Chapter 72: She's My Girlfriend

When the two of them stepped out of the office, the sky had already darkened.
Half the office is empty, with only a few scattered individuals still holding their positions at their desks.
The janitor, carrying a mop and garbage bags, moves back and forth through the empty floors, making shuffling sounds that echo in the deserted building, creating a sense of emptiness as if the show has ended.
Monica followed Steven into the elevator, just as the doors were about to close, they suddenly heard hurried footsteps from outside, "Wait!"
Steven quickly reached out and pressed the button, preventing the elevator doors from closing.
A man rushed over, holding a briefcase in his arm, panting, "Thank you, thank you –"
Before he finished speaking, he looked up and saw the people inside the elevator, and was momentarily stunned.
Monica could clearly feel that he immediately became tense, straightening his back and cautiously stepping into the elevator.
Encountering your boss in the elevator at work is probably similar to how Monica felt when meeting her mentor, and she could understand it very well.
"... Good evening, Mr. Wright,"
Steven politely replied, "Good evening."
The man blocking the elevator doors looked embarrassed, "Sorry, Mr. Wright, can you wait a moment? There are a few colleagues behind, we just finished a meeting and need to catch the bus."
Steven responded with a "Hmm," "It's okay, we're not in a hurry."
“We!”
The man keenly caught onto this word, and his gaze unconsciously shifted to Monica, even though they were far apart and seemed unfamiliar with each other, being alone in the elevator made it difficult not to suspect anything.
Sensing his gaze, Monica pretended to casually look away, and the man also realized his rudeness, awkwardly turned back around and coughed twice.
Quickly thereafter, more hurried footsteps approached the elevator, accompanied by lively and noisy discussions, but after seeing Steven, every single one of them involuntarily silenced.
Their attitudes took a complete turn, showing politeness and greeting, putting away their previous casual demeanor, and entered the elevator in a proper and orderly manner.
As more and more people entered, Monica kept moving back, being forced towards the corner.
Just then, Steven reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her towards him and protecting her behind him before the elevator became too crowded.
Suddenly, everything around them became even quieter.
The elevator doors slowly closed, the display screen lit up with the "full" signal, and in this small compartment, no one could move an inch.
A silence filled the elevator, everyone quietly perked up their ears, some holding their phones in their hands, pretending to be occupied, but their gazes intentionally or unintentionally glanced towards the corner.
The elevator on the 35th floor had never felt so long before.
In the midst of this silence, someone suddenly switched on the loudspeaker for a Facebook voice message, and a surprised female voice sounded, "What the...? Steven brought a woman to the company? No wonder I heard people on the 35th floor talking about it today..."
The words abruptly stopped, and the voice message was quickly turned off.
Clearly, someone was secretly typing and gossiping with their colleagues, and accidentally played the voice message.
It was a complete social death scene.
For a moment, Monica didn't know who was more embarrassed, the other person or herself as the involved party.
"She's my girlfriend."
Steven spoke up at the right time, saving the awkward atmosphere. Monica was taken aback.
He reached down and held her hand, unafraid of any objections, and made a physical gesture with her in front of their colleagues.
There was a rare smile on his face as he said, "I chased for a long time before finally catching her. Please bear with me, as she is a bit shy. Don't scare her away."
Monica accompanied him all the way to the parking lot before she became slightly calmer.
"Who said I'm your girlfriend?" she turned her face away and muttered, "I haven't agreed to it yet."
After Steven finished speaking, she could distinctly feel that their colleagues' gazes towards her had changed.
Envy, surprise, admiration...
Without a doubt, this news would spread throughout Sterling Holdings by tomorrow morning.
"You don't have to make it public so soon," Monica said, "In case we don't work out, or you regret it, you can have another owner for this famous grass of yours."
Steven held her hand tightly in his palm and said, "There won't be anyone else. No matter when, I will only be yours."
The night outside was colorful, and the car merged into the flow of traffic, leaving behind the lamp shadows on the roadside.
At this moment, Eric's call came in, "Are you at home? I'll come pick you up."
Monica glanced at Steven, who was driving, and replied, "What's the matter?"
"Our parents' flight arrives in Siena tonight. I reminded you last time, didn't you forget?" Eric's voice remained casual.
"Tonight?" Monica exclaimed, hastily turning on the speakerphone and checking the calendar.
Annoyed, she said, "Oh no, I messed up!"
"It's okay, it's still time," Eric's voice remained nonchalant, "I just got off work. I'll come home to pick you up later."
