Chapter 492 - 488
Perched on the toilet, she could have died from embarrassment. Her period had arrived two days early this month.
Holly Wood held Leon Lynch’s blue suit jacket in her hands, completely at a loss.
She could make do with tissues for now, but what about the bloodstain on her pants?
’I’ve never been so embarrassed in my life.’
After she’d been sitting there for a few minutes, his voice came from outside the stall door. "Are you planning on staying in there forever?"
"Leon... what do I do? I can’t come out."
He chuckled from the other side of the door. "Just wait a moment. I’ve already sent someone to buy you a skirt."
Hearing this, Holly finally felt a sense of relief.
Ten minutes later, a bag was tossed over the top of the stall. "Here, the clothes are inside. Get changed. I’ll wait for you out here."
"Mm," she replied, her voice barely a whisper.
She opened the bag and found that not only was there a skirt, but he had also thoughtfully included underwear and sanitary pads.
A blush spread across Holly’s face, making her cheeks burn.
She quickly got changed.
The skirt fit her perfectly.
She opened the stall door, and her eyes met his.
"This is so embarrassing..."
He took the suit jacket she offered him and smiled. "What’s there to be embarrassed about? Just be a little more careful next time. Besides, since you were with me, I was the only one who noticed."
Holly nodded and gestured to the skirt. "How much was this?"
He retorted, "Are you trying to pay me back? There’s no need. You don’t have to pay me for something I bought for you."
"But I still owe you money from before, don’t I? I thought I could pay you back for everything at once..."
He was clearly getting angry. He pulled her into his arms. "Your boyfriend bought this for you, so you don’t need to pay him back. As for that other money, I told you a long time ago not to worry about it. If you’re going to be this formal with me, does that mean you think of me as an outsider? Or do you just not want to owe me anything so it’ll be easier to break up with me later...?"
Holly became flustered. "That’s not what I meant! Okay, fine, whatever you say. If you don’t want me to pay you back, it’s a relief for me, honestly. I’ve never once thought about breaking up with you. It’s not because you’re rich. I like you for *you*."
He ruffled her hair. "Good, as long as you know. Holly, there are so many people in this world, but very few who find someone they can truly love. It’s not easy for two people who are right for each other to meet. You love someone, but they love someone else... things like that happen all the time. We need to take this seriously."
She nodded, stood on her tiptoes, and boldly pressed her lips to his. Leon turned, deepening the kiss, and the two began to kiss passionately and recklessly right there in the women’s restroom.
Two or three female employees walked in to use the restroom and were clearly stunned speechless by the sight.
The two of them pulled apart. Holly’s face was no different from a tomato, and she clutched the bag of clothes, unsure of what to say.
Leon, however, was completely unfazed. He simply took Holly by the hand and led her out.
"That was President Lynch, right? I’m not seeing things, am I?"
"No, that was real."
"President Lynch is actually with Holly Wood..."
"I’d heard the rumors, but I thought they were fake. I can’t believe they’re true..."
"That Holly Wood sure has her ways..."
"..."
He led her upstairs and straight back to his office.
He closed the door, and their unfinished kiss resumed.
Holly was left breathless from the kiss, hardly daring to look at him.
"Holly... you’re just like a hibiscus flower..." His voice was husky.
"A hibiscus flower? What’s that like...?"
"A gentle beauty... Holly... Right now, I want..." He trailed off.
Holly’s gaze suddenly dropped, and what she saw made her breath catch in her throat.
"You..."
Leon’s hand caressed her cheek, his voice low. "Do you trust me?"
"Of course."
"Holly..."
"Leon, if you want..." She didn’t finish her sentence. Instead, she stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck, an act that gave Leon all the encouragement he needed.
He lifted her into his arms and carried her into the adjoining lounge.
One could only imagine what was going through Holly’s mind. She had never been intimate with anyone before and was a little scared, unlike Leon, who was far more experienced.
As he laid her on the bed, the innocence in her eyes made him exhale slowly, and he froze.
"When you’re a little older..."
She tried to steel herself. "Leon, I can... I’m willing to give myself to you..."
"Aren’t you afraid I’ll be irresponsible, just like other men...?"
Holly said firmly, "You won’t... Maybe your past reputation wasn’t the best, but just from the way you loved Nora for so many years, I know you’re different now. I trust you. And even if... even if things don’t work out between us, I won’t regret this."
Leon suddenly laughed. "But, Holly, we both seem to have forgotten... your period just started..."
Holly froze for a moment, then burst out laughing. "Haha, how could we be so forgetful... I mean, that was just now..."
He stroked her head. "Actually, I didn’t forget. I was just testing you."
Holly sputtered with laughter before throwing herself into his arms. "You’re unbelievable..."
"I saw how eager you were to be with me..." he said, his eyes twinkling with mirth. "So impatient..."
Holly playfully pounded on his chest. "Stop talking! You’re embarrassing me to death."
