Hearing those words, Bianca managed a small smile, feeling a bit more at ease.
“Achoo!”
Maybe it was the afternoon rain, but by evening, Noreen’s head felt foggy and her limbs heavy. The symptoms of a cold were impossible to ignore.
Dr. Lynwood had warned her that her immune system was shot, and it clearly wasn’t just an exaggeration. These days, her body seemed unable <i>to </i>withstand even the slightest chill or downpour.
Not wanting Rosalind to worry, Noreen slipped out into the hallway, stifling one sneeze after another. She couldn’t stay away for too long though, <i>so </i>after a quick trip to the pharmacy for some medicine, she returned to the hospital room.
Rosalind looked even more fragile than usual, her face almostpletely drained of color and her body wasting away. The sight made Noreen’s heart ache in a way she couldn’t put into words.
For as long as she could remember, her mother had been the only family she had. She’d never met her father–didn’t even know who he was. As a child, she hadn’t understood; when ssmates teased her about being the daughter of a “nobody,” she’de home in tears, begging Rosalind to tell her where her father was.
Rosalind would just hold her close, rocking her gently and whispering, “Noreen doesn’t need a dad. As long as you have your mom, that’s enough.” To Noreen, her mother was her whole world. Whatever happened, she had to hold up that sky–for her mother’s sake and her own. That had always been true, and it still was.
The next day was Friday. Noreen didn’t go to work, nor did she bother to call in sick. Her mind was nowhere near thepany anymore. She’d already decided to leave Aurelion Group, so none <i>of </i>their rules seemed to matter.
Rosalind’s biopsy results finally came in. Thankfully, the tumor was benign. Noreen felt a small wave of relief.
Larson exined that Rosalind’s underlying conditions were severe, which meant the surgery would be far riskier than usual. The team of specialists might not even be willing to take on such a difficult case.
Noreen’s worry surged up again. She told Larson that even if the odds were slim, she still wanted to try.
16:29
ter 42
Meanwhile, Sophia crept nervously into Seth’s office, clutching a stack of documents. Seth didn’t even nce up, but just as she was about to make her escape, his voice cut through the silence: “Where’s Secretary Gilmore?”
“She’s not in today,” Sophia blurted, not daring to hide the truth.
Seth’s brow furrowed, his handsome features icing over with a chill that made Sophia forget to breathe.
But in the end, he said nothing more.
As soon as she left the office, Sophia couldn’t help but clutch her chest, her heart pounding. She’d nearly been scared to death by the “Grim Reaper” himself!
She darted into the bathroom and quickly called Noreen.
“Noreen, howe you didn’te in today?” she whispered.
Noreen paused, then asked, “Did Mr. Harcourt ask about me?”
“He did, but that’s all.”
Noreen figured he’d just asked out of habit. After all, she’d been his go–to assistant for seven years–her sudden absence was bound to feel strange.
“I have some things to take care of. I won’t being in for a few days,” Noreen
told her.
“Should I let Mr. Harcourt know?” Sophia asked.
“No need,” Noreen replied. There was no point.
With both of them still technically at work, Sophia didn’t dare linger on the phone. They exchanged a few more words and hung up.
Setting her phone aside, Noreen focused on preparing the medical files for the team of specialists. She barely had time to wonder whether Seth cared about her
absence.
It was nearly midnight by the time she finished organizing everything. Rubbing her aching neck, Noreen nced at her phone and realized it was already after twelve.
She’d had her phone on silent while working, and only now noticed the notifications piling up on WhatsApp.
Opening thepany group chat, she saw someone had tagged her.
It was Seth.