Chapter 53 Hiding The Evidence
Audrey stood in front of her bedroom mirror, her gaze fixed on her own reflection. Her attention was drawn to the red mark on her neck.
It was so clear, such a stark contrast against her light skin.
She let out a long sigh, raising a hand to touch the area slowly. The warm sensation from the night before still lingered, sending a shiver down her spine again.
"Oh, my God..." she muttered softly, her face flushing even more.
The memory of what happened inside Elliot's car last night flooded back into her mind.
How they lost control, how she was too lost in the moment to stop before things went too far.
"Audrey, what were you thinking?!" she scolded herself, stepping away from the mirror, feeling shame and confusion.
Her gaze returned to the mirror, examining her neck with a furrowed brow. The red mark seemed impossible to simply hide. "How can I go to the office with this?!"
Audrey tried various methods. Concealer seemed like a good idea, but it was too complicated. She dabbed a little over the mark, but the result was uneven. Plus, she had to ensure no one noticed it all day.
"Ugh, this is too much trouble," she complained, putting the concealer back on the table.
Audrey walked toward her wardrobe, searching for something she could wear to cover it. Her choice fell on a black turtleneck top. She stood back in front of the mirror.
However, as she put on the turtleneck, Audrey immediately felt constricted. She tugged at the collar slightly, trying to get more air. "This won't work," she muttered in frustration. "I'll pass out if I wear this all day."
Audrey opened the closet again, this time looking for alternatives. Her mind raced, searching for a simple yet effective solution. Her eyes landed on a small scarf she rarely used. The woman raised an eyebrow, thinking this might be the best option, even though it felt strange to her.
With a quick motion, she wrapped the scarf around her neck, tying it with a simple knot to the side. She looked back at the mirror, trying to convince herself that this was enough to conceal the obvious mark.
She tilted her head, trying to get used to the accessory. But every time she looked in the mirror, the scarf seemed to scream that she was hiding something.
Audrey let out a long sigh. "God, I don't even look like myself," she muttered frustratedly.
But there was no other choice. She smoothed the scarf, making sure the knot was neat and not too noticeable before finally grabbing her work bag and preparing to face the day.
As she reached the yard of her living place, a familiar voice greeted her. "Morning, Audrey!"
Her housemate, Grace, appeared from the patio carrying a small bag.
"Morning, Grace," Audrey replied with a slight smile.
Grace approached, looking at Audrey for a moment before speaking. "Hey, you look different today." Her eyes stopped at the scarf wrapped around Audrey's neck. "You rarely wear a scarf, do you? Special occasion?"
Audrey let out a slightly awkward laugh. "No, Grace. Just... felt like it," she answered, quickly changing the subject. "Where are you headed so early?"
"To the market, shopping for a party tonight," Grace answered casually before her gaze turned slightly serious. "Oh yeah, someone was looking for you here the other day."
Audrey froze. Slowly, her forehead wrinkled. "Who?"
"A man," Grace explained. "Said he wanted to deliver a package to you. I told him you were out of town. I also offered to take it for you, but he said you had to receive it directly."
Audrey's body tensed slightly. Her mind immediately flew to the worst-case scenario. "Did he say his name?"
"No, he didn't," Grace replied, tilting her head, trying to remember. "But he seemed a bit... suspicious."
"Suspicious?" Audrey asked, her tone now more guarded.
Grace shrugged. "I don't know, the way he spoke was kind of rushed."
Audrey bit her lower lip, instantly feeling uneasy. Memories of her family problems, especially her father, came back to haunt her. Was the man a debt collector?
"Did he say when he'd come back?" Audrey asked carefully.
"No, he just left right away," Grace replied. "But if he comes back, I'll let you know."
"Thank you, Grace," Audrey said with a small smile, even though she felt anxious inside. She let out a long sigh, trying to calm down.
Before Grace could ask more questions, Audrey quickly ended the conversation. "I'm heading to the office now, Grace. Be careful on the road."
Grace nodded, waving her hand. "You too. Hope that man isn't trouble."
Audrey only nodded as she walked toward the nearest bus stop.
Throughout the journey, her mind wrestled with worry. 'Who was that man? Is this my father's doing again?'