"Alright, now. Since your period started, you don’t need to work. Don’t come in until it’s over. Or hey, why don’t you just quit and hang out here with me every day? Just seeing you around puts me in a good mood."
"No," Holly refused. "I want to support myself with my own work. I’ll take today off, but I’ll be back at work tomorrow."
"Okay. Your pay won’t be docked. I’m giving you paid leave."
In a rare, coquettish moment, Holly gave him a peck on the cheek. "Mwah. Thanks, Leon."
He carried her back out into the main office area.
He set her down on the sofa to read while he began to work.
Sierra Ainsworth had arrived here from Valeria.
She was impersonating Nora Ainsworth until her sister came back.
With her there, Aaron Sterling had to endure the torment of lovesickness, video-calling her every day.
The two children adored their young aunt and had even made Monty her companion.
Sierra had been scared out of her wits the first time she saw Monty, but he clearly meant no harm, and she gradually grew to like him. In the days since her arrival, Sierra spent her time helping the two children with their homework, all the while hoping her sister would succeed in rescuing their mother and return safely.
She was full of praise for Dylan Grant’s academic abilities.
She would sit in on the three children’s lessons, often finding their childish antics left her not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
To this day, aside from a few trusted individuals, no one knew that the real Nora Ainsworth was gone.
Even Quentin’s parents and Jean Grant were in the dark.
Jean Grant hadn’t been able to get a meeting with Quentin Grant. Lately, Nicholas Ainsworth hadn’t given her any new tasks either, focusing instead on actively trying to have a baby with her.
This made Jean feel a little more at ease.
For the past few days, they hadn’t used any contraception, hoping she would get pregnant as soon as possible.
She knew that after having had three abortions, getting pregnant again might be risky.
At noon, Jean Grant returned to the Grant family home.
Mrs. Grant had suddenly collapsed in the garden and was now on an IV drip. Jean knew that Quentin Grant would surely come home because of it.
Sure enough, as soon as she arrived, she saw her brother, whom she hadn’t seen in ages.
Jean first went to check on her grandmother before returning to sit on the living room sofa.
"It seems your grandmother’s health isn’t as robust as it used to be. She’s getting on in years."
Quentin asked, "Should we have her admitted to the hospital?"
"The family doctor said she’s stable for now. Let’s just wait and see. We can take her to the hospital if things don’t improve."
Jean chimed in, "Mom’s right."
Her mother shot her a glance. "If I hadn’t called, you two would’ve never come home. Why didn’t Nora come?"
Quentin said, "Isn’t it enough that I’m here? Nora is busy."
Although his mother was annoyed, she didn’t press the issue.
"Grandma collapsed. Even if she’s busy, she could at least come back to see her, right? She couldn’t even be bothered to show her face," Jean said, full of complaint.
Quentin stood up. "I’ll have her come back when she’s free. I still have work at the office, so I’m leaving."
"Hey, Bro, what’s the rush?"
Quentin gave her a cool glance. "What is it?"
Jean smiled. "I’ve called you so many times but couldn’t reach you. Bro, I’m so bored lately I could die. Can you find something for me to do at the company?"
Quentin replied, "You studied medicine. What could you do at my company? Tell you what, since you’re so bored, I’ll arrange a nursing internship for you at a hospital. You can go give that a try."
"A nurse?" Jean shot back. "How much does that even pay?"
"You’re just bored at home, this is to give you something to do. Besides, are you hurting for cash?"
Their mother agreed. "I think your brother has a point. You should look into working at a hospital."
"I want to work at the family company, not be a nurse."
Quentin threw up his hands. "Then my hands are tied. Our company requires a bachelor’s degree at minimum. You have an associate’s. Even as my sister, you’d need the qualifications to get a position. Your major isn’t even relevant. You want me to make an exception for you? Think of all the gossip it would cause."
"Yes, your brother is absolutely right," their mother added. "Jean, just stop making trouble. Do you even really want a job? I’m not convinced."
Left with nothing to say, Jean tried a different angle. "Bro, what if I clean your office for you? How about that?"
"Even if you were willing, I wouldn’t let you. My sister, cleaning my office?" He turned to leave. "That’s enough. I’m going to work."
Their mother nodded.
Jean watched him leave, then stomped her foot in frustration.
"Don’t you be defiant, Jean. I think your brother was right," her mother said, then paused, her expression turning serious as she stared at her daughter. "You refuse a nursing job but insist on cleaning his office... Jean, you aren’t planning to do something to hurt the Grant Group, are you?"
Jean immediately shot back, "Of course not, Mom! I would never do something like that."
"Let me make myself perfectly clear," her mother warned. "Jean, if you dare to do anything that harms the Grant Group, I swear I will disown you."
Jean’s heart clenched, and she forced an awkward laugh. "Mom, what kind of person do you think I am? I’m your own daughter. How could I possibly do something like that? You’re letting your imagination run wild."