As soon as I found a parking lot, a bolt of lightning struck and rain began to pour. I initially thought the rain wouldn’t be heavy and carried the lunch box with me while I headed toward the Featherstone Corporation building. But when I finally made it after a sprint, I had gotten fully drenched.
The dark skies lit up whenever lightning struck. The bad weather didn’t seem to be stopping any time soon.
A group of passersby was taking shelter right at the entrance when I squeezed past them to make it into the lobby.
Having learned my lesson, I didn’t approach the reception but pulled out my phone to give Anthony a call.
Several missed calls showed on my phone screen, all of which were from Anthony while I had been in the rain. Before I could call him back, the phone rang again. I moved aside in order not to block the path and answered it.
“What happened?” His deep voice sounded hurried as if he had been anxious.
Watching the heavy downpour outside, I said distractedly, “Nothing.”
All of a sudden, an ear-splitting clap of thunder rang out, so deafening that the surroundings shook.
Through the phone, Anthony coaxed in a low, soothing voice, “Don’t be afraid, I’ll be right there.”
“Mr. Featherstone, this will—” It sounded like it was Joseph beside him.
“Postpone it!”
Standing in the lobby, I froze, momentarily forgetting to move. “Are you in a meeting?”
“Mm,” he hummed in response. When another clap of thunder sounded, he spoke again, “I’ll be home in fifteen minutes.”
It seemed he remembered that I was afraid of thunders. But having lived through R Province’s unpredictable weather for four years, I had long gotten used to it—having spent many nights embracing Summer through them. Although I was still scared, it was no longer a crippling fear.
Hearing his anxious tone, I couldn’t help but assure him in a light voice, “I’m alright, you—”
Before I could finish my words, he had come out of the president’s personal elevator and zoomed through the crowd hastily. His typically refined and imposing self was sweating in a panic.
His good looks never failed to make him stand out in the crowd.
Lowering the phone, I headed toward his direction and fell into his embrace, my arms finding their way around his waist. I leaned against his chest and said, “I’m alright. I don’t fear the thunder.”
It had been years since. Witnessing him being so worried caused my heart to clench.
Surprised by my unexpected appearance, he pulled me in and gave me a tight hug. But when I returned to my senses, I couldn’t help but be embarrassed as I recalled that this was the Featherstone Corporation lobby and I had dashed into his embrace in the presence of everyone.
My face flushed when I lifted my head and realized all the pairs of eyes that were staring at us. “I was bored alone at home so I brought you some fruits.”
He chuckled, tucking a stray of hair of mine behind my ear as he held me. “Let’s go to the office and eat them then.”
Under the gaze of others, I entered the elevator with him, sighing on the inside. Gossip was bound to spread within the Featherstone Corporation’s employees in no time.
Joseph had been teetering anxiously when we reached the office area. At the sight of Anthony’s return, his face broke into a wide, relieved grin. “ Mr. Featherstone, will you speak with the Starlight Group? Mr. Parker is exceptionally difficult. Since they initiated the meeting, they must be planning to collaborate with the Featherstone Corporation.”
As he was only an assistant, all he could do was make suggestions.
I had already known he was in the middle of a meeting. Seeing as Joseph had asked, I turned toward Anthony and said, “I’ll wait for you in the lounge.”
He glanced at the weather outside, seeing that the rain had reduced to a drizzle. Turning his head back to me, he lightly tapped me on my nose and said, “All right. I’ll be back very soon.”
There were two floors dedicated to his office. With the meeting room being on the other, I headed into the visitors’ room.
Approximately five minutes later, Joseph came in with some fruits and tidbits. “Mr. Featherstone doesn’t usually eat these, so there aren’t too many of them in the office. Feel free to have whatever you like while you wait.”
As it had been years since we last met, I had a distinct feeling that Joseph was no longer as small- minded as he was before.
Smiling, I accepted them with both hands. I was aware Anthony didn’t like eating fruits. If it weren’t a must for him to eat them, he wouldn’t have touched them at all.
Therefore, not having fruits nor tidbits in the office was very normal.
About twenty minutes later, Anthony returned and saw that I had peeled the fruits on the table but hadn’t eaten them. He furrowed his brows. “You didn’t like it?”
I shook my head, picking up a piece of fruit with a toothpick before holding it by his mouth. “I was waiting for you.”
He reached out to cuddle me, looking slightly apologetic. “The meeting later could take a while. Will you be bored alone here?”
I knew he was busy. This trip was meant as a stroll with no intention to disturb his work. With a smile, I said, “Not at all. I’ll go fetch Summer from school later.”
He nodded, planting a kiss on my forehead. Feeling slightly fatigued, he held me and shut his eyes to take a short rest. No words were needed to be spoken between us. As time passed, our love had integrated into the little details. Mutual understanding, care, and tolerance between each other were the crux to spending a long life with your partner. To rip into each other’s throats would only end in tragedy.
When Joseph knocked and entered, Anthony had already been asleep for an hour. He studied Anthony’s closed eyes and steady breathing. In a hushed tone, he said, “He’s asleep?”
I nodded. “Is it time for the meeting?”
He hummed in response, lifting his wrist to check the time on his watch. “There’s another meeting in M Country ten minutes later. Mr. Crest has just arrived,” he said with urgency.
Mr. Crest?
“Jared Crest?” I asked instinctively.
He nodded.
Didn’t he say he was going to W City for development?
“If you’re tired, then rest in the lounge,” Anthony said, his voice slightly hoarse. It took me a second to realize he had awoken and was smoothing out his clothes.
With no concern of our presence, Joseph said directly, “The company in M Country has sent all the information to me. Mr. Crest has handed both the hospital and film matters to me. As of now, everything’s on stand-by for you for handover.”
Anthony stood up after taking care of his clothes. “Everything that’s handed over from Jared, pass them to Joe. Let Joe handle them.”
“Got it.”
Seeing as he was about to leave, I stood up and called out, “Wait!”
He smiled as he watched me walk toward him. “Can’t bear for me to leave?”
I shot him a playful glare and chuckled. “Your hair’s tousled and your necktie’s slanted.” I lifted a hand to fix them.
He smiled. “Jared’s about to go to W City. The handover work is complicated, so it’ll likely take some time. If you need anything, look for Joseph.”
I nodded my head and pushed him forward. “Go!”
Rushing for his meeting, he left without another word. I decided to read for a bit in the office as I was bored.
Suddenly, I could hear the noises of an argument outside. Curious, I got up to see what the commotion was about.
It turned out to be Nancy whom I hadn’t seen in a long time. She looks different today. Her hair is a mess and she looks haggard. Although she’s dressed in branded clothes, they always look cheap on her for some reason.
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.
Leave a Reply