Chapter 37 37 Lauren's Proposal
Lauren maintained a regular routine, making sure to go to bed by eleven, hoping to promote the healthy growth of her baby, even if it meant doing extra work.
It was only after the lights in Lauren's room went out that Quentin started the engine of his car and drove away.
Back at the hotel, Quentin was restless, still mulling over what Kimberly had mentioned earlier that day. Compelled by curiosity, he had sent someone to look into Lauren's whereabouts. He was conflicted about how to approach the situation with his darlingwife.
For Quentin, Lauren's decision to work was troubling. His ego was bruised by the notion of Lauren concealing her identity at work, Quentin was a traditionalist at heart, and this charade she played grated on him.
He felt a loss of control concerning Lauren. For the past two years, she'd been meek and compliant, never questioning his lurid headlines. Quentin used to relish this but now felt a perplexing sense of loss—a creeping suspicion that perhaps Lauren wasn't as devoted as she once seemed.
Unable to contain himself, Quentin reached for the phone, regardless of the late hour, and called Noah.
Noah was deep in sleep when the jarring ringtone disrupted his dreams. Groggy, he checked his personal cell and saw Quentin's name flashing on the screen. With a hint of confusion, he answered the call.
"Quentin, do you ever let people sleep?" Noah groaned.
Quentin dismissed his complaint, "I need someone from Sales to accompany Lauren to the district tomorrow."
"What?" Noah, still half asleep and taken aback, blurted out.
"Go back to sleep," Quentin said, about to end the call.
"Hold on, hold on, Quentin!" Noah shouted to stop him from hanging up. "Clarify, will you? Why do you want someone to tag along with Lauren?"
"I meant for surveillance, okay?" Quentin said mockingly, though his actual concern was Lauren's safety when she was alone.
"Heh, alright, whatever you say," Noah chuckled as he ended the call.
Quentin thought he could pull one over on him, but this innocent act of his didn't fool Noah. Quentin's transparency was laughably clear to him.
The next day, Lauren skipped heading to the office and went straight to the Sales District. To her surprise, she found Linda there as well.
The Manager beamed at Lauren, "Amelia, meet Linda. Mr. Martin specifically asked for her to team up with you. I'll introduce you two."
Lauren and Linda exchanged knowing smiles as the Manager spoke.
"No need, Manager. We already know each other, and we're good friends," Lauren said cheerfully, delighted that Linda would join her.
"Alright then, you all give it your best effort," he said.
After the Manager left, Lauren immediately walked up to Linda and took her hand, smiling, "Linda, what brings you here? Aren't you Mr. Martin's Secretary? Can you really afford to leave his side?"
Linda's face mirrored the joy, "Amelia, don't worry about that. Mr. Martin personally approved my transfer to work with you. I don't want to be a Secretarysecretary forever—I aspire to stand on the sales floor one day, so this opportunity to learn with you is really thanks to your influence."
In fact, that very morning, Noah had asked Linda to find someone suitable to join Lauren in the sales district. Linda had volunteered herself to accompany Lauren without a second thought, and considering their good relationship, Noah agreed.
Lauren showed Linda around to get her familiar with the environment. As Lauren turned away, a cunning glint appeared in Linda's eyes.
Linda's arrival increased Lauren's fondness for Noah; she hadn't expected the otherwise nonchalant Noah could be so attentive to her feelings. It's true—you can't judge a book by its cover.
Lauren had long considered Linda a good friend, her first and only true friend, which is why she shared all her work plans with Linda without reservation.
"Linda, what do you think of this plan?" Lauren asked eagerly, awaiting Linda's response.
Linda replied with a smile, "It sounds promising, Amelia. I'll support you."
Feeling affirmed, Amelia's confidence bloomed.
"Thank you, Linda. Now that you're here, I'd like to ask for your help to execute this plan."
Linda's smile turned sly, but Lauren didn't notice. "Don't worry, I'll definitely be of great assistance to you," Linda assured her.
Linda hadn't expected Amelia to be so diligent and creative in her work. She realized she had made the right choice coming here. Silently, Linda planted a wicked seed within her heart, simply waiting for the right opportunity for it to sprout and grow.
The two girls spent their days in the Sales District learning and recording information, and their evenings dining out, continuing to discuss work over their meals. This pleasant routine carried on for four days until Lauren's business plan was nearly complete. She prepared for one final revision before she would present it to Noah.
That night, Lauren stayed late, working until she got the amendment just right. Only then did she turn off the lights to rest.
"Baby, I'm so sorry, Mommy has a special mission to complete today; I've put you through a lot," Lauren caressed her slightly bulging belly with affection.
After a dreamless night, the next morning, Lauren got her things together, loaded the flash drive with her proposal, and rushed off to the Robinson Conglomerate.
Feeling a bit anxious, she wondered if her proposal would impress Noah. Although Linda had offered her a lot of encouragement, Lauren still felt some butterflies in her stomach.
Lauren got on the bus on time, but inconveniently, her right eyelid began to twitch. She blinked hard, silently pleading not to be messed with at this critical moment.
Holding the documents in her hand, Lauren mentally rehearsed the well-memorized proposal like a student cramming for an exam.
Finally arriving at her stop, Lauren stepped off the bus with a spring in her step that hinted at her hopeful anticipation. She rode the elevator up to the eighteenth floor and headed to Noah's office, only to find it empty.
"Jenny, has Mr. Martin not come in yet?" Lauren asked a colleague in the office.
"Oh, Mr. Martin did come in, but it looked like he had some urgent business and he called all the department heads from the Sales Department for a meeting," answered the colleague, known as Jenny.
"Oh, thank you!" Lauren didn't dwell on it and went back to her desk to wait for Noah's return.
That wait turned into two anxious hours. Unable to sit still any longer, she texted Linda.
"Linda, what meeting is Mr. Martin in? Any idea when it might wrap up? I've brought the proposal as we planned, ready to present it as soon as he returns. I'm so excited!"
Thirty minutes after sending her message, and with no response, a vague sense of panic began to stir in Lauren, but she couldn't quite pinpoint the cause of her unease.
