Putting the fruit on the soft carpet, she sat cross- legged to play with Tommy, who was focusing on piling the blocks into a huge ship.
He would keep playing even as Abigail fed him slices of fruit, not sparing time to glance at her.
Abigail did not impose and looked on as she waited for Diarmuid.
It was not until eleven that he finally came home, unbuttoning his sleeves as he said, “I need to tell you something.”
Abigail was just about to tell him about Erin and James Cross, but she paused when she heard him.
“What is it?” she asked.
Diarmuid said, “I have to take a trip to Franconia.”
He just received word from Stan Hill that Harvey Gooding had been found.He happened to have work to do over at Remy as well, so the trip was inevitable.
“I might have to travel to Minerva too, so I’m not sure how long it’d take.”
“Work?” Abigail asked.
Diarmuid mused to himself for a couple seconds and said, “Yeah.”
He did not mention Harvey, leaving Abigail to think that he really was busy.It was not surprising that James would not ask Diarmuid for leave…
But were they really so busy that they would not have time for a wedding? Having money gets things done, however.
Maybe they could just arrange for everything first, and then all it takes was for the bride and bridegroom to show up at the wedding hall! Erin could decide on the details herself, too—she did not have to work, so she had all the time she needed.
Helping Diarmuid out of his jacket, he said, “I ran into Erin today.”
Diarmuid narrowed his eyes, but he did not react otherwise.
Abigail watched his reaction as she said, “She’s pregnant.”
Diarmuid looked up then, so she asked, “She wants to get married, but James said he only has time to get their marriage registered, but not for a wedding.Are things busy at work now?”
Diarmuid knew what she meant right then, and he asked, “What do you want me to do?”
“Give James time off for a wedding,” Abigail quickly said.
“I mean, if things aren’t too busy…”
“Got it.I’ll discuss it with him.”
“Actually, what do you think about Erin?”
Abigail asked, trying to probe Diarmuid’s standpoint, or if he considered Erin his sister.
Diarmuid leveled her a cool thing.
“What are you getting at?”
“I mean, under what capacity are we going to attend the wedding? As the bride’s family, or the bridegroom’s friends?” Diarmuid said nothing and headed toward Tommy’s room, but Abigail told him that he was asleep.
Pausing then, he said, “Just do as you see fit.I’ll check on Tommy.”
He entered Tommy’s room anyway, but Abigail smiled—even if he refused to say it, he was probably willing to accept Erin as his sister.
The next day, Abigail arrived at her office to find everything tidied up, with every document labeled by type and sorted on top of her desk, making reading convenient.
Finn Crowe then appeared with dark circles under his eyes.
“Satisfied?”
“Good work,” Abigail said, giving him a good look.
Finn pursed his lips.
“I didn’t get to sleep.” Abigail said nothing.
She quickly changed into coveralls and took a piece of paper out of her bag, and gave it to Finn.
“Inform everyone that we will be having a meeting at three, and purchase everything listed here.Get them before three, and bring them back to this building without anyone knowing.” Finn frowned.
“Everything on this list? And why without anyone knowing? I’m no thief.”
Abigail sat down and took out one of the documents.
“You’re not— I’m not telling you to steal, and I’ve already transferred you the money.”
“I’m your assistant, not your errand boy.Helping you would be for work—not as a lapdog.”
“Yes, you are my assistant, meaning that you should be assisting me.I need everything in that list, so what’s wrong with having you get it for me?”
To Finn, it somehow sounded both right and wrong at the same time.
“So? Aren’t you going to do it? If you fail, that just means that you don’t even have what it takes to be an assistant.”
“It’s 3 PM, right? It’s still morning right now, so that makes almost a day.Why can’t I get everything? Just watch.”
As Finn headed outside he was grumbling, “I’ll get it done even if I don’t eat.”
Abigail smiled, finding him ever amusing.Soon, it was 3 PM, and time for the meeting…
No one arrived at the conference room punctually, but Abigail was not puzzled.She would be if they actually came on time without trying to mess around.
That was when the door to her office suddenly opened, and Finn entered, wheezing, “It’s done.”He barely made it.
