Chapter 364 Always Flirting Around
"Your stomach hurts? Did you skip dinner?" Sharon asked, her voice full of concern.
"I had a bunch of meetings today and got too busy to eat. It's happened before; I'll be fine soon," Seb replied, shrugging it off.
Sharon frowned at his casual attitude. "How can you be so careless? If you keep this up, you'll end up with a stomach ulcer. There's a pharmacy downstairs. I'll go grab you some medicine," she said firmly.
She quickly headed towards the elevator.
Seb grabbed her arm, looking a bit helpless. "Really, there's no need. I've dealt with this before," he insisted.
She shook off Seb's hand and said coldly, "Experience? Experience with stomach pain? If you don't take care of yourself, it's only going to get worse."
Seb then stayed silent.
Seeing that he didn't respond, Sharon softened her voice. "Give me five minutes."
This time, Seb didn't stop her. He just watched her until she disappeared from sight.
In less than five minutes, Sharon came back, panting, with not only the medicine but also some water and bread from a convenience store.
"Take the medicine now. Once your pain eases, eat some bread," she instructed.
Her cheeks were flushed, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead and nose. Seb's breathing tightened.
He reached out to take the water and medicine, lowering his eyes. "Thanks."
Seeing Seb take the medicine, she handed him the bread. "Remember to eat the bread later, and make sure to eat on time next time."
"Okay," Seb agreed.
Seeing him comply, Sharon nodded in satisfaction. "I'll head home now."
"It's late. Let me drive you back," Seb offered.
"No need. I drove here. You should get some rest now." Sharon replied.
Back in her car, Sharon suddenly remembered she hadn't told him how to take the stomach medicine. She took out her phone and sent him the dosage and duration.
Seb quickly replied: [Okay.]
Sharon put down her phone, started the car, and drove away.
Early the next morning, while she was on her way to the company, she got a message from Ariana.
Ariana: [Sharon, what's going on between you and Mr. Smith? Everyone in the company is talking about this photo!]
Soon, she sent over a photo.
Sharon opened it and immediately recognized it as the moment from last night when Seb grabbed her hand as she was about to buy him stomach medicine.
She frowned and sent Ariana a voice message.
"Where did this photo come from?" Sharon asked.
Ariana: [I don't know. I heard people talking about it as soon as I got in this morning. They're saying awful things, like how you have a boyfriend but are still getting close to Mr. Smith.]
The original comments were even worse, but Ariana didn't dare to repeat them, fearing Sharon couldn't handle it.
After reading the message, Sharon pursed her lips, told Ariana not to worry, and focused on driving.
Upon arriving at the company and entering the elevator, Sharon noticed the strange looks people were giving her. The men eyed her lecherously, while the women looked at her with scorn and disdain.
Sharon's face showed no guilt or panic. She remained calm, as if she hadn't noticed the stares at all.
Soon, the elevator reached the seventh floor, and Sharon stepped out.
As the elevator doors closed, she heard the voices of those inside.
Someone whispered, "That's her. She is indeed pretty, no wonder she can play two men at once."
A voice remarked sharply, "What's the use of being pretty if all she does is flirt around? A woman like that will only end up a joke!"
As she moved further away from the elevator doors, the sounds behind her gradually faded away.
Sharon walked towards the lab. As she turned the corner, she saw Ariana waiting for her at the lab entrance.
"Sharon, you're finally here. Miguel saw the photo earlier and started badmouthing you. Jake almost got into a fight with him," Ariana said, looking worried.
"What?" Sharon's expression changed. "They didn't actually fight, did they?"
After spending some time together, Sharon knew Miguel was like a snake, lurking in the shadows and waiting to strike. Given Miguel's nature, if a fight did break out, he would likely stand there and let Jake hit him, then he would call the police. If Miguel called the police, Jake wouldn't be able to stay on the project.
Seeing the worry in her eyes, Ariana quickly said, "No, I stopped them. Jake has calmed down now."
Hearing this, Sharon let out a sigh of relief. "Good thing you stopped them."
After the last incident, Jake had become much more composed, but Sharon still feared he might act impulsively because of her.
"Sharon, what's the deal with that photo? I believe you, but others might easily misunderstand," Ariana said, her voice filled with concern. After all, in the photo, Seb was indeed holding Sharon's hand.
Just as Sharon was about to speak, her phone suddenly rang. Seeing it was a call from Seb, Sharon wasn't surprised. He must have heard about the photo too.
"I need to take this call," Sharon said, walking to the railing and answering the phone. "Mr. Smith, you're calling about the photo, right?"
Seb's steady voice came through. "Yeah, I'll handle it. Don't worry."
"How do you plan to handle it?" Sharon asked. After all, Seb had indeed grabbed her hand to stop her from buying medicine, and that was hard to explain away.
"Leave it to me," Seb replied.
Seeing he didn't want to elaborate, Sharon didn't press further. After hanging up, Sharon put away her phone and walked back to Ariana. "Don't worry. Mr. Smith said he'll take care of it."
After thinking for a moment, Sharon decided to explain. "Last night after work, I ran into Mr. Smith. He had a stomachache, so I was going to buy him some medicine from the first floor. He tried to stop me and accidentally grabbed my hand. I shook it off immediately, but I didn't know someone took a picture of it."
"I understand," Ariana said, nodding. Having worked with Sharon for years, Ariana was now a fan of hers. She believed everything Sharon said and didn't believe Sharon would lie to her.
Sharon and Ariana walked into the lab together, seemingly oblivious to the stares around them. Sharon headed straight to her workstation.
Miguel smirked and said mockingly, "Some people usually act so proper, but it turns out they are quite skilled behind the scenes. Even Mr. Smith likes them."
Ariana glared at him. "Miguel, if you don't need your mouth, donate it to someone who does!"
Jake, standing nearby, sneered. "With a mouth like that, no one would want it even if it was free. They'd probably feel unlucky!"
Ariana and Jake's words made Miguel furious. But soon, Miguel smiled again. "Jake, do you like Sharon too? Why else would you be so quick to defend her?"
Jake's fists clenched involuntarily as he glared at Miguel. "Say that again!"
Miguel was about to speak when Adeline's raised voice interrupted. "Look at the company group chat. Mr. Smith just posted."
Seb: [This morning, a photo of me holding hands with our research staff member, Ms. Roach, has been circulating within the company, leading to many false rumors and unwarranted ridicule towards Ms. Roach. As the CEO, I must clarify the facts.]
Seb: [The photo is real, but it shows me trying to pursue Ms. Roach, who was rejecting me, not us being in a relationship as rumored. I deeply regret the impact this has had on Ms. Roach and sincerely apologize to her.]
Seb: [Additionally, the company is a workplace, and employees should focus on their work rather than spreading baseless rumors and gossip. I hope this matter ends here. Anyone continuing to spread rumors or ridicule Ms. Roach will be terminated.]
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