up.

These days, whether it was company business large or small, I found every possible excuse to visit his office. Regardless of how busy he was, whenever I appeared, he would give me his full attention until I left.

I considered this progress.

Given our current relationship, I figured the most I could hope for was having him support me back to my office. I certainly hadn't expected him to lift me into his arms. The surprise momentarily stole my composure, but I recovered quickly, wrapping my arms around his neck for stability—and proximity.

After he'd carried me back to my office and left, I texted Josie to come visit me.

When she finally arrived, I pulled her inside immediately.

My desk, usually pristine and organized, was now covered with snacks I'd acquired specifically for Josie's visits.

She rummaged through them and selected a small sausage stick, peeling the wrapper as she raised an eyebrow at me. "So, Natalie, how are things progressing with my brother?"

I crossed my legs and rubbed my supposedly sore ankle, considering the question before nodding. "Not bad."

"By the next time you visit," I added, "I hope to have some good news for you."

Josie laughed. "The fact that my ice-cold brother carried you to your office means it's practically a done deal."

Just as she finished speaking, a knock sounded at the door.