Chapter 64 Replacement
Audrey sighed again, this time longer than before. "Can we talk about it later?"
"As long as you're okay during that time—"
"I'm fine!" Audrey retorted, trying to sound convincing.
Not wanting to push any further, Liam finally stood up. Once again, he looked intently at Audrey. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to talk. I'm not just your coworker."
A faint smile appeared on Audrey's tired face, "Yes. Thank you, Liam."
After Liam left, Audrey stared at the tablet in front of her. She let out a long sigh, trying to refocus.
"Ah, yes. I forgot," Liam stopped and returned to Audrey's desk. "Mr. Harrington called you to his office. He wants to talk about the acquisition project."
Audrey briefly tensed up, but quickly regained control. She smiled again, then slowly grabbed her tablet as she stood up. "Thank you."
Liam watched Audrey as she walked toward Elliot's office. The woman's serious expression couldn't hide her nervousness. The man narrowed his eyes, trying to guess what was really going on, when a voice surprised him.
"Do you think what I think?" asked Stu, standing next to Liam while glancing toward Audrey who was now knocking on Elliot's office door.
Liam quickly turned, his eyebrows furrowing. "What do you mean?"
After the door closed behind Audrey, Stu let out a short sigh and then looked meaningfully at Liam. "The two of them. I mean, you saw it yourself, right?"
Liam was silent, trying to process Stu's words. But the next moment, he lightly hit the man's head.
"Hey! That hurt!" Stu protested, rubbing his head while looking annoyed at Liam.
"Don't spread rumors!" Liam snapped firmly, walking back to his desk even though the thought of Restu's hypothesis kept bothering him.
When Audrey entered, Elliot was sitting in his chair, focused on a report open in front of him. He didn't even lift his face to see who had entered.
Audrey stood in front of the man's desk, trying to remain calm even though the silence enveloping the room made her increasingly nervous.
Time seemed to move slowly. Elliot was still reading the report without turning to look at Audrey even once. The woman began to feel that she was being ignored, or more precisely, indirectly punished.
Clutching the tablet to her chest, Audrey frowned.
"Is this intentional?" she thought, starting to feel annoyed. However, she didn't dare voice a protest.
Finally, Elliot spoke, "You seem distracted today, Audrey."
The man still didn't lift his gaze from the report in his hands.
Audrey was stunned by the observation she hadn't anticipated at all.
"I expect my personal assistant to be at the top of her game, not lost in thought."
The woman blinked a few times, trying to formulate a defense. However, the man in front of her remained calm, as if his criticism was perfectly justified.
"I... I'm focused, Sir," Audrey finally said, her voice slightly hesitant.
This time Elliot closed the report in front of him, then looked up to stare directly at Audrey. The man's gaze was sharp and wholly unimpressed.
"Are you?" he asked, his tone dripping with skepticism. "Because from what I saw in the meeting just now, it seems like something else is dominating your thoughts."
Audrey bit her lower lip. Elliot's words were true, but she couldn't possibly admit it.
"So what were you thinking about during the entire meeting?" Elliot asked again, making Audrey pause.
What is this? Audrey looked at Elliot with a furrowed brow, confused by Elliot's attitude. For some reason, she felt Elliot was testing her patience now because Her nails dug into her palm as she fought to keep her voice level..
"Why don't you answer? Or do you need my help?" Elliot's eyebrows raised again. His face now wore a slightly cynical smile.
Audrey's lips thinned. She was increasingly convinced that Elliot was messing with her. However, she didn't want to be dragged into her boss's game. "Because this is a private matter, I cannot tell you, Sir."
Elliot looked at Audrey for a moment, then decided to talk about something else. "When is the press conference for the acquisition project?"
With a feeling of relief at Elliot's change of subject, Audrey immediately activated the tablet she was holding. She checked briefly, then answered, "Next Monday, Sir."
"Who will accompany me?" the man asked again, picking up another report and examining it.
Audrey was silent for a moment. "I will, and the Paragon team to back up questions related to law."
"Replace with Liam."
Audrey looked at Elliot with a furrowed brow. "What?" she repeated, unsure of what she had just heard.
Elliot placed the report in his hands with a slow movement, then looked directly at Audrey. "I said, replace with Liam."
"Sir, I..." Audrey paused for a moment, trying to find the right words. "I have prepared everything. It would be more efficient if I accompanied you."
Elliot leaned his body back into the chair, his expression remained calm, but there was firmness in his eyes. "I know you've prepared everything, and it will still go according to plan. It's just that, this time Liam will accompany me. So hand over everything you've prepared to him."
It felt like a physical slap. After all the late nights, the meticulous preparation... he was discarding her without a second thought. Was this all she meant to him? A tool to be replaced when it became inconvenient?
Audrey swallowed. "May I know the reason, Sir?" her voice came out softer than she intended.
Elliot looked at his secretary without a sound, as if he was considering the answer he would give. "Liam is more experienced in work related to Public Relations," Elliot answered briefly.
"Experienced..." Audrey gave a small, bitter laugh.
However, the woman didn't want to argue further. She fell silent while trying to calm herself, starting to get annoyed with Elliot's increasingly illogical behavior. "Yes, Sir."
"Good. Send the details to my email," Elliot said, returning to look at his report.
The atmosphere grew increasingly awkward. However, before Audrey opened her mouth, Elliot asked first, "Are you still attending the event held by the Winarta Family this Saturday?"
The question made Audrey pause for quite a while. Elliot looked at her again. "Is there a problem?"
"Ah, no. If you still want me to—"
"I will go alone," Elliot cut in quickly. The man leaned back comfortably in his chair, his eyes fixed on observing Audrey's expression.
Audrey didn't understand Elliot's attitude. Was this the man's way of retaliating for her words yesterday? Or was it merely to make her feel guilty?
However, one thing made her heart slightly uneasy—why did it feel like Elliot was trying to push her away?
"Sir... you don't need a companion after all?" Ah, Audrey immediately regretted asking that. It was as if she really wanted to go with the man in front of her.
"It's Saturday. You shouldn't be busy with matters other than office business." Elliot explained calmly, leaning back again. He then looked at Audrey meaningfully. "Why? You don't want me to go alone? To meet Catherine?"