Chapter 40 Undone Celebration
The business meeting in one of the luxury hotel conference rooms went quite smoothly, but the atmosphere felt tense.
Elliot, as usual, showed his flat and no-nonsense professionalism. He spoke with the client only as necessary, focusing on the numbers, strategies, and agreements.
Audrey sat in the corner of the room, taking notes on important points while occasionally arranging files that Elliot might need. She tried to maintain speed and accuracy in her work, ensuring everything ran smoothly.
However, even though Elliot seemed completely immersed in the conversation with the client, his eyes occasionally glanced toward Audrey. The man felt relieved to see his secretary still looking alright, even if her face looked a little tired.
"So, we agree on this point?" asked one of the clients, a middle-aged man with a friendly smile, slightly surprising Elliot.
Elliot nodded briefly. "Yes, as long as there are no changes to the agreement structure, we can proceed to the next stage."
Audrey deftly handed over the document when the client requested a copy of the contract. "Here you go, Sir," she said politely, her voice soft but clearly audible.
Elliot took the document and glanced at it, then continued the conversation without responding to Audrey. But, his hand slightly loosened the position of the document, ensuring its placement did not obstruct Audrey's view of the presentation screen.
When the client threw out a few additional questions, Elliot answered firmly and clearly. In between discussions, he reached for the glass of water in front of him, but before drinking it, he glanced again toward Audrey. This time, he noticed that the woman had not taken anything yet.
Elliot turned toward the client, faintly pulling both corners of his lips. "Excuse me, could we continue this discussion after a short break?" he suddenly said, slightly surprising everyone in the room.
The client smiled kindly. "Oh, of course. We also need a moment to refresh our minds."
Elliot stood up, then approached the table where Audrey was sitting. "Did you drink?" he asked softly, his voice almost a whisper.
Audrey looked up, slightly surprised. "Not yet, Sir. I was too focused on the notes."
Elliot gave a small grunt, took a glass of water and a box of snacks from the table and placed them in front of Audrey without saying anything.
"Thank you, Sir," Audrey said softly.
Elliot only nodded faintly, returning to his place still in his silence.
And that was Elliot's attitude towards Audrey for these two days, which only made the woman confused and obedient to her boss's wishes.
Which made this business trip feel more exhausting than usual office work. Audrey did not expect it to be this dense and stressful.
Since the first day's agenda, the man had become a colder, sharper, and more unpredictable figure.
All their conversations revolved only around work. There was no small talk or even just a greeting.
Audrey recalled the events of the past two days.
Like this morning, when Audrey was busy typing a report, she found a bottle of mineral water on her desk. She was sure it was given by Elliot.
Yesterday, when Audrey almost forgot to bring a document for the presentation, Elliot handed it directly to her without saying anything, just a sharp look that seemed to say, "Don't forget again."
Earlier, when Audrey was typing a report in the morning, Elliot stopped in front of her desk.
Or bringing Audrey's untouched cold coffee to the pantry, then replacing it with warm tea.
Not to mention putting snacks on the table, telling her to change the font so it was easier for Audrey to read.
Even yesterday in the lobby to meet another client, Audrey realized Elliot slightly slowed his pace, as if making sure she didn't get left behind.
The small attentions the man showed were always contradictory to the cold tone and the burden of work he kept giving her.
"I told you to eat, not daydream." The low and slightly whispering voice startled Audrey.
Elliot was already standing in front of her, staring sharply as the man handed her a file. "Check this again before retyping and signing."
Audrey forced a slightly stiff smile and nodded. "Ready, Sir. I'll do it—"
"After you eat. Finish the snack." Elliot turned his body and intended to return to his seat.
"But have you eaten, Sir?" Audrey asked, blurted out without thinking.
The man stopped mid-step, turning with a flat expression. "That's none of your business."
Audrey sighed softly, looking without hesitation at Elliot. "That should indeed be my job, Sir. Ensuring any of your needs are met. But lately, it seems to be the opposite."