“Good work.You can take a break now,” Abigail told him.
“Just bring the stuff to the conference room when I text you.”
“Okay,” Finn nodded, but turned around just as she was about to leave.
“By the way, when are you going to forgive me? I really don’t want to be your assistant —I mean, I don’t mind how difficult my work gets, because I won’t complain.You, on the other hand, are just making me run personal errands for you.”
Abigail put down the document she was holding.
“Patience.Your time will come.”
“When?” Finn pressed.
Abigail simply glanced at the clock on the wall.
“Just take a break for now.The meeting is starting soon.”
“Meeting?!” Finn exclaimed coolly.
“What meeting are you talking about? Meeting yourself? I walked past the conference room on my way here—no one was in there.No one cares about what you say.”
“Have you ever considered that you talk too much?”
Abigail made a face.
Finn shrugged.
“Just stating facts.They don’t like you, and you won’t even let me say that now…”
“That’s enough,” Abigail growled, impatient now.
“Good luck!” Finn said, shooting her a look before leaving and closing the door behind himself.
Abigail rubbed her temples —it was as if none of them were willing to grant her respite.
After sitting for a while, she straightened her coveralls and did some stretches before heading to the conference room.
There was still no one inside when she entered, and it was not until half past three when the rest finally came in, one after the other.
None of them appeared to be paying attention even though they were late, using silence and perfunctory attitudes as a way of defiance.
Abigail was not in a hurry to speak, however, and simply idled in her seat like they did.
“Everyone is probably hungry now, right? I’ve brought tea and snacks.”
She texted Finn then, and he entered, distributing everyone’s portion.
It took him almost a day to get all that because they all had different tastes, and everything he bought catered to all of them.
Naturally, it meant a long-distance journey for Finn just to get some, so he was no different from a logistics worker, running everywhere across the city.
It would be no exaggeration to say that he suffered more thana pizza boy.
And now, everyone around the meeting table did not dare say a word, because they felt as if Abigail had leverage against them.
“I took your respective tastes into consideration, or is it not satisfactory?”
Everyone traded glances, as if wondering how much she actually knew about them. How did she find out about tastes too?
“Aren’t you violating personal privacy here?” someone asked.
And with someone taking the lead, everyone else promptly joined in.
“What he said!”
“You investigated us without our consent! We demand you take responsibility!”
“Do you have evidence that I did?” Abigail asked unhurriedly.
Silence ensued, so Abigail continued, “You’ve all been working here for a while, and know each other well enough.I could tell because I’ve been working here too, and I just have to pay attention from time to time if I want to know you.For example, Raven there likes her coffee pressed, which is made by mixing boiled water and coarse ground coffee beans.It’s purer and tastes stronger.”
Leveling her gaze at the woman sitting on the row to her right, she asked, “Or am I wrong?”
Raven Yew had certainly been constantly at odds with her, and the one who just suggested that Abigail violated everyone’s privacy.It was only natural for Abigail to name her.
Though Abigail’s gaze was nonchalant and her expression impassive, it projected a pressure regardless.
Everyone then quietly turned toward Raven, who lowered her gaze.
She was just discussing pressed coffee with a colleague last month and had explained the production process when her colleague asked.
Being named by Abigail left her feeling cornered.
Abigail did not push here, however, and instead smiled and asked, “Well, do any of you know how I take my coffee?”
Before anyone could respond, Abigail spoke.
“I like my coffee sweet,” she said, pointing at the black coffee before her.
“I appreciate coffee since it keeps you awake, but not its excessive bitterness, which is why I always add in milk or sugar.Anyway, I just learned yesterday that someone important to me has malignant arrhythmia, and everyone would probably be aware that it could kill at any moment.I’ve always believed that our job is to save lives, and from a certain perspective, it makes our job more noble than a regular doctor’s.After all, we develop parts that would save a life, so I don’t get it…how did such a noble workplace become so vulgar?”
After she had spoken, everyone else became much quieter.
Even those who disliked her had to agree—their mission was to develop technology that could keep a heart going.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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