Chapter 42 A Subtle Shift
With her pleas falling on deaf ears, Linda could only leave Noah's office, utterly dejected.
Lauren followed the crowd out when suddenly, Linda charged at her, gripping her shoulder and refusing to let go.
"Amelia, you vicious woman, I won't let you get away with this!" Linda screamed.
Lauren, intimidated by Linda's abrupt aggression, went pale. A few well-intentioned Department Heads, out of respect for Linda's gender, attempted to persuade her to release her grip, but to no avail. The bystanders could only stand awkwardly, watching.
The commotion drew a curious crowd, and Quentin, stone-faced, made his way over.
He closed the distance with long strides, prying Linda's hands off Lauren.
"Got a death wish?" he asked coldly.
Desperate, Linda looked at Quentin, her body going limp as she started sobbing.
"Have security throw her out," Quentin commanded coldly, not even sparing her a glance.
Up until now, Lauren had never experienced such a direct confrontation and was genuinely scared. Was Quentin, the man she still loved deeply, also the one she yearned for support? Seeing him right beside her, she instinctively clung to his arm in a daze.
Even though Lauren said nothing, Quentin could feel her helplessness and distress. For once, Quentin, who usually detested physical contact, didn't push her away.
Their intimate gesture shocked the onlookers, their jaws nearly hitting the floor.
After a moment, Lauren regained her composure and quickly let go of Quentin's arm as if she had received an electric shock.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry, Quentin. I was out of line," Lauren quickly apologized with a distant demeanor.
Quentin grunted in acknowledgment, his usual indifference returning to his face as he left once again.
After the plagiarism scandal had been effectively addressed, Lauren was selected to spearhead the implementation of the plan.
Lauren worked with dedication, hoping everything would go as smoothly as she anticipated, allowing her to leave the Robinson Conglomerate soon and return to her own place.
However, something felt odd in Lauren's heart. She kept thinking about what Quentin had said in the office that day and the way he had looked at her.
She had guessed that the initial decision to fire Linda had been Quentin's command. It wasn't something that required the CEO's intervention. She felt vain, vainly believing that Quentin had done it for her.
Therefore, Lauren felt she owed Quentin a thank you. Whatever his reasons, the outcome had been favorable for her.
After some thought, Lauren decided against it. Quentin probably wouldn't care about someone's gratitude, especially not coming from her. It was best for both of them if she reduced her presence to a minimum.
The next day, aided by other employees at the Robinson Conglomerate, Lauren found some married men to film a short video. She took on the role of Director, instructing them on what to say and do, and the work progressed smoothly.
Nonetheless, something struck Lauren deeply during the shoot.
One of the men shared his love story with his darling, which echoed Lauren's own situation. The girl fell for the boy first, they married without love initially, and the woman secretly had a baby. However, they ended up finding love, while she continued to struggle.
"Honey, I love you. You've done so much for our family, and it took me so long to realize your worth. Please forgive me. We'll definitely make it," the man said with emotion, and he seemed to be the type with a reserved nature who rarely expressed his feelings.
Lauren envied this man's wife; all her efforts were noticed and appreciated. But when she thought about herself, only the word "pitiable" seemed fit to describe her situation.
Quentin might never realize how great she is, might he? No matter what she does, it seems impossible to make him fall for her. They're like two parallel lines that appear to intersect from a distance but they'll never actually meet; they're just two ships passing in the night.
Tears were welling up in Lauren's eyes when the guy at the neighboring desk reached out with a tissue for her.
Embarrassed yet chuckling, Lauren said, “Sorry for making a spectacle.” Crying and laughing at the same time, she looked utterly heart-wrenching.
The male colleague watched her with tender eyes, his affection almost spilling over, but the oblivious Lauren remained unaware. Quentin, who had just come by for an inspection, caught this interaction and was instantly furious, striding toward them with anger.
As soon as Quentin entered the room, all eyes were on him. He approached Lauren with a stern face and said, “You're here to work, not to engage in romantic chit-chat.”
Lauren was bewildered by Quentin's words; when had she been wooing anyone?
The male colleague hung his head low, not daring to look at Quentin and Lauren after Quentin's reprimand.
Quentin's dominating presence was like that of someone protecting his own possession, sending a clear 'keep away' signal to everyone. His fierce glare sent the male colleague scurrying away.
Lauren didn't think much of it; she just assumed Quentin was picking on her as usual. She nodded politely and got back to her tasks, unwilling to give Quentin any reason to fault her.
Watching Lauren walk away left Quentin feeling an emptiness inside. He couldn't understand why he was suddenly so drawn to her.
God knows when he heard that Lauren was downstairs making a video, he couldn’t sit still in his office and had to go see for himself, only to witness that scene.
Quentin found it bizarre. Lauren was just a petite woman, barely noticeable; how could she capture a man's interest? It was laughable, yet he couldn't take his eyes off her.
The weekend came in a blink, and Lauren, being over three months pregnant, planned to go for her prenatal checkup. So, on Saturday morning, she skipped breakfast in preparation for a blood test and hurried to the hospital.
While waiting in line at the hospital, Lauren received a call from Hannah.
“Lauren, it’s been ages, darling. Are you free for dinner tonight?”
Hannah's voice was heavy with anticipation. She had been calling Quentin for several days, eager to set up a dinner with him and Lauren to play matchmaker. Today, Quentin had finally agreed. Bursting with excitement, Hannah couldn't wait to get Lauren on the phone to tell her to get ready.
Lauren had been missing Hannah too, so she happily agreed to the plan. She would finish her prenatal checkup and then head over to the Robinson Estate.
"Sure, Hannah, I'll definitely be there tonight," Lauren assured her.
"Great, great, great," Hannah replied with a laugh that hinted at more than she said.