Her voice stung Elliot, as if this woman was protesting and objecting to everything he did for her. The man's ego was slowly pricked. "What do you think I'm doing this for? Hmm?"
Audrey's round eyes blinked from behind her glasses. The woman seemed to think momentarily.
"So you don't trouble me." After saying that, Elliot, with long strides, left his secretary, who seemed slightly surprised by his words.
Meanwhile, Elliot, walking away, felt a strange thrill when his secretary looked slightly concerned about him.
"Finally, it's done." Audrey threw herself onto the bed after being out all day.
She was greatly relieved because, besides the last agenda having been successfully completed on time, she no longer had to face Elliot's confusing and exhausting attitude.
Her initial intention was to clean herself up upon arriving at the hotel, but after lying down, sleepiness suddenly came.
"A short rest seems harmless, right?" Audrey mumbled as she slowly closed her eyes.
Meanwhile, in the living room of the suite room, Elliot sat leaning on the sofa with a glass of mineral water in his hand. He, too, could breathe a sigh of relief after the day's agenda was completed without a hitch.
The man glanced at his watch. It was still five in the afternoon.
Usually, when all agendas were over and there was still plenty of time left, Elliot would allow his assistant to engage in private activities as long as they did nothing that could threaten the company's reputation.
His eyes unconsciously glanced toward Audrey's tightly closed room door. "She must be resting," he murmured softly, spinning the glass in his hand.
An idea suddenly popped into Elliot's head. "Having dinner together before returning to the capital early tomorrow morning doesn't seem like a bad idea."
The man immediately dismissed his own thought. "Don't be weird, Elliot!"
However, the longer Elliot thought about it, the greater his inner turmoil. How should he invite Audrey out without it looking like a personal desire?
"If I say it's to celebrate the successful agenda, that makes sense, right?" Elliot thought, rubbing his chin. But his pride immediately spoke up.
Elliot sighed deeply, sipping a little water from his glass. He tried to focus on something else, but his eyes returned to Audrey's room door.
"If I don't invite her now, when will I?" he mumbled again, this time his tone sounding more frustrated.
Finally, with reluctance, Elliot got up from the sofa. He walked toward Audrey's room door and knocked softly. "Audrey."
Elliot had to wait for quite a while before the door finally opened. Audrey appeared with slightly messy hair, her eyes still looking sleepy. "Sir? Is there anything I can help you with?"
Elliot paused for a moment, seeing how tired the woman was. "Did I interrupt you?"
Audrey quickly shook her head. "No, no! I apologize, I just wanted to lie down for a bit."
"It's no problem." Elliot cleared his throat, trying to find the right words. "I thought... we could have dinner out tonight."
Audrey blinked, looking surprised. "Dinner out?" she repeated, making sure she hadn't misheard.
"Yes," Elliot answered quickly, then added, "To celebrate the timely completion of our agenda."
"Oh..." Audrey looked down, seemingly thinking. "Are you sure? I mean, we could just order food at the hotel if you're tired—"
"I'm not tired," Elliot cut in quickly. Then, in a calmer tone, he said, "You also need some fresh air after two full days of working."
Audrey nodded slowly, still feeling somewhat confused. "Alright, Sir. In that case, I'll get ready in a moment."
Elliot nodded slightly, feeling relieved but not showing it. "We leave in fifteen minutes."
As soon as Audrey closed the door to get ready, Elliot walked back to the sofa with slow steps. His heart rate immediately sped up, and a smile spread across his face on its own.
If Elliot could, he wanted to jump as high as possible into the air because he was so happy. Ideas to pamper his secretary began popping into his mind.
While the man was celebrating his success, Audrey came out of the room with hurried steps, approaching him.
"Ehm, Sir. This... there's a dinner invitation from someone," Audrey said, feeling a little awkward. Her hand was gripping her phone.
Elliot frowned. "Who?"
"Miss Catherine Fairmont. She happens to be here, so she wants to have dinner with you, Sir."