CHAPTER 435: HIDE THE MARK

A few days later:

Roger had made a full recovery and resumed his duties as Lucius’s secretary.

During the lunch break, he joined Aiden and Demitri in the company cafeteria. The three of them sat together at a corner table with their meals in front of them.

"You look like someone just kicked your puppy," Roger remarked, scooping up a spoonful of rice.

"Trouble in paradise?" Aiden added with a teasing grin as he twirled his fork for the pasta.

Demitri let out a small sigh. "No, it’s nothing like that. Nora’s thinking about switching jobs."

Roger paused, his spoon halfway to his mouth. "Really? Did she get a better offer somewhere else?"

"Not yet. She might apply to a few places, but nothing’s guaranteed," Demitri replied, his tone uncertain.

Aiden raised an eyebrow. "So you’re down because she might not get the job?"

Demitri shook his head. "No... I’m upset because she’s doing it because of me," he replied.

"What do you mean?" Aiden confusedly glanced at him. Roger carried the same expression as him.

"The front desk staff has been unfriendly to her from the start," Demitri began, pushing his tray slightly forward. "They think she got the position because she knows me, which isn’t true. And on top of that, they believe she shouldn’t be dating someone in a higher position."

"They still treat her like that?" Aiden’s brows shot up in disbelief.

Demitri nodded slowly. "Yeah. Not all the time, but... there are moments. They make passive remarks, ignoring her, making her work life harder than it should be."

"That’s ridiculous. You’d think they’d at least be careful knowing the chairwoman runs this place," Aiden muttered.

"Exactly why I don’t want Layla to know," Demitri said quickly. "If those staff members end up getting fired or transferred, Nora will assume I had something to do with it. She’s proud and wants to stand on her own."

Roger tapped his fingers thoughtfully against the side of his bowl. "People like that are just bitter. They see someone doing well, and their first instinct is to tear them down instead of leveling up themselves. They are simply jealous of Nora."

Then, he leaned in slightly. "Why don’t you talk to Nora? Remind her that she doesn’t owe anyone an explanation, and that the opinion of a few jealous co-workers isn’t worth sacrificing a good job over. As for the front desk crew... I think Boss could handle this discreetly."

"You mean Lucius?" Demitri asked, raising an eyebrow.

Roger gave a sly smirk. "Exactly. He won’t let that kind of toxic behavior fester, not when it affects the company environment. And the rumors they’ve been spreading? That’s grounds for disciplinary action."

"True," Aiden chimed in. "If Boss steps in, no one would even know where it came from."

Demitri hesitated, then let out a sigh. "I just don’t want Nora to feel like she’s being protected because of me. She’s worked so hard to prove herself."

"And she has," Roger said firmly. "But sometimes, standing up for someone doesn’t mean shielding them. It means clearing the path so they can keep walking forward with their head high."

"Then it’s decided. We’re talking to Boss," Aiden said, setting his fork down.

Demitri still looked uncertain, staring at the table for a moment. He knew Lucius well. If anyone could deal with a situation like this without causing a scene, it was him.

"...Alright," Demitri eventually nodded. "I’ll speak to him once work wraps up today."

"Perfect," Roger said with a grin. "I’ll give Boss a heads-up so he’s not caught off guard. That okay with you?"

"Yeah. Thanks," Demitri replied sincerely. "Nora was so happy when she got this job. She went through a string of rejections before this opportunity came along. I don’t want her to give it up just because of a few toxic coworkers."

Roger’s expression softened. "You’re doing the right thing. She shouldn’t have to fight this battle alone."

Aiden nodded. "And she won’t. Not while we’re around."

Roger picked up his spoon again. "Now, let’s eat before this food turns into leftovers."

The three of them chuckled lightly and returned to their lunch.

~~~~~

Layla stretched her arms when the door suddenly opened. Startled, she lowered her arms but got relaxed the next moment upon seeing Lucius.

"What’s in that box?" Layla asked, rising to her feet.

"Your favorite cupcakes," Lucius said.

"You’re spoiling me at work," Layla replied, smiling as he set the box on the desk. She rested on the desk’s edge, her hands moved to his shirt on the waist to hold it as her head rose to meet his gaze.

"Well, I love to pamper you," Lucius whispered, his lips brushing against hers before giving her a feather-like kiss. They smiled before Lucius ducked his head down and sucked the skin of her neck.

"Lucius!" Layla glared at him with a mischievous smile as she gently pushed him away. "You’re not supposed to leave a mark. I’m still at work."

"You can hide the mark with your hair," Lucius murmured against her lips. His eyes flicked between hers and her parted, rosy lips before he closed the distance between them once again.

Layla responded by nibbling gently on his bottom lip, and soon, their kiss deepened while involving their tongues.

But just as the moment turned heated, the door creaked open, making them both jolt slightly.

Lucius instinctively turned around, his expression hardening for a second before softening when he saw who it was.

Aiden stood at the door, guilt written all over his face. He quickly averted his eyes and raised a hand apologetically. "I—I’ll come back later."

"No," Layla said quickly, stepping away from the desk and tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, trying to gather her composure. "Lucius was just about to leave."

Lucius glanced at her briefly with a subtle smirk on his face, but he said nothing as he straightened his shirt.

"Yeah, I was going to leave," Lucius stated, putting his hand into the pocket of his trousers. "Make sure to eat them," he told Layla.

As he brushed past Aiden, Lucius leaned in slightly and whispered, "You really came at the wrong time."

Without waiting for a response, he walked off, shutting the door behind him with a soft click.

By the time he reached his office, an amused chuckle escaped his lips. Still smirking, he set the picked up a file from his desk, flipping it open. His eyes scanned the contents, details of the project Roderick had been handling.

Just then, Roger’s voice came from behind.

"Boss, Roderick wanted to discuss about the project with you. He stopped by earlier," Roger reported as he stepped inside.

"What did he say?" Lucius asked, his eyes still fixed on the