With the speakerphone on, Steven naturally heard the conversation.
He held the steering wheel and said while driving, "I'll take Monica to have dinner now. I'll send you the address later. You can come directly to the restaurant, or I can send her to the airport."
There was a momentary pause on the other end of the line after Steven's voice, followed by laughter, "It's only been a few days?"
Monica instantly understood Eric's meaning.
A few days ago, she refused to admit their relationship in front of him, but now they were together again.
She turned to look out the window and covered her face, which was heating up, in an obvious attempt to hide her embarrassment.
The car stopped, and Steven looked at his watch, "We need to be quick; I'll accompany you to eat something to fill your stomach."
Monica grabbed his sleeve, trying to stop him from getting out of the car, and leaned over to hug him.
Steven was a bit surprised but naturally reached out to embrace her waist, pulling her into his arms.
He kissed her lips and touched the skin behind her ear with his fingertips, speaking affectionately with a low laugh, "Why are you so clingy?"
"Is this considered clingy?" She frowned, displeased, "Then you should give up quickly. I'll end up suffocating you in the future."
He touched the back of her head and couldn't help but kiss her again, "I wouldn't ask for anything better. The clingier, the better."
Monica leaned on his shoulder and finally expressed her worry from the bottom of her heart, "My mom is coming back. Before I handle her, let's not meet for now and avoid any trouble."
Steven: "..."
Monica added with sadness, "My mom...she doesn't like someone like you. If we expose ourselves too early, we're all doomed."
After saying that, she kissed him on the lips and assured him, "Be obedient, don't get angry."
At half past nine in the evening, the siblings waited for Mrs. Perez and Mr. Perez at Siena Airport.
Although Mrs. Perez was already in her fifties, she took great care of herself, and her outstanding beauty from her younger years was still visible.
With graceful posture and a composed pace, she exuded an air of superiority.
Mr. Perez followed closely behind her, dragging a heavy suitcase and wearing a gentle smile on his face.
"Dad, mom!" Monica rushed over and affectionately hugged Mrs. Perez's arm. "I miss you so much!"
"Miss me?" Mrs. Perez pointed at her forehead and smiled. "I see you playing and traveling in your circle of friends every day, you've long forgotten what your mom looks like."
After saying that, she glanced at Eric, her expression turning displeased.
Eric smiled and said, "Dad, mom."
"Oh, so you've also forgotten about your mom," Mrs. Perez sneered. "I may be retired, but I'm not dead. How did you make such a foolish decision to acquire IH? When I heard this news in China, I almost got so angry that I wanted to lie in a coffin."
Eric casually slipped his hands into his pockets, showing no concern. "Mom, you don't understand. This is called taking risks for a greater reward."
"What reward?"
"To find a daughter-in-law for you."
Mrs. Perez laughed in anger.
"Using this trick to deceive me again. After all these years, I've seen through you. Every year you lie to me, saying that you'll find someone soon. And the result? You're already 27 this year, and I haven't even seen a glimpse of a woman. You better not try to change the subject this time. The acquisition must have a reasonable explanation."
Mr. Perez quickly stepped forward to mediate, "Alright, alright. The two of you haven't seen each other for a long time. Let's not discuss company matters right from the start."
Monica also joined in, "That's right, mom. Why did you come back so early this time? Weren't you supposed to wait until summer?"
Mrs. Perez's gaze swept over her son, throwing her handbag at him before answering, "Grandpa Liang is about to celebrate his seventieth birthday. After all, he was your grandfather's close friend. Considering the relationship, I have to attend."
"Oh," Monica dragged out her response.
"This time, I guess the Liang family will want to bring up your relationship with Lawrence Liang," Mrs. Perez said as she walked away.
Monica stopped in her tracks, and Eric supported her from behind, patting her shoulder.
"What's the matter?" Mrs. Perez looked at her and smiled. "Didn't you used to say every day when you were little that you would marry your prince charming?"
"That was just nonsense from when I was young. Mom, how could you believe it? And besides, I'm still young, I won't..."
"Alright, alright." Mrs. Perez consoled her in a gentle voice. "I was joking with you. Your lifelong decision is so important, of course, it has to be your own choice."
"Can I really decide for myself?" he asked tentatively.
Eric opened the back seat, and Mr. Perez and Mrs. Perez got in one after another. "Feel free to choose, mom will oversee it. If you can't pass my test, absolutely not."