Chapter 35 Jealous CEO
Audrey seemed to be smiling slightly, her hand pointing to the presentation screen while explaining something. Bruce, with a casual yet attention-grabbing demeanor, stood beside her, too close according to Elliot.
The man was even slightly bent over to look at the document in Audrey's hand, leaving only an inch between them.
"Damn it." Elliot felt his chest rumble even more, his jaw clenched. "I'm never even that close to her!"
He knocked on the door with a firm rap, loud enough to attract everyone's attention inside the room. The conversation stopped.
"Mr. Harrington!" Bruce's voice sounded first, sounding friendly. Unfortunately, in Elliot's eyes, it looked like mockery. "What a coincidence. We were just discussing the next steps for this project."
Audrey turned, her eyes widening slightly at the sight of her boss there. "Mr. Harrington," she greeted, nodding slightly. The woman was a little timid, trying to guess the emotion overflowing behind the man's expressionless face.
"Does this meeting involve me too?" Elliot tried to sound calm.
"Oh, no, Sir. We were just finalizing the technical details," answered Hans, another legal team member, stepping forward and making space for Elliot to enter. "But your presence would certainly be helpful."
"I don't think that's necessary," Elliot quickly replied, his eyes fixed on Audrey, who now looked slightly awkward. "I just wanted to make sure everything is running according to plan."
Audrey immediately responded, putting on her usual professional smile. "Everything is under control, Sir. The Paragon legal team is quite cooperative."
"Cooperative, is that right?" Elliot sounded slightly sarcastic, his gaze sweeping toward Bruce, who was now giving a small smile.
Bruce looked relaxed, folding his arms across his chest. "Of course, Audrey is key to the smooth running of this collaboration. You are lucky to have a secretary like her, Mr. Harrington."
Elliot just stared at him blankly, but his heart felt tumultuous. "She is indeed competent. But make sure work remains the top priority."
Bruce nodded, seemingly unaffected by the sharp tone. "Of course, I never mix other matters with work, Sir."
Audrey felt the atmosphere growing more tense, so she tried to break the ice. "Sir, is there anything I need to work on now?" she asked carefully, hoping to get out of the situation.
Elliot let out a long sigh before finally staring sharply at Audrey. "This acquisition process is important. But don't forget your main job is to be my secretary."
Audrey seemed hesitant to answer, but finally nodded slightly. "I understand, Sir."
"Do you really?" Elliot narrowed his eyes, his tone colder than before. "Because up until now, I haven't received the weekly report I asked for three days ago. My business trip schedule hasn't been updated either. And, don't forget, you also have to prepare the presentation for the board of directors meeting next week. And... how about the preparations for the meeting with the company in Port Azure?"
Audrey fell silent, her face looking deeply apologetic, until the woman slightly lowered her head. "I will complete it immediately, Sir," she said softly.
"Immediately? That weekly report should have been finished yesterday." Elliot sounded sharp, although he tried to stay controlled as he put his hands in his pants pockets. "Or perhaps you've been too busy with other tasks here?"
Seeing Audrey bowing her head more and becoming restless, Bruce, with a faint smile, finally tried to intervene. "Mr. Harrington, I apologize if this discussion is disrupting Audrey. That was not my intention at all—"
Elliot turned toward Bruce, his eyes narrowing sharply, making the man instantly silent.
The CEO stepped closer until he stood right in front of Bruce, only inches away.
"Mr. Miller," Elliot said softly but with great pressure, "You should know Audrey's position at MGC. She is my secretary, not part of your team. Her priority is the work I assign, not accompanying you all the time."
Bruce maintained his friendly smile, although Elliot's gaze clearly showed an undeniable firmness and he was slightly provoked.
"Once again, I apologize if this has been an inconvenience," Bruce said, trying to de-escalate the situation.
Elliot gave a small smile, but it felt more like a stiff formality than sincerity. "It's good that you understand. I hope this won't happen again."
He then turned to Audrey, who was still standing silently in her place. "Audrey, let's go."
Audrey immediately tidied the documents in her hand and followed Elliot, who was already heading for the door. With slightly hurried steps, she walked behind her boss, not daring to look at anyone in the room.
However, before the door closed, Elliot paused briefly and turned back toward Bruce. His gaze was deep, locking onto the man's eyes, ensuring that the message he was about to convey was truly received.
"Don't disturb my secretary," he said seriously, coldly, and emphatically. "Remember that."
The door closed slowly, leaving Bruce, who now just stood silently with his faint smile starting to fade.
Audrey walked behind Elliot with hurried steps, trying to match the man's pace. She felt guilty about the oppressive atmosphere. She wanted to say something, but Elliot's tense expression kept her silent.
Upon reaching the elevator, Elliot pressed the button without saying anything. The silence between them felt suffocating; only the soft sound of the moving elevator could be heard.
Audrey finally gathered the courage. "Sir, I apologize if my work hasn't met your expectations."
Elliot slowly turned his head, his eyes looking directly into Audrey's. "Learn about priorities again."
Audrey looked down, not knowing what else to say.
When the elevator door opened, Elliot stepped out first without waiting. His steps were firm toward his office, leaving Audrey feeling increasingly pressured.
Inside, Elliot felt angry, but not at Audrey. He was angry at himself. Angry for letting his personal feelings cloud his professionalism. However, every time he saw Bruce standing so close to Audrey, all logic seemed to crumble.