Chapter 55 Let Me Heal It
"I-it's alright, Sir," Audrey quickly replied, pulling her hand away and lowering her gaze back to the screen.
"The third scenario," Audrey continued, though her voice was slightly more shaky. She swallowed hard before proceeding. "Is a mixed option between maintaining the current structure and slight restructuring. This provides a profit margin of up to 30% with a more measurable risk."
"Hmm..." Elliot nodded slowly, his fingers slowly tapping his chin. "The third scenario sounds promising. But there are other considerations we need to think about, aren't there?"
"Y-yes, Sir. I will add an additional analysis related to costs and potential impact on Human Resources," Audrey quickly said.
She didn't want this discussion to drag on, especially since the atmosphere between them was heating up.
"Good," Elliot replied curtly. He shifted his seat a little closer, looking at Audrey intensely. "Whatever option is chosen will yield a good result, won't it?"
Audrey swallowed, looking at the man uneasily. "Y-yes..."
Elliot smiled faintly as he immediately took the tablet from Audrey's hands and tossed it slightly to the empty side next to him.
As Audrey was about to say something, Elliot immediately resumed looking at her even more sharply and intently. "Because I'm more interested in discussing what happened last night and why you left me in the basement parking lot just like that."Audrey froze in place.
Elliot's intense gaze bore into her, demanding an explanation for something she was not ready to discuss.
Audrey’s body was tense, and she could only look down, avoiding the man's eyes. "Last night, I—"
But before Audrey could finish her sentence, Elliot cut in quickly. "I regret it."
The woman spontaneously raised her head. Her eyes widened slightly, staring in disbelief at Elliot.
The words sounded so flat, devoid of emotion, but to Audrey, it felt like a bolt from the blue, shattering all the feelings she had been trying to ignore.
Audrey's breath hitched, and she couldn't say a word.
Silence stretched between them, but inside Audrey's head, her thoughts spun wildly.
'Regret? So... for him it was a mistake? Last night was just a meaningless moment?' Audrey thought, her heart slowly feeling tight. Her emotions began to rise, but she desperately fought to contain them.
Unfortunately, the disappointment and pain were too great to bury and only grew larger.
Audrey didn't know what was more painful: the fact that Elliot regretted what happened, or the fact that she had briefly hoped for more.
A thin, bitter smile began to curve on Audrey's lips. She straightened her posture and quickly stood up from the couch, looking at Elliot with eyes that were starting to well up. However, she refused to appear weak. Not in front of the man who had just crushed her trust and self-esteem.
"Of course, you regret it," Audrey finally said, her voice shaking with a forced, bitter laugh. "I forgot who I am. Just a secretary who happened to be too easy to take advantage of."
Elliot's expression changed, shocked by her response, but Audrey gave him no chance to explain.
"Mr. Harrington," Audrey continued, her tone now sharper, filled with hidden pain. "I know my place. You didn't need to say it that way. I understand. I am not worthy of you. I am just Audrey Indira, the daughter of a family that doesn't even deserve to be called one. And I never forget who I am!"
She gasped for breath, her face red with a mix of anger and shame.
"So don't worry, Sir. You don't need to bother feeling guilty or regretful. Because I will never, ever, let that happen again!"
Before Elliot could say anything, Audrey stepped back quickly, then turned and walked with hurried steps toward the door.
"Audrey, wait!"
Audrey didn't care. She kept walking, wanting to get out of this incredibly embarrassing situation immediately. She couldn't hold back the tears that were already threatening to fall.
"I said wait!" Audrey gasped as Elliot's strong arms wrapped around her body, holding her tightly from behind, not suffocatingly, but a warmth slowly enveloped Audrey. Her heart started pounding again.
"S-Sir..."
"Listen to me first!" Elliot quickly snapped.
Slowly, the man turned Audrey's slightly trembling body to face him. His heart instantly twisted upon seeing his secretary's nearly tearful eyes.
Elliot looked at Audrey with an expression that was hard to decipher. There was guilt, frustration, and something deeper that he struggled to express in words.
Audrey immediately looked down, trying to avoid the man's gaze.
"Look at me," Elliot said softly, his voice full of regret.
Audrey didn't comply immediately, and Elliot didn't allow it. Essentially, he was still a boss who didn't tolerate rejection. Gently, he lifted his secretary's chin, forcing their eyes to meet.
"I'm sorry," Elliot said genuinely. "I didn't mean to make you feel this way."
Audrey shook her head slightly, trying to hold back the tears that were pressing to escape. "You don't need to explain, Sir. I know who I am. I—"
"You're wrong!" Elliot quickly countered, his voice now firmer. "You are more valuable than you think!"
Audrey was silent. The words froze all her thoughts. Her chest pounded hard, but she didn't know if it was due to hope or just apprehension.
"If that's the case, why did you say you regretted it?" Audrey asked quietly, her voice almost lost between her ragged breaths, holding back a sob.
Elliot let out a long sigh, trying to calm himself. Being this close, he was afraid of losing control.
His attention was immediately drawn to the scarf wrapped around Audrey's neck. Unable to restrain himself, he pulled the knot open, allowing the scarf to fall without Audrey being able to prevent it.
Elliot then studied Audrey's neck with a sharp, meaningful gaze. The hidden red mark was now clearly visible, a contrast against her light skin.
Elliot's eyes darkened, conveying a mixture of emotions that were hard to define—guilt, desire, and annoyance toward himself.
"So, this is why," Elliot murmured softly, almost talking to himself. His fingers still held the scarf, which now hung in his hand.
Audrey flinched, her face flushing instantly. She tried to reach for the scarf, but Elliot stretched his arm away. She quickly tried to cover her neck again in a hurry. "Sir, please... don't—"
"Does it hurt?" Elliot cut in, not taking his eyes off the mark.
"W-What?"
Elliot ignored Audrey's confusion. He slowly moved his face closer to the woman's neck, continuing to examine the result of his actions. "Last night... did it hurt? This is... so red..."
Audrey didn't answer. Her face was flushing even more and was increasingly agitated by Elliot's breath being so close and, of course, tempting. She clenched her hands tightly.
Suddenly, a light kiss was felt on her neck, making Audrey gasp, and spontaneously both her hands gripped Elliot's shirt tightly.
"I'm sorry," Elliot whispered. "I shouldn't have been so rough..."
Before she could answer, Audrey felt another kiss on her neck. The woman swallowed hard.
Elliot kept getting closer, his breath warm against Audrey's neck, which still felt hot. Each kiss he gave made Audrey's body stiffer, yet she couldn't ignore the warmth that spread from where Elliot touched her.
"Sir, this isn't right..." Audrey finally whispered, her voice barely audible.
However, Audrey was unable to push Elliot away. Instead, her arms brazenly wrapped slowly around the man's back.
"Why not?" Elliot retorted hoarsely, almost a growl. His breathing was slightly hurried.
The man gave another gentle kiss in the same area, this time longer. "I injured your skin... at least let me heal it."