Chapter 90 I Didn't Mean It
Alison had no clue where he had gone, and she didn't feel comfortable asking. Since coming back from Paris, both Aidan and Jack seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving no trace behind.
During lunch, Alison quietly ate her meal, balancing her tray on her lap. The portions at YD were small, but enough for one person. From the table across from her, she overheard some whispers. "The CEO's disappeared again. Wonder which lucky lady caught his eye this time."
"Maybe it's that heiress from the Maplewords family? She was getting pretty cozy with him recently."
One of the women glanced at Alison as she spoke. "Ha, the CEO sure loves revisiting old flames. Our department's girl shouldn't worry; he'll come back eventually." She winked at Alison.
Alison was too engrossed in her meal to notice. Suddenly, a shadow fell across her table. Miraculously, the two women across from her immediately fell silent.
The sudden quiet made Alison uneasy. Finally, she looked up.
Standing behind the two women, Aidan was smiling at her, his expression full of affection.
"Ugh..." Alison nearly choked. The entire cafeteria's attention was now divided between her and Aidan.
He was making things difficult for her.
No wonder the two women had stopped talking; they were scared of him.
Alison quietly put down her chopsticks, thinking she should make a quick escape.
Just then, Aidan spoke to the two women in a stern voice, "Go to the finance department this afternoon to settle your pay for the month. You can leave now."
"CEO, please, I didn't mean it."
"CEO, I was just talking..."
"Enough! People who like to gossip won't find work easily in this city." His words were full of threat, implying that if he heard anything similar again, he would make sure they couldn't find a job in the entire city.
...
While Aidan was reprimanding the two women, Alison quietly stood up and quickly made her way to the cafeteria door. Staying any longer, she felt she would drown in the stares.
"Alison, stop!" Aidan called out to her in front of everyone and even started to chase her.
Alison began to run, wishing she had four legs. Aidan, oh Aidan, his actions had thrown her into the center of gossip.
"Bang!" She collided with someone at a corner.
Oh no!
The feeling was too familiar.
Oh my God, how could these people disappear and reappear just like that?
Terrified, Alison continued to run, but Jack grabbed her hand suddenly. "Where are you running to?"
"The CEO... he's chasing me!" Alison panted, pointing back to the corner. Aidan had put her in a tough spot, and she didn't want to be the target of all the female employees at YD.
"Then just wait here for him. Why run?"
"I... I..." Could she say she didn't want to see Aidan?
Before she could figure out what to do, Aidan had already caught up. Jack was still holding her hand tightly.
Aidan's gaze fell on their clasped hands, looking slightly surprised, but he didn't show it. He simply said, "Jack, just got here?"
"Yeah, just arrived. Alison said you were behind her, so I stopped her for you." Jack released Alison's arm, pushing her towards Aidan. "Here you go, bro. What are you two up to?"
"Nothing..." She couldn't stand Aidan staring at her like that in the cafeteria.
"Oh, I was thinking of inviting Alison to Maple Aroma Pavilion tonight."
"Ha, I see. Well, I won't interrupt then. I'll wait for you in the VIP room."
"No need, I'll come up with Alison after we talk."
Alison's face turned red. Aidan had defeated her; he was asking her out right in front of Jack.
Aidan turned to her, "Alison, is that okay?" He felt there was no need to repeat himself; he had made it clear earlier.
Alison felt faint. She wanted to say "no," but both Jack and Aidan were looking at her expectantly. Even Jack seemed to want her to go.
But she couldn't blame him.
"Alison, Maple Aroma Pavilion isn't just any place. Bro, this is the first time I've heard you taking a girlfriend there. Are you..."
"Jack, don't talk nonsense. My mom's been saying the house feels empty lately, so she asked me to bring someone over occasionally."
"Ha, bro, your mom wants grandkids, huh? You better get to it." Jack winked at Aidan, urging him to act quickly. "I'll head up then. You two take your time. I don't like being a third wheel." With that, Jack left.
Alison kept her head down. The situation was too complicated for her to handle. From Jack's perspective, he wanted her to agree, but she didn't feel that way about Aidan. She didn't want to go.
But her silence made Aidan misunderstand. "Alison, if you don't say anything, I'll take it as a yes. I'll wait for you in front of the building after work. I need to talk to Jack now. See you tonight."
"Hey..." Aidan left without waiting for her response. He had already made up his mind; she had to go, whether she wanted to or not.
Alison stomped her foot in frustration, but there was nothing she could do. Aidan quickly disappeared. She thought about chasing after him but feared facing both Aidan and Jack. The thought of facing Jack as Aidan's girlfriend made her uncomfortable.
During her lunch break, she wandered back to her office, which was quiet. She lay her head on her desk but couldn't sleep, her mind tangled with Aidan's invitation. She felt awkward about meeting his mother so soon, but Aidan hadn't given her a chance to refuse.
Maybe she could escape tonight. If she did, Aidan might find someone else, and everything would be resolved.
The thought made her happy. She could finally be free. She'd send a text saying Sophia and Ethan's kindergarten teacher was visiting, and Aidan would have no choice.
But thinking about Jack made her uneasy again.
She decided to focus on work, hoping it would clear her mind of distractions.
He was her trouble, and she couldn't shake him off.
Time, please help her forget him. That would be wonderful.
But some things in life can't be forgotten. They follow you like shadows, occasionally invading your heart, rooting in your memory, never to be removed.
She entered data, but her mind wandered. Halfway through, she stood up and walked to the window, looking outside. All afternoon, she kept glancing out the window.
Subconsciously, she wanted to see him.
Just one look, that's all.
But outside, amidst the bustling traffic, even if he was there, she couldn't see him from this high up.
Lost in thought, a stern voice suddenly broke her reverie. "Alison, what are you doing during work hours?"
"Sorry, my eyes hurt, so I wanted to rest by the window." She lied. She couldn't tell Manager McLean she was looking for someone she couldn't mention.
"This is work. Only this once, don't let it happen again." Manager McLean scolded her. Recently, Alison had been in the spotlight, even overshadowing her, which made her feel unbalanced. Just a new employee, relying on the CEO's favor. Once he got tired of her, she'd be nothing.
Alison stuck out her tongue and quickly returned to her seat. Manager McLean was right; she shouldn't be distracted.
Focus, focus. She couldn't let Jack disturb her anymore. If this continued, she'd go crazy.
She despised herself for being so weak.
How could she be a mother acting like this?
After that, Alison threw herself into her work. She loved her job, with its pressures and challenges. A monotonous life would drain her spirit.