Chapter 34 Mind Games
Lauren buckled up, and then Noah started the car.
Noah cheerfully turned on the radio to ease his guilty conscience. He hadn't actually thought Lauren would agree to his offer for a ride home; he was merely trying to show off in front of everyone but ended up getting outmaneuvered by her.
What now? Noah racked his brains for a plan. If Lauren actually let him drive her all the way home to the Robinson Family villa, it'd be too late to say anything.
The car cruised smoothly down the road when Lauren finally spoke up. "Mr. Martin, aren't you going to ask where I live? Or do you already know?"
There it was—she called him out. Noah gripped the steering wheel tightly, a forced smile on his face. Since he hadn't been completely busted yet, he had to keep up the act.
"I have no idea. But you can still tell me now," he said.
Lauren remained silent, staring into Noah's eyes, trying to decipher whether he was lying or genuinely clueless.
Noah's heart pounded away—it was all he could do towas wait. He'd promised Quentin to pretend he was oblivious to Lauren's true identity, and now, just a few days later, he was about to go back on his word. He chided himself for his haste; the old saying about patience and hot tofu was truly fitting.
Lauren was smart and perceptive. Every minute at the Robinson Conglomerate had her on edge, fearing exposure, anxious that Quentin might discover her pregnancy, afraid of losing her job……
"Ha, why do you keep staring at me? Don’t tell me you've fallen for me," Noah said with feigned composure, trying to lighten the mood.
Lauren pinched her own thigh to snap out of it and responded, "Yeah, I'm completely seduced by your charm."
She felt slightly more relaxed—maybe she was just being paranoid.
If Noah really knew her identity, he wouldn't be joking so casually with her, and Quentin certainly wouldn't allow him to get so close.
Lauren smiled, feeling the weight lift off her shoulders. Perhaps she was really just worrying over nothing.
"Mr. Martin, my place is just around the corner. Could you please stop at the next intersection?" Lauren said.
Since she had guessed that Noah didn't know who she was, there would be no sense in tipping him off. Lauren casually mentioned a location, planning to get out there.
Noah realized Lauren was intent on getting out without revealing more, and he didn't try to stop her.
"You're getting out just like that? You're not gonna invite me in after I’’ve gone through the trouble of driving you?" Noah pouted, as the car slowed down and eventually parked at the curb.
Lauren chuckled, "Not today, I'm afraid. Maybe some other time you can come over, sorry about that."
After saying her piece, Lauren unbuckled her seatbelt and stepped out of the car, "Goodbye, Mr. Martin. Drive safely."
Noah watched her departing figure with a meaningful gaze and murmured, “Quentin, are you really not smitten with her?”
Lauren continued walking towardstoward The Robinson Family villa, taking back roads to keep her movements hidden from Noah.
Arriving back at the villa, it was already dark. Lauren jogged through the gates but didn’’t notice the piercing eyes watching her from inside a parked white Buick.
The next day, rumors were flying about Noah driving Amelia home. Lauren couldn’’t avoid hearing about it, and she was both angry and annoyed. She couldn't understand why such rumors were spreading, and the polite yet distant way people were now treating her was unsettling.
"Linda, could you help me figure something out? It's not like what everyone is saying, there's really nothing going on between Mr. Martin and me," Lauren shared her frustration with Linda.
She was oblivious to the fact that Linda had already taken a dislike to her, and their relationship was no longer as close as it had been.
Linda smiled, but inwardly she thought Amelia was being hypocritical. "But Mr. Martin did drive you home yesterday, and you did take his car, didn’’t you?"
"That was because I needed to ask him about something. You believe me, right, Linda?"
Lauren was anxious and afraid. If she had heard the rumors, Quentin must have known about yesterday's incident too. What would he think of her? Would he be angry or agree to a divorce?
Lauren's mind was in chaos, regretting her impulsive decision to get into Noah's car, which led to this misunderstanding. But how could she explain and stop people from speculating about her and Noah's relationship?
Linda's face betrayed contempt, but Lauren didn't see it.
"I do trust you. But it's not enough for just me to believe; you need to convince everybody. While the company doesn't explicitly forbid dating in the office, Mr. Martin is the company's second-in-command with a promising future. I'm not sure how this situation might affect him," Linda said, her gaze distant, her concern solely for Noah.
"It can't be. This whole thing is a misunderstanding, and besides, we didn't actually do anything wrong!" Lauren could feel the inadequacy of her words, struggling to articulate a defense.
A flash of malice crossed Linda's eyes but was quickly masked.
"Considering you're from the partner company, and you two appear close, what do you think the board at the Robinson Conglomerate will think?" Linda's tone was stern.
Lauren was stunned; she hadn't anticipated the complications. She just hitched a ride; was that a mistake?
"So, what should I do? I don't want to cause trouble for Mr. Martin, nor do I want to affect anyone else."
Linda took a deep breath and said, "Amelia, I'm sorry for assuming the worst earlier. Don't take it to heart. However, if you want to solve this, there is a way."
Hearing this, Lauren saw a glimmer of hope. "It's okay, Linda. Just tell me what I should do."
"You're here from Patrick's Henry's team to learn. If you complete the collaborative task soon, you can return to PatrickHenry. Then you'll have less to do with Mr. Martin and the Robinson Conglomerate, and the rumors will dissolve."
Linda spoke earnestly. She had been wanting Lauren out of the picture for some time; with Lauren gone, Noah would only have Linda.
"That makes sense. But I still have some work to finish. The proposal won't be ready for another couple of days. I promised Mr. Martin to deliver it within a week, but the Robinson Conglomerate is so vast, I have to collect some data personally."
"Don't worry, let me know what materials you need, and I'll do my best to help you."
"Thank you, Linda," Lauren said gratefully, feeling fortunate to have Linda's support at Robinson Conglomerate, otherwise, she would have been utterly alone.
Linda smiled and said it was nothing, although her eyes were filled with cunning. She wanted Amelia to finish her work and leave sooner—the role of leading lady in the Sales Department was meant for Linda alone.
