Chapter 141 Really Fell in Love
"Mr. McLean, you're giving me way too much credit. I'm really not that special. If there's nothing else, I'm gonna hang up now. Talking about this is exhausting." With that, she was about to end the call.
"Alison, wait! I didn't want to make this call either, but I couldn't stand it anymore. The CEO hasn't been eating, and I heard he's sick, just hiding in his office. Claire's been crying for two days, and we found out it's because of you. If it weren't for YD, I wouldn't be bothering you. Think about it, if something happens to YD, you'll be the one to blame."
"Thanks for your concern, but I don't have that kind of power. YD's success or failure has nothing to do with me."
With a loud 'bang,' she hung up the phone, feeling these people were too ridiculous.
How could Aidan be so childish? She didn't believe it. How could she have such an impact on a playboy like him? She didn't want to be fooled.
But the calls kept coming, all from former colleagues. Ignoring them felt wrong, but answering them was annoying, as each one tried to persuade her to return to work.
If she saw Aidan, she would definitely give him a piece of her mind. He was too much, using this tactic to harass her.
Even the lady from the break room called, first to check in, then to talk about Aidan's recent behavior.
Oh my God, a grown man, isn't he embarrassed?
Unable to take it anymore, Alison decided to call Aidan.
As soon as she dialed, Aidan picked up immediately, as if he had been waiting.
"Alison, I'm hungry. I want coffee. I want food."
Didn't Claire handle all this before? Alison thought to herself.
Aidan said over the phone, "Alison, I'm waiting for you in the office. If you don't come, I'll keep waiting." Then he hung up.
Holding her phone, Alison thought Aidan sounded like a pouting little boy, even more immature than her.
Frowning, she decided she had to go see Aidan and clear things up. Otherwise, he wouldn't leave her alone and would keep bothering her.
Hearing the housekeeper open the door, she suddenly had an idea.
"Ma'am, can I borrow some clothes? Something really old-fashioned."
"Miss, you can pick anything from the closet, but my clothes are all old and not very nice. They might not suit you."
Alison wanted something that didn't suit her.
She picked out a gray outfit, looked in the mirror, and nodded in satisfaction. It was frumpy enough, clearly something a housewife or an older woman would wear.
Dressed in the most conservative, dowdy clothes, Alison reluctantly headed to YD. Dressed like this, she hoped Aidan would lose interest and stop bothering her. She was too tired to deal with the constant calls.
Getting out of the cab, she walked to the entrance of the YD building. The receptionist greeted her like a VIP, "Miss Fairchild, this way, please." They even pressed the button for Aidan's private elevator.
She didn't want to go up. But looking back, she saw a crowd staring at her, making her want to run away. Gritting her teeth, she stepped into the elevator.
When she arrived, the secretary's office was empty, the door wide open. She had no choice but to walk in. Strangely, Aidan's office door opened automatically as if it knew she was coming.
She walked in and found the office empty. She called out softly, "Mr. CEO, are you here?" She deliberately used his title to create some distance.
"I'm here, come in," Aidan's weak voice came from the lounge, sounding unwell.
She thought he must be faking it. As she walked towards the lounge, she cursed herself for being soft-hearted, knowing it would only hurt both of them.
Pushing the door open, she was hit by the strong smell of medicine. Aidan was lying on the bed, hooked up to an IV.
She was shocked. "What's wrong with you?"
"Oh, nothing serious. It's good you're here. Help me sort the documents on the desk. Bring the urgent ones over, and leave the rest. The managers have been driving me crazy all morning." He noticed her frumpy outfit but didn't react, knowing she wore it on purpose.
She frowned. How could he be so childish? If she hadn't seen it herself, she wouldn't believe this man was the famous CEO of YD. She asked, "Where's the secretary from yesterday?"
"Gone," Aidan said nonchalantly.
She guessed he must have driven her away. "Keep Claire at YD. If her mother is really sick, I don't want to be the bad guy."
"You care about so many people," he said, a bit annoyed. She had asked about two people already but showed no concern for him.
She kept a straight face, not wanting to play along with his act. "Aidan, you can't be this childish. I'm not coming back to YD." She walked to the bed and noticed his face was a bit red.
As she stared at him, he suddenly grabbed her hand and placed it on his forehead. "See, I have a fever, and you don't even care."
Her fingers felt his burning forehead. No wonder he needed an IV.
"How could you be so careless?" She softened, realizing she couldn't leave now.
"Alison, wait until my fever goes down before you leave, okay?" He was determined to make her his woman. Every second without her was torture, and he had realized that long ago.
"Alison, I'll be good to those two kids. They really look like me. I'll treat them as my own."
She felt a bit guilty. If he knew Sophi and Ethan were Jack's kids, who knows how he'd react.
"Aidan, have you eaten?" He seemed thinner after just one night. She decided not to mention the kids. She wouldn't let them see him again.
"No, I want some freshly made porridge, but there's no one to make it."
She couldn't help but laugh. How could someone like him not have anyone to make porridge? She wanted to call him out, but seeing he had a fever, she decided to let it go.
Just this once, she'd make porridge. Once he was better, she'd leave.
"Okay, wait here. I'll make it, but you have to eat it all."
"Yes, I'll finish it." Hearing she would make porridge, he was overjoyed. He had deliberately taken a cold shower to get sick. This illness was worth it.
He would eat everything she made.
In San Francisco, he had learned what it meant to like someone, to love someone.
He thought he was truly in love with Alison.
No other woman had ever made him feel this way.
She was beautiful, sure, but not extraordinarily so. Compared to the women he knew, she lacked their allure but had a unique charm. Maybe it was that charm that made him fall for her.