Chapter 94
"No overtime today. Let's go now."
He lowered his head and pecked her lips again, finding those ravaged red lips increasingly addictive.
Ava's cheeks flushed from his teasing.
William finally released her, went back to his desk to grab his phone, and made a call.
"James, come up for a second. Bring the car keys."
Outside the door, James glanced at the people around him and replied awkwardly,
"Mr. Morgan, I'm already upstairs."
James's voice came from outside the door, loud enough to hear without the phone.
Ava turned around to see the people waiting outside, feeling like she'd been struck by lightning.
James, Abigail from HR holding documents, and Timothy King from the marketing department stood not far away, their expressions like they'd just witnessed some juicy gossip.
Everything that had just happened in the office had clearly been seen by all of them.
Ava covered her burning face, feeling the urge to claw at the walls. In contrast, William, the instigator of it all, showed no sign of embarrassment. He maintained his usual restrained and composed demeanor, as if he hadn't just pinned her against the door and kissed her forcefully.
"Come in."
William spoke into the phone, then hung up.
James entered with the other two.
Abigail smiled at Ava even more warmly than before, seriously considering whether she should start calling her Mrs. Morgan next time they met.
"Ava, I've stamped this agreement. The salary increase takes effect immediately. The company and you each keep a copy. Please keep it safe."
Ava awkwardly accepted the salary adjustment agreement and thanked her.
Abigail curved her lips meaningfully, her eyes returning to William,
"Mr. Morgan, if there's nothing else, I'll get back to work."
Ava wanted to follow Abigail out. She wanted to escape this awkward situation as quickly as possible, though she could only think about it.
"Ava, sit over there and wait for me a moment."
Ava's scalp tingled as she obediently sat on the sofa to wait while he handled work, wondering if he really didn't want to hide their relationship anymore.
After he finished dealing with things, he came to the sofa and took her hand,
"Let's go. Let's go home."
He said.
Completely ignoring Timothy, who had just finished reporting and was standing there awkwardly.
He held her hand as they went downstairs, taking the employee elevator, not letting go even when they reached the underground parking garage.
"What do you want for dinner?"
Ava wasn't in the mood to discuss dinner. She was still immersed in tremendous joy, that happiness of being brought into the light by him, no longer having to hide, filling every nerve in her body.
"Why so quiet?"
Seeing her silence, he teased.
"If you don't say anything, we'll eat out. Daniel's new Western restaurant has great foie gras. How about we go freeload today?"
Ava nodded, "Okay."
James turned the steering wheel and slowly drove the car out of the parking garage, merging into traffic.
"Are we out of condoms at home?"
Ava's heart jumped at his random question. They'd just been discussing dinner, and suddenly he'd switched to talking about condoms.
"We don't need to buy more, do we?"
She replied without thinking, planning to tell him about the baby over dinner. They wouldn't need those things at home for a while anyway.
"If we don't buy any, what about tonight?"
Ava glanced at him, feeling depressed. He still didn't want the baby.
"We don't have to use them. Your comfort is what matters most."
Ava wanted to cover his mouth, "Stop talking nonsense..."
James, driving the car, kept his eyes on the road. William didn't treat him like an outsider at all. He felt he shouldn't be in the car.
Just then, during rush hour, traffic backed up ahead. James concentrated on gripping the steering wheel and looking straight ahead, afraid he might accidentally glance at the rearview mirror and see something he shouldn't.
At that moment, William's phone rang at an inopportune time. He pulled out his phone, glanced at it, and irritably pressed the reject button.
Soon, the ringtone sounded again.
From the corner of her eye, Ava caught the name on his screen: Sarah.
"You should answer it."
Ava understood Sarah. If this call didn't go through today, they wouldn't be able to eat their meal in peace. She would keep calling until her phone died.
William hesitated before answering.
Ava didn't know what was said on the other end, but she watched his expression grow heavier and heavier, a bad feeling rising in her heart.
Sure enough, after hanging up, he let go of her hand,
"Ava, you go home first. I have something urgent to handle."
Ava's breath caught, "Is it her heart condition?"
"No, don't worry about it. Go home and wait for me."
William rubbed his temples, looking deeply troubled.
Ava couldn't figure out what had happened to make him, usually so composed and in control, show such an expression.
"I'll call Daniel to pick you up."
James had already pulled the car over to the side. Ava stared at him blankly,
"Will you come back tonight?"
He said, "Yes."
Ava got out of the car and stood on the curb, watching his car speed away, merging into the winding stream of traffic until it was just a red dot.
She took a deep breath and clenched her fists. The ring on her ring finger pressed into her skin, leaving a mark.
He said he would, so she would wait.
She felt she'd been too lenient with Sarah. This time, no matter what, she wouldn't let go easily.
Daniel pulled up in a Bugatti,
"Ava, get in."
Ava snapped back to reality and got in the car.
"You changed cars again?"
Daniel chuckled twice,
"I don't have many hobbies, I just like playing with cars. William, that cheapskate, won't let me touch his limited edition Bentley. Last time I just mentioned it, you know what he said?"
Without waiting for her to ask, Daniel continued on his own,
"He said wife and car, neither for loan."
Ava smiled politely, her mood so low that Daniel could feel it even while driving.
"Cheer up, Ava. Today I'll definitely take good care of you. I'll take you to do something exciting."
With that, he stepped on the gas and passed the car in front, the exaggerated engine sound drawing many eyes from the roadside.
Ava never expected that Daniel's idea of "exciting" meant taking her to an amusement park.
She hadn't been to a place like this in years. As a child, she'd pestered Steven to take her, but always got the same response: "I'm busy, go find your mom."
Ava would pester Nancy, who would hold and comfort her for a long time, "When Dad has time, we'll all go together."
In the end, Steven never had time, and the amusement park became a small regret of her childhood. Now, looking at the dazzling lights before her, she felt emotional.
Daniel came back holding a bunch of skewers, his other hand carrying two large pancakes. He was a carefree rich kid who drove luxury cars and wore designer brands, but didn't mind street food after eating at five-star restaurants,
"Ava, try this!"
Ava felt he was genuinely trying to lift her spirits, and her mood improved by half.
The two ate skewers outside the amusement park entrance, with no regard for appearances.
After a tour of the amusement park, they really only rode the carousel. She didn't dare try any of the thrilling rides in her condition.
When Ava got home and lay on the bed, she finally had time to check her phone. 99+ unread messages on Facebook.
Photos of William walking around the company holding her hand were going viral in various groups. She opened the company's internal website, and the top post was discussing her relationship with William.
[Shocking: Mrs. Morgan has been hiding in plain sight in our design department]
Someone had posted photos in the thread. The person who took the secret photos made sure everyone could see clearly, with high-definition images from various angles capturing the way he looked at her.