Chapter 453
Chapter 453
Chapter 453 Sneakiness lurking in the shadows
The clay pot on the dining table was still emitting steam with a gurgling sound, and the air was filled with the enticing aroma of chicken broth.
Leah felt immediate regret the moment the words slipped out of her mouth.
That sounds like a tantrum.
Although she was genuinely upset about what Han did to her last night, the tone in which she spoke sounded like she was being coy and dramatic.
Han gave her a sidelong glance and quipped, "Still have the energy to nitpick, do you?"
The ambiguous tone and veiled warning in Han's words silenced Leah instantly, and she lowered her head to eat in silence. It was as if she had been reminded of something she'd rather forget.
"Carlotta, I have a company party tonight and will be camping out. Can you stay at home by yourself?"
Carlotta hung her head dejectedly, her eyes turning red as she said, "Okay, mommy. As long as you can spend more time with me on weekends in the future..."
Leah's heart ached as she saw Cutie's exhausted expression. She quickly put down her utensils, hugged her close, and kissed her. "I promise," she said.
At this moment, she didn't even feel like going to the party anymore.
Serena has been feeling quite down lately, and when she finally had the chance to enjoy herself and have some fun, she knew she had to go all out and stick with it no matter what.
Han frowned and asked, "Where are you going?"
Leah replied vaguely, "Um... just going to hang out together, it's a company gathering, mostly with girls."
She emphasized that it was a gathering of mostly girls, fearing that Han might follow her.
Fortunately, Han didn't say anything, but furrowed his brow and drank his coffee.
Leah felt reassured and went to work.
Today is not particularly busy with official business, as most of the focus is on the internal design competition within the company.
To ensure fairness, Leah also participated in the design competition.
After half a day, the competition came to an end.
When Leah returned to her own office, Serena had already collected all the work from the competition participants and was waiting for her inside.
"Sarah, I've looked at the newbies' works and there are a few outstanding ones, but compared to you, they are still a bit weak in terms of skill."
"Any plans on how you're going to proceed from here?"
Leah was also somewhat hesitant: "Let's have the reviewer take a look at all of these first. We can decide once all the results are out."
When she recruited these people, many of them asked her if they could represent the company in the International Design Tournament a month later if they had the ability.
Most of them are aiming for international tournaments. If they find out that they don't have a spot to participate this time, they may quit.
She did want to keep those few excellent designers.
But this tournament is also very important for Dream Designs…
Leah's head was throbbing with all the thinking, so she decided to stop.
Late in the evening after work.
Serena organized a trip to Mount Fiadh with four veteran employees of Dream Designs and a few new employees who were willing to go camping.
As they reached the foot of the mountain, Leah suddenly felt an intense sense of danger creeping up behind her, but when she turned to look, there was nothing there.
She couldn't shake off the feeling of unease in her heart.
Leah's heart started to race as she looked around at the pitch-black forest surrounding her.
Despite being told by the park staff that there were no dangerous animals in the woods, Leah still felt like she was being stalked by a venomous snake, causing shivers to run down her spine.
"Serena, I have this strange feeling that something isn't right. Maybe we should go back..."
Before Serena could reply, the female colleague next to them interrupted with a laugh, "Come on, Ms. White, are you afraid of ghosts or something?"
"It's the age of science now, there's no such thing anymore!"
Leah had no choice but to go along with them.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.
Just as they laid out a big piece of camping carpet on the ground, laughter from men nearby suddenly interrupted their peace.
Leah and Serena both had sour expressions on their faces when they saw Han, Mr. Wright, and several other unfamiliar men.
Serena glared at Mr. Wright with frustration and anger as she exclaimed, "What are you guys doing here!"
Mr. Wright, with an expressionless face, revealed a slight smile upon seeing her. "Our company happened to be camping here as well," he said.
Leah glared at Han and tightened her lips. "You did it on purpose."
This can't happen by coincidence!
Han didn't deny it and admitted openly, "Yeah."
He sat down next to Leah and asked, "What are you playing?"
Leah was feeling frustrated and didn't respond to him.
One of the girls in the group enthusiastically interrupted, "Mr. Howard, we're playing Truth or Dare! Do you guys want to join us?"
Leah felt a twinge of discomfort as she noticed the girl's gaze linger lovingly on Han's face.
Leah and Serena were about to decline the proposal of playing together with the boys, but the boys had already come over, acting familiarly.
"Sounds great, the more the merrier!"
"Truth or Dare, right? No lying allowed!"
As a result, what was originally meant to be a company activity became an inter-company social event.
Leah and Serena were now obliged to play even if they didn't want to.
Serena had a deadpan expression the whole time, looking like she couldn't be bothered: "Truth."
She had lost earlier and chosen the truth.
These guys were good at reading the room, and knowing Mr. Wright's feelings for her, they asked, "Do you have a crush on anyone?"
Serena answered with a straight face, "No." She was very decisive in her response.
The men were momentarily stunned and looked sympathetically at Mr. Wright, as if to say, "That's tough. She must not have liked you because you've been hanging out with the boss for too long and don't know how to attract women!"
Mr. Wright remained silent.
If it had been a few days ago, he would have surely felt upset. But now he has come to terms with it.
It's not surprising that he can't win over a girl when even his boss can't get the girl he wants.
Han sat quietly next to Leah, unaware that he had become the source of Mr. Wright's change in mood.
He gave a chilly side glance towards the back, with one hand hovering near the spot where his gun was in his pocket.
Looks like tonight is going to be even more lively than I thought, with so many bugs lurking in the shadows.
Coincidentally, Leah lost her turn at this moment.
She was afraid that her little secret would be dug out, so she chose dare instead.
"Wow! Choosing a dare at this hour takes some courage! Well then, why don't you take a walk to the cemetery mountain at the back!"
"... The cemetery mountain?"
Mountain?
Seeing her confusion, a man kindly explained, "Yeah, it's the place we're playing at. Just walk 500 meters back and you'll get to the cemetery."
Leah was completely stunned, but she had to follow through with the dare since it was already in motion.
Just as she turned around, resigned to her fate, her hand was grabbed by a warm and large hand.
"I'll go with you."
Han's offer to accompany her immediately triggered a chorus of murmurs and whispers among the onlookers.
"Oh my god! I knew there was something fishy about this CEO wanting to camp on top of the mountain! So this is why!"
"Ben, is this our future sister-in-law?"
As Han and Leah walked further away, the sounds of teasing and laughter from behind slowly faded into the distance.
Her nerves were on edge and she was almost clinging to Han. At that moment, she felt incredibly grateful that he was there.
"Be careful, someone is watching us in the dark."