Unconsciously, Audrey touched the scarf wrapped around her neck. She smiled bitterly. Just as she was being swept away by a dream that was so distant and impossible to reach, she was reminded that she had bigger, more real problems.
"Wake up, Audrey..." she whispered softly to herself.
As Audrey waited for the elevator, her thoughts drifted everywhere, especially to her stepfather. Since that embarrassing incident witnessed by Elliot, she couldn't recall any similar events happening to her.
Although she felt grateful, Audrey was still restless, especially after Grace's report. However, the most important thing right now was to hopefully avoid running into Elliot.
Audrey didn't know where she would put her face if she had to directly confront the man!
"Lost in thought so early in the morning."
Audrey was startled and instantly turned. Bruce was standing next to her, a worried look clearly visible beneath his friendly smile.
"Ah, Bruce..."
"Here." Bruce offered her a cup of coffee. "I thought you might need something to boost your spirits this morning."
Audrey was surprised for a moment, but finally accepted the coffee with a genuine smile. "Thank you. I thought you had the day off."
Bruce clicked his tongue softly, his face slightly contorted. "Why would you think that? Don't you want to see me again?"
Audrey just laughed softly in response. "No. I just thought after last night's party, you'd take a day off."
Bruce suddenly looked serious, making Audrey's laughter fade slowly.
"Did something happen last night?" The man asked in a low, emphasized tone.
"Nothing," Audrey replied quickly. She immediately looked straight at the elevator.
"You're not lying to me, are you, Audrey Indira?"
"Why would I lie to you?" Audrey couldn't help but turn back to the man beside her, looking slightly sharp. She was starting to dislike the way Bruce was interfering too much in her personal affairs. "And it's none of your business."
Seeing Audrey's unexpected reaction, Bruce let out a soft sigh. He realized his attitude was a bit harsh. "I'm sorry, I was just worried."
"I can take care of myself," Audrey cut him off again. "If that's what you're worried about, Bruce."
Bruce stared at Audrey in silence. The man looked like he wanted to say something but held his tongue.
Audrey continued her argument. "Besides, Mr. Harrington is not that kind of person..."
A low but half-mocking chuckle came from Bruce as he looked straight at Audrey. "All men are the same, Audrey... especially when given an opportunity."
Hearing Bruce's sentence, Audrey looked thoughtful for a moment, her forehead slightly furrowed. "So you think I gave Mr. Harrington an opportunity last night?"
Bruce was stunned, unprepared for such a question from Audrey. "That—"
"What kind of woman do you take me for?" Audrey said softly, slightly disappointed by his assumptions about her.
Bruce grew more nervous, realizing his mistake. "That's not what I meant! I was speaking generally!"
However, before their conversation could continue, from the corner of her eye, Audrey caught sight of Elliot and Stu talking as they walked toward them.
'Oh God, why now?!' Audrey instantly panicked. 'They're definitely going to take this elevator too!'
"I just remembered," Audrey suddenly said, her voice sounding rushed. "There's a document I need to immediately check at my desk!"
Bruce frowned, clearly confused by Audrey's sudden change in behavior. "A document? But you haven't—"
"I have to go!" Audrey cut him off quickly, bowing slightly and stepping backward. "Thanks for the coffee!"
Without waiting for an answer, Audrey turned and quickly walked away from the elevator, leaving Bruce standing there with a bewildered expression.
However, when he saw Elliot and his assistant walking toward him, Bruce could guess what had made Audrey act that way.
"Morning, Mr. Harrington," Bruce greeted cordially as Elliot stood next to him.
Elliot only nodded vaguely, not bothering to reply or even look at him.
Restu, noticing his boss's cold demeanor, quickly took the initiative. "Morning, Mr. Miller. I heard you had a party last night?"
Bruce glanced toward Elliot, who still showed no expression. "Well, just appreciating the team's hard work and... enjoying life a little. Wouldn't you agree, Mr. Harrington?"
Just then, the elevator doors opened.
Without answering, Elliot stepped inside, followed by Stu, who felt increasingly awkward with Bruce. Meanwhile, Bruce let out a heavy sigh and could only curse silently.