Chapter 42 Open a Back Door for her

With a casual step, cousin alighted from her brother's car—a seemingly mundane act, except Eleanor had always kept a wide berth from the Quinns, and in the eyes of others, she hadn't so much as exchanged a word with Aaron.

Emerging from his vehicle at the crack of dawn was out of the ordinary.

Bennett's fingers twitched, sending the prayer beads around his wrist into a quiet dance. Their polished rosewood gleam caught the sunlight, drawing Eleanor's gaze. She had moved past her initial pangs of guilt, now simply feeling overpowered by the family patriarch's formidable presence.

His eyes, deeply etched with the wisdom of years, were like mirrors reflecting one's true nature. The last time she'd encountered that gaze in the family's ancestral home study, she'd felt the weight of her grandfather's unspoken thoughts as he offered subtle guidance in just a few words.

As she was about to speak, Aaron's voice came through, measured and detached, "She's an employee of Vincent's. She was visiting her in the hospital."

"That so? Thoughtful of you," Bennett remarked dryly, his pointer finger raised in midair as he leaned on his cane. His scrutinizing eyes shifted to her. "Why come to Quinn Corporation? Shouldn't you, as an employee of Vincent's, be at Gaia BioTech Industries in the Old District?"

Eleanor, well-prepared with documents in her bag, responded with poise, "Gaia BioTech and Quinn Corporation are discussing a partnership. I'm here to hash out the details." She confidently retrieved the papers and presented them to him.

Taking the papers, her grandpa thumbed through them, remarking, "Your proposal is solid. However, Gaia BioTech isn't exactly the best match for Quinn Corporation." He closed the documents with a soft snap—a sound that resonated with Eleanor like a plucked heartstring.

Without revealing his thoughts, the presence of the family patriarch alone was enough to leave one breathless.

"Did you grant her special access?" The patriarch's peripheral gaze swept toward Aaron's poised figure.

Eleanor's heart skipped a beat, but then Aaron spoke openly, "Pulling strings for family is no big deal. She's doing a good job, and it's not like Quinn Corporation isn't making a profit."

A knowing smile played across her grandfather's lips. He said nothing more, handed back the papers, and with Aaron's support, entered the grand hall. Then, one after the other, the two cars at the entrance drove away, leaving Eleanor standing alone.

Employees of Quinn Corporation began to trickle in, and Eleanor followed suit.

At the reception, she stated her purpose for the visit, but then, to her surprise, she saw Wesley standing there.
Aaron's Special Assistant, a powerhouse both in capability and strength, is manning the front desk?

Faced with Eleanor's undisguised skepticism and surprise, Wesley managed to maintain a poker face as he said, “Miss Patterson, you may go in.”

Eleanor ended up waiting for the regular staff elevator while her grandfather and his party took the exclusive Quinn Corporation executive lift. She was almost jostled along by the crowd streaming in, and in that flurry of activity, she caught a glimpse of Aaron's stern profile, which seared itself into her memory, refusing to fade.

This distraction caused her attention to drift frequently while discussing the nitty-gritty with Director Ray.

"Miss Patterson?" called Director Ray.

Eleanor snapped back to reality. "Yes?"

Director Ray had a favorable impression of Eleanor. Despite facing setbacks, the young lady never complained or lashed out; she exhibited flexibility, resilience, and the makings of someone who handles big projects with ease. Snagging a partnership deal out of Aaron’s hands meant she either had some serious skills or an inside track.

Whichever the case, it was impressive, and he treated her with due respect.

"You seem a bit under the weather. Do you need to take a break?"

Eleanor shook her head, intending to decline, but the motion sent a wave of wooziness through her.

She had woken up that morning knowing she had caught a cold, which didn’t seem too severe at first. However, the chill she caught at Midhill Hospital, followed by Aaron’s car heater, had only intensified her cold.

"It's nothing. Please, continue, RayMr. Ray."

After another discerning gaze, Director Ray was convinced her condition wasn’t serious and he proceeded without further interruption.

The project was a comprehensive resort development, massive in scale with countless details to hash out. After Eleanor provided an overview, her design team took over to explain specifics, with Ray's team pointing out any discrepancies on the spot.

Sitting to the side, Eleanor sipped on the lukewarm water her secretary had provided. Swallowing felt like ingesting shards of glass.

Her headache worsened and her fever seemed to be climbing.

She excused herself to splash cold water on her face in the restroom to temporarily cool down. Though slightly more alert, she couldn’t stop the involuntary shivers racking her body.

The meeting continued until just before the end of the workday. Quinn Corporation had arranged for lunch, which Eleanor left her design team to enjoy, accompanied by Ulysses, while she left early.

She doubted her ability to last through lunch; the onslaught of the cold was too much to bear.

Just as she was preparing to leave Quinn Corporation, her phone rang—it was Aaron.

Answering, the voice on the other end was cool and direct: "Come down."
Eleanor felt dizzy and asked in confusion. "What?"

"Meet me in the underground parking lot. Grandfather wants you to join us at the hospital for lunch with Vincent."

Taking a deep breath, Eleanor pressed against the elevator wall. Her eyelids felt hot. She must have heard wrong—what kind of meal could you have in a hospital?

"I know you're done talking. Come down and don't keep me waiting too long." Aaron didn't give her a chance to refuse and hung up the phone.

Fighting off dizziness and frustration, Eleanor wanted to curse Aaron out. This morning's unpleasant departure replayed in her mind, sending a cold shiver through her, more uncomfortable than a cold.

Not ready to face Aaron, she powered off her phone, took the elevator down to the lobby, and planned to hail a cab back home to get some rest.

But as soon as she stepped out of the building, she saw a stretch Bentley blocking her path, its window rolling down to reveal Aaron's stoic profile.

Caught off guard, Eleanor felt a sinking sense of inevitability.

He turned to her with an unreadable voice, "Get in."

Eleanor gave in. It was the best private hospital in Nan City, after all. They'd have enough medication for her cold.

She got into the car and sat across from Aaron, closing her eyes to tune him out.

Yet, her sore throat was producing more saliva, a vicious cycle of pain and secretion.

Swallowing was agony—it felt like her throat was on fire.

Unable to bear it, Eleanor opened her eyes only to find Aaron perusing documents, with several more scattered around him.

Aaron was a busy man, managing the vast Quinn Corporation empire, endless documents to sign, meetings to attend, and trips to take.

He seldom entertained. As the Quinn family's crown prince, few could command his presence.

Eleanor was surprised when he attended the Davis Family summit last time.

Aaron stopped writing, rubbed his temples, and gazed at Eleanor lost in thought, a faint shadow casting over his handsome brows.

Passing through the tunnel, the yellow light cast an eerie glow over his eyes.

Regaining her senses, their eyes met, and she saw his face harden—perhaps still upset about the morning's disagreement.

"Do I need to apologize?" she asked.

His lips pressed into a thin line, flipping a page in his file, his tone icy, "There's no room for negotiation."

With feverish eyes already red, Aaron's words stung, and they grew even hotter. She looked out the window, her head throbbing.

After a long silence, she replied with a hoarse voice, "Fine."