Chapter 83 Tenderness

As time passed, something quietly began to change. Perhaps Elena herself wasn't even aware that her own heart was slowly accepting Hassan, and Hassan, too, was gradually changing.

Hassan finished his meal but still yearned for more. "This tastes good! You should make this for me every day from now on," he said.

"I bought this!" Elena explained.

"Store-bought? No wonder it's not that great! Tomorrow, you should make it for me with your own hands!" Hassan earnestly suggested.

"But I don't know how to make it," Elena said, considering the unprecedented idea of cooking for him herself.

If only she could change his rough personality, she would gladly prepare meals for him every day.

In the middle of the night, Elena suddenly woke up from a dream and saw that the study door was slightly ajar. The bed next to her was empty; Hassan was not by her side.

Elena recalled the strange incident she had encountered in the study last time. To confirm she wasn't dreaming, she bit her hand and felt the pain. It was real. So, she picked up her phone and got up, heading towards the study.

Before she got close, she heard a low voice from inside.

"Master, I have been investigating, and it seems that someone is deliberately opposing us. Two of our brothers have already gone missing..."

"Investigate further. If they're from the Death God organization, kill them directly..."

Elena silently peeked through the crack of the door. The study was dimly lit, and Nabil stood respectfully next to the desk, his hands neatly placed at his sides.

Hassan was sitting in a luxurious dark leather swivel chair, supporting his chin with one hand while perusing the documents in front of him. His expression was serious and gloomy.

"Miss Walker, you're here!" Nabil's voice suddenly sounded, catching Elena off guard.

With no escape, Elena had no choice but to step forward, awkwardly smiling.

"Master, I'll leave first!" Nabil glanced at Elena and tactfully exited.

"Hmm!" Hassan closed the document in front of him, placed his hands on the chair, and with a mischievous disdain in his charming eyes, he looked at Elena. "Missed me?"

His lecherous demeanor was a world away from his previous seriousness. This man really knew how to change his face.

"...What were you plotting while staying up all night?" Elena entered the room and looked around, touching here and there.

"What are you looking for?"

"Oh, last time in this study, I found a mechanism that seemed to lead to an underground basement with an elevator... Strange, why can't I find it now? Tell me, where is the mechanism?" Elena's words were interrupted as his arm wrapped around her from behind. His attractive face blew hot breath against her neck, and his large hands firmly held her ample bosom, kneading it.

"Darling... How about we go at it one more time?" Before Elena could even struggle, he lifted her up and placed her on the deep red mahogany office desk. Files, books, and small ornaments on the desk were all pushed to the ground.

He lifted her nightgown above her belly and passionately kissed her...

Elena blushed, sinking into a mix of shyness and desire.

Intoxicated by his kiss, she felt herself melting. Her hand rested on his strong waist as the two became one.

Under the night sky, illuminated by this passion, everything became enchanting...

Mayo Clinic

The first ray of morning sunlight streamed into the director's office. William, wearing a white doctor's coat, was buried in a pile of papers. There was a cup of coffee on his desk, steaming hot.

"William, don't forget to drink your coffee! I'm leaving!" Chloe brought him breakfast early in the morning before heading to work.

William looked up and politely smiled, "Hmm, thank you."

Chloe smiled and said, "It's just something I should do! From now on, I'm your girlfriend, and I'll take care of your diet."

William responded with a light smile, "Go on, then."

Watching Chloe leave, he rubbed his forehead, his eyes deepening.

Elena, I won't let you be troubled.

"William... Director!" Elena's sweet voice rang out.

Startled, William thought he was seeing things and looked up.

Elena was wearing a plain dress, smiling as she looked at him. He stood up, astonished.

"Have you changed your mind?"

"Yeah, I was wondering if you still have an opening here."

"Of course we do!" William couldn't contain his excitement, stumbling over his words a bit.

"Good. I'm here for an interview."

"Alright, let me make a cup of milk for you."

William stood up and walked into the small kitchen, quickly bringing back a cup of warm milk. Forgetting that Elena had just called him "Director", he placed the cup in front of her, smiling. "Consider this an exception for today. Tomorrow, this will be your job."

Elena smiled in relief and took out the prepared documents from her bag, placing them in front of William. "Director, here's my resume. Please have a look."

William carefully reviewed it and put her information into his own folder.

"From now on, you are a member of Mayo Clinic. Your job is to assist me, help me handle these documents, and... I've compiled the detailed job description in a separate document. Take a look at it first. If you have any questions, you can ask me. Your desk is over there, right?"

Elena followed his direction with her eyes, and there was a small glass partition on the other side. Inside, a newly decorated small office with a comfortable desk and chair awaited. Everything was brand new and in order, just like his style.

She felt an overwhelming excitement and didn't know what to say. Had he already anticipated that she would come? Or perhaps he had always reserved a space for her, regardless of whether she joined or not.

"Great!" Taking the document he handed her, Elena walked into her office. All the files were neatly organized and categorized; everything was clean and tidy, just like his work style.

Elena looked at him gratefully as he looked back at her through the glass, his gaze deep and warm.

At that moment, Elena's heart started beating faster. She still loved him, unable to control herself whenever she was in his presence.

Forcing herself to look away, she sat down and started reading the documents he had left for her. The tasks were all simple, just helping him with some basic paperwork, scheduling his work calendar, and keeping records.

From these tasks, it was clear that his life was quite monotonous, with hardly any personal time apart from work.

After Elena entered the office in the morning, he received a major surgery. She hurriedly helped him put on sterile attire, gloves, and a cap! Several times, she almost dropped her cap.

"I'm sorry, I'm always clumsy!" She apologized with a silly smile.

In his gaze, she could never stay calm.

"It's okay! You're doing your best!"

His gentle voice gave her endless encouragement.

"Wish you success!"

"Mmm, wait for me!"

Until noon, she hadn't seen him come out of the operating room yet. The answer she received was that he would be out in about half an hour. She ordered a sumptuous lunch for him outside and braved the blazing sun to bring it back.

"Don't move, there's still bloodstains here, let me help you..."

As soon as Elena entered the office, she saw two figures standing very close together, and it was already too late to avoid them.

Awkwardly, Elena appeared before William and Chloe, holding the lunch box.

Chloe stood on tiptoes, wiping the blood off of William's forehead. It was common for bloodstains to splatter during surgeries. William couldn't wait to come out as soon as he finished the operation and forgot to wipe his forehead.

However, due to wiping away the bloodstains, they ended up standing very close to each other. Upon hearing footsteps, William instinctively tried to push Chloe away, but Chloe firmly held onto his hand.

Turning around with confidence, Chloe looked at Elena, who was stunned. "Elena, what a coincidence, we meet again."

Elena keenly observed William and Chloe's tightly held hands, feeling awkward and shrugging.

"I won't disturb you."

About to turn around and leave, she realized she had nowhere to escape to. This was her office, and she was already William's assistant.

Turning back again, she smiled at William. "Director, I ordered lunch for you. Please enjoy it while it's hot!"

"Sure!" William smiled and was about to take the lunch.

Chloe let go of his hand. "William, I reserved a table outside. Let's eat there! Packed food is not healthy. Thank you, Elena."

"No need to thank me. It's my duty to do these things."

"These won't be your duties anymore."

Faced with Chloe's haughty attitude, Elena felt a little lost.

"Oh, I forgot to mention..."

"Let me tell you. I am now William's girlfriend, and it is my responsibility to come over and have lunch with him every day..."

"Alright! Chloe, let's go!"

William interrupted Chloe and dragged her out by her hand.

In the office, only Elena was left alone.

Bitterness filled her heart like a flooding river.

Chloe had already told him that she had a boyfriend, a very dominant one, and he had no reason to wait for her anymore!

Elena should be happy. William was no longer alone, and he wouldn't bother her or cause her any trouble in the future.

But why was her heart still so sad?

From a distance, William and Chloe walked intimately together. Both of their faces were filled with a happy smile.

Elena was surrounded by a deep sense of loss.

William used to say that, no matter what happens, he would always be her support.

But now, these words seemed so empty and impossible...