Chapter 75
David had a mountain of work piled up from the past two weeks, but Garrett only brought him the urgent stuff to handle. The rest would have to wait until he got back. Despite the workload weighing on his mind, David was determined to focus on Alice and make her feel better.
Alice, feeling a bit down, asked, "Can we get some Mexican food?"
David took her hand and led her to the elevator. "How about steak instead?"
Alice frowned. "Didn't you say you wanted to make me happy? I just want Mexican food."
David grinned. "Or pasta? I know you like pasta. How about giving it another shot?"
Alice just stared at him, speechless.
The elevator doors opened, and they stepped inside. Alice hit the button for the first floor and said, "If not Mexican, how about barbecue?"
David watched the numbers go down in silence.
"Then seafood? Salmon?" Alice sighed, "Alright, whatever you say."
In the car, after they buckled up, David said slowly, "I think we should just go home."
Alice looked confused. "But I thought we were going out to eat?"
David glanced at her with a small smile. "I just thought maybe we could have a quiet dinner at home. I can cook something special for you."
Alice raised an eyebrow. "You cooking? This I have to see."
Half an hour later, after calling him "Baby" for five minutes straight, Alice finally got to eat some meat. David had prepared a simple but delicious steak dinner.
As Alice began to eat, she couldn't help but think back to her initial hospital stay. The chicken soup Seraphina brought was the only nutritious thing she had, and later, oatmeal became her daily go-to.
At the dining table, David noticed Alice cutting her steak with a bit too much force, like she was taking out all her frustration on it. He took a sip of water and said, "You don't have to go to school tomorrow. I'll take you to the office. If you get bored, bring a book."
Alice was shocked. "Why? I'm feeling better now. I've missed a lot of classes, and I might fail my exams!"
David didn't care about grades. "To make sure you don't make the same mistakes again, I need to keep an eye on you for one more week. For studying, you have Esme's notes and me. Ask if you don't get something."
In short, school? Not happening!
The next day, David took Alice to the office. With a ton of work and his promise to Juniper to fix Paragon Industries Group's deficit, he immediately told Garrett to call a meeting.
With David gone, Alice pounded the sofa in frustration until her arms were sore. She flopped down on the sofa and, in a fit of anger, sent a voice message to James, "David is such a jerk!"
James quickly replied, "Don't get it twisted, you're not that innocent either!"
Alice thought, 'Shouldn't James, as a brother, be defending David right now?'
Whatever, James was boring; Simon was more fun. She sent Simon a smiley face emoji and got a voice message back. Simon's roar was deafening. "Get lost! I don't want to see you! You heartless person! Get lost!"
Before she could respond, Simon sent a photo of himself with an IV drip. His voice followed, softer this time. "Why was I dumb enough to fall for you? You're such a handful, always running around and making my heart race." In the latter part, Simon's voice was filled with pauses and choked sobs.
Despite being scolded, Alice laughed. She put one foot on the sofa, gently rolled up her pant leg, and touched the scar on her calf. The touch didn't hurt anymore, but the uneven texture still caused a slight pain in her heart.
She'd learned her lesson. Just like when she saw Celeste's true colors, she learned to take a step back, not to rush in blindly, not to act like a loyal puppy. Alice covered her shoulder with her hand, her lips pressed together.
After the meeting, David came back to the office, hesitating to speak. His eyes landed on Alice sprawled on the sofa, and he froze.
Garrett followed his gaze and got the hint. "Mr. Tudor, you can just email me your instructions," he whispered and left.
David set his stuff on the desk and walked over to the sofa.
Alice's pant leg was rolled up, showing the scar. One hand was under her head, but her ring and pinky fingers were pinned under her shoulder.
David pursed his lips, gently rolled down her pant leg, and freed her fingers. The movement woke Alice. She rubbed her eyes and asked, "Is the meeting over?"
"Yeah," David replied.
She remembered the money owed to Marcus and frowned. "How much do we need to give Marcus?"
David paused at the word "we," then smiled. "Not much. The rest of the money is more than enough for your needs."
Alice rubbed her sleepy eyes and sat up. David gently fixed her messy hair.
She looked like she was still half-dreaming, like a soft little kitten, unbelievably tender. David's voice softened, with a hint of affection, "What do you want for lunch?"
Alice almost blurted out, "I don't want oatmeal!"
David chuckled, "Then I'll just order something random?"
"Alright." Alice leaned back on the sofa, half-closed her eyes, and watched David busy at his desk.
Garrett came in and out several times, first with the meeting minutes, then to inform David that the lawyer was waiting. David left to meet the lawyer. When Garrett came in the third time, he had lunch in hand.
Lunch was a hot meal from a restaurant. Alice glanced at the closed door, and Garrett seemed to get it. He smiled. "Mr. Tudor will be back soon. You can start eating."
Alice bit her fork, stayed silent for a few seconds, then looked up at Garrett.
Garrett blinked, confused.
Alice softly asked, "Can you tell me? How much did Paragon Industries Group lose? How much is David planning to give to fill the gap?"
Garrett looked troubled. These were sensitive company matters, not for outsiders. But he wasn't sure if this delicate yet special girl counted as an "outsider."
Alice puffed her cheeks and blinked her big eyes at Garrett. He couldn't resist, furrowed his brows, and finally gave in. "Alright, I'll tell you, but you can't let Mr. Tudor know, or I'll lose my job!"
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