Chapter 267 Testing the Waters Upon Returning Home
Quentin knew Noah meant well, but he wasn't about to head back to the company just yet. It was a design firm, and honestly, it didn't light a fire under him.
"Oh, really?" Quentin replied, sounding totally uninterested.
Sophia shot Noah a disappointed look. She thought, 'Is this all he's got to make Quentin see through Lauren? Noah's plan is way too basic.'
She couldn't help but gently suggest, "Quentin, don't be mad. Ms. Walker and Ethan are a thing now. She might have her reasons for acting this way. Perhaps she's having second thoughts, thinking you won't bring Matthew back, so she's trying to hint that you should return him sooner."
Quentin gave a slight nod and said, "She went through all this trouble for that? Must've been tough for her."
Quentin's vague comment left Sophia unsure of what he really thought.
"Quentin, come back soon. I want to see the top-notch Quentin again. Don't make Jessica worry about you," Noah said, clearly pained.
Quentin got up, walked over to Noah, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Don't sweat it."
With that, he walked off, leaving Noah and Sophia staring at each other.
Trying to comfort Sophia, Noah said patiently, "Since Quentin told us not to worry, let's trust him. I believe he won't let us down."
Sophia rolled her eyes in frustration. Quentin's unclear attitude left her wondering how long this would drag on.
Meanwhile, Lauren secretly reached out to Elodie Rodriguez, an intern at Ethan's company. They had studied together before, so they were tight, and Lauren trusted her.
Through Elodie, Lauren found out the company's situation was way more complicated than Ethan had let on. A bunch of well-known designers had joined, including some who used to work at Robinson's Corporation.
Lauren finally believed what Noah had said. Ethan was definitely gunning for Quentin behind her back. But she couldn't figure out why Ethan would do this. Was it just because he couldn't stand Quentin?
In the end, Lauren decided to head back to the States. She didn't want to get mixed up in anything related to Quentin, but since this mess started because of her, she couldn't just ignore it.
Lauren was packing up her stuff in Joseph's studio, getting ready to say goodbye to him again.
Seeing the studio all neat and tidy, Joseph could guess Lauren was planning to leave.
He asked, "You leaving?"
Hearing his voice, Lauren looked up to see Joseph standing at the studio door with a serious look. She stood there awkwardly, forced a smile, and said, "Yeah! Take care, it was nice seeing you."
Joseph sighed and walked in. He said, "I've noticed you've been troubled these past few days. Something going on back home? Don't think I'm out of the loop just because I'm here. I have a lot of students back in the States. If you need help, just let me know. I can still do something for you."
Hearing that, Lauren burst into tears. She felt lucky to have been Joseph's student all her life.
"Mr. Borgia, don't worry. I'm doing okay and there are no issues. I feel like I should have been more helpful to you, but it seems like I've ended up being a burden," Lauren said with a simple smile.
Joseph looked at Lauren with a serious expression and said, "Lauren, if you're set on leaving, I won't stop you. But think about what I said. Ethan might not be your dream guy, but he can be a solid partner. Life's not always about getting what you want. Sometimes, you gotta be content to find happiness."
Lauren nodded, gave Joseph a gentle hug, and said, "Mr. Borgia, I get it. Thanks a lot!"
Joseph smiled warmly, realizing he liked Lauren so much because she reminded him of his late daughter.
The next day, Lauren took off. She didn't tell Ethan she was coming back. When she got to City A, she headed straight to the company. She wanted to see what was really going on and hear Ethan's side of the story.
When Lauren showed up at the company with her suitcase, Ethan was totally shocked. He was over the moon and ran over to give her a big hug.
Lauren awkwardly pushed him away and said with a smile, "Ethan, I'm back!"
Ethan's jaw dropped. He grabbed her hand and said, "You figured it all out? That's awesome, I'm so glad you're back! But why didn't you tell me so I could pick you up?"
Lauren shook her head and replied, "My mom said you were swamped with work. I didn't want to bother you, so I came straight here. You don't mind me making my own decisions, do you?"
Ethan said, "Of course not! I'm thrilled you're back."
Lauren smiled and looked around. She said, "It's been a while since I last came to the company. I've almost forgotten what the design department looks like. Ethan, I want to go say hi to everyone."
As Lauren started walking towards the design department, Ethan panicked and quickly rushed ahead of her.
He said, "You just got back, so you're probably jet-lagged and exhausted. Let's visit the design department later. I'll take you home to rest first."
Lauren's sudden return threw Ethan off because he hadn't figured out how to explain the new designers in the department to her.
He thought Lauren would stay in Pariz for a few more days, so he hadn't prepped his story. He didn't expect her to come back so soon.
Sensing Ethan's nervousness, Lauren felt a bit guilty. She didn't want to make things hard for him, but she had to.
Lauren said, "It's okay. I'm not tired. I miss everyone and just want to say hi. Don't worry."
Ethan's face changed. He pulled Lauren towards his office and said, "Tell me who you want to see, and I'll call them over. That way, you don't have to run around."
Lauren sighed and asked, "Ethan, what's going on with you today? why are you acting so weird today? Why are you stopping me from seeing everyone?"
Ethan was super embarrassed and said, "How am I acting weird? I'm just worried they'll drag you out for a celebration because I've already told them we're together."
Lauren's heart sank. She said calmly, "It's okay. They'll find out sooner or later. And I also want to make an official announcement."
With a big smile, Lauren kept walking, and Ethan, unable to come up with a reason to stop her, could only follow and watch how things played out.
