Chapter 65 Try To Be Better
Audrey scoffed at Elliot's question.
"Your meeting with Catherine is not my business!" she retorted sharply, her voice slightly raised.
However, that reaction did not calm the situation; instead, it made Elliot's jaw tighten.
The man's gaze changed, increasingly implying something hard to define. He looked annoyed, although he tried to remain calm.
"Is that so? Even if afterward we will do something... more personal?" Elliot asked, becoming more challenging.
Audrey, realizing the change in Elliot's expression, was very sure that the man was trying to make her feel jealous. Or at least feel uncomfortable with the fact that the man would be alone with Catherine later.
Although that feeling and the image of how the two would interact briefly surfaced, Audrey did not want to get further involved in a conversation she considered unnecessary for the moment.
"In that case, thank you for your understanding, Sir," the woman said flatly, trying to look directly at Elliot. "I can now enjoy my time off properly."
This time, it was Elliot's turn to look surprised. The man stared at Audrey with a furrowed brow. "What are you going to do?" he asked, full of curiosity.
The woman's forehead furrowed slightly. "That's my private business. It's none of your business, Sir."
That answer seemed to provoke a bigger reaction from Elliot. He did not expect Audrey to change so much overnight.
His secretary did seem unfocused, but it looked like the woman was resolute and not provoked by his efforts.
Elliot began to feel uneasy because of it. He immediately rose from his seat. With long strides, he quickly approached her.
Audrey's eyes widened in surprise, but she held her ground, refusing to be intimidated. She took a single, instinctive step back, her spine straightening in defiance.
Unfortunately, Elliot did not give up. He kept advancing, closing the distance between them until Audrey's back touched the wall. She was trapped, but the fire in her eyes hadn't dimmed.
His arms caged her in, bringing his overwhelming presence and the faint, masculine scent of his cologne far too close for comfort.
A shiver raced through her—a traitorous mix of alarm and a thrilling, dangerous excitement.
Yet, her gaze remained locked on his, a silent challenge. She would not be the first to look away.
"What are you going to do this weekend?" Elliot's voice was a low, demanding rumble, his breath warm against her cheek.
Audrey held her silence, a deliberate, dangerous game. She watched the muscle in his jaw twitch, a tiny crack in his imposing control, and a thrill of power shot through her. Let him wait. Let him wonder.
'So, he's been pretending to be calm and acting as if nothing happened to him all this time,' Audrey thought, scoffing internally, yet increasingly impressed by Elliot's self-control.
She thought that over the past few weeks, they had been messing up each other's worlds...
"I already told you that's my private business—"
"You're not going out with a man, are you?" Elliot narrowed his eyes. Audrey could see a flash of jealousy there, provoking her to do something.
"Man or woman, that's not your business, is it, Sir?"
Elliot's jaw tightened briefly. "Don't provoke me..."
"Why?" Audrey felt even more challenged. "Are you provoked?"
An awkward and slightly tense silence spread thickly in Elliot's office. Neither of them wanted to speak or break their gaze. They exchanged glances, with their warm breaths occasionally brushing against each other's faces.
Both Audrey and Elliot seemed to deliberately let time pass just like that, as if this was something they might not be able to do again in the future.
"So our relationship is truly going back to how it was?" Elliot asked softly, slightly hoarsely, breaking the silence.
Hesitation briefly struck her, but Audrey quickly answered. "Yes."
Elliot stared at Audrey even deeper and more meaningfully. "But I do not agree with your decision."
The woman's eyes instantly widened, panicked. "Sir—"
"Why should I let go of something valuable?"
The question that sounded like a statement from Elliot made Audrey even more confused. "What... do you mean, Sir?"
The man moved his upright body back slightly, so he could see the woman's face more clearly in front of him.
Elliot just realized that Audrey was slightly flushed. His gaze was still intense, but the anger had melted into something hotter, more possessive, and utterly sincere.
"You..." he began, his voice noticeably softer. "You graduated from high school with the best grades, entered the best university, and even joined the best company in this country with high test scores!"
Audrey was surprised again. "Sir—where did you—"
"And became the youngest executive secretary in this company in just a short time. You are extraordinary, Audrey. And you are the secretary of the CEO, Elliot Harrington! My secretary!"
"What are you trying—"
"So why would I let you go?" he murmured, his voice dropping, the fight draining out of it to be replaced by something raw and unnervingly sincere. "Shouldn't I try to be even better... for you?"