Chapter 265 Testing
Just as Lauren was trying to figure out why Noah was hitting her up, he cut to the chase with a frosty tone.
Noah said, "Ms. Walker, since we go way back, I hope you can keep it real with me."
The last time she saw Noah, he was all smiles. Seeing him this serious and harsh was a total curveball. Clearly, something major had gone down.
Lauren asked, "Mr. Martin, what's going on? I don't get what I did wrong."
She was freaked out, not 'cause she thought Noah was there to settle a score, but after the whole Jessica mess, she was scared of screwing up big time again.
Noah's tone softened a bit when he heard Lauren's polite response.
He said, "Ethan used Quentin's family drama to mess with his company. Now, our company's in deep trouble and might not make it. Even though this company isn't a big deal to the Robinson Conglomerate, it means a lot to us. Ms. Walker, did you know about Ethan's plan?"
Lauren was floored by Noah's first sentence. She thought, 'Ethan went after Quentin's company? What's this all about? Why would Ethan do that?'
When Noah asked if she knew beforehand, Lauren was totally speechless. She stayed quiet, not sure if spilling the truth would make Noah trust her.
Noah heard the silence on the line, and his heart sank. He thought, 'Is Lauren really in on Ethan's revenge?'
"Forget it," Noah sighed.
Since Lauren and Quentin had a major fallout, and she was now with Ethan, it made sense she'd back Ethan. Noah was just an outsider in their drama; why should he care?
Noah's disappointed tone made Lauren feel super guilty. She blurted out, "Mr. Martin, I..."
But Noah cut her off before she could finish.
He apologized, "I'm sorry. I was out of line. I hoped you could help us out, but I forgot you're with Ethan now."
His words dripped with sarcasm. After saying goodbye, he hung up before Lauren could respond.
Lauren stared at the disconnected call, feeling confused and wronged. She thought, 'Yeah, I'm with Ethan now. I share in his ups and downs, so no matter what, I'm tied to his actions.'
Lauren snapped out of it and wanted to call Ethan to ask what Noah was talking about. But after two rings, she hung up.
No, she couldn't do that. Even if Noah misunderstood her, she couldn't just go questioning Ethan. Otherwise, she'd be no better than those who hurt others without thinking.
As Lauren put down her phone to sleep, it rang again. It was Ethan.
She had no choice but to answer, "Hey, Ethan."
Ethan's cheerful voice came through the line. "Lauren, were you trying to reach me? Sorry, I was stuck in a meeting. You heading back soon?"
Lauren perked up and replied seriously, "No, I'm still learning design stuff from Mr. Borgia. I thought about your company's situation and wanted to call, but I didn't want to bug you."
Ethan was puzzled. He thought, 'It's like 2 AM in Pariz. Is she really still studying?'
But then he felt happy. 'If Lauren's thinking about me in the middle of the night, I must be pretty important to her.'
"Yeah, everything's cool at the company. Even though you took off suddenly, we hired some experienced designers. With them around, you can chill and enjoy your vacation," Ethan reassured her gently.
He didn't catch on that Lauren was fishing for info. Lauren frowned, sensing something was off. She knew the company's situation well. Even though she'd been on leave for a few days because of the Jessica thing, the company couldn't have stabilized that fast. It was too fishy.
But Lauren stayed calm and continued, "Ethan, why didn't you tell me about hiring new designers? Wasn't it tough to find people with the Robinson Conglomerate's influence? Did someone set this up?"
Ethan looked out the window, pleased that Lauren cared so much, but he didn't want to spill the beans just yet. The timing had to be right.
"Lauren, it's true. I didn't tell you 'cause I didn't want you stressing about the company. Enjoy your trip; I've got everything else covered. By the way, have you decided when you're coming back? Don't forget to bring us some gifts!" Ethan laughed, trying to lighten the mood.
Lauren smiled faintly and replied, "I'll be back soon. Mr. Borgia still needs my help with a few things, so maybe we can touch base in a few days."
She knew she wouldn't get the answers she wanted from Ethan, so she ended the call after a few more words. But she knew she wouldn't sleep that night.
Noah was restless. He regretted calling Lauren. He had hoped she could solve the problem, but now he realized how foolish that was.
He thought, 'Lauren had cut ties with Quentin and didn't even show up at Jessica's funeral. How could I expect her to help? Ridiculous.'
The more Noah thought about it, the more frustrated he got. He was upset on Quentin's behalf. Feeling down, he went to a bar to drink. Unexpectedly, he ran into Sophia there.
Since Jessica's funeral, Sophia had tried multiple times to visit Quentin at the Robinson Family Villa, but George always turned her away with various excuses.
Sophia was convinced it was all Quentin's doing. She just couldn't wrap her head around it, considering how hard she had worked and planned to keep Quentin close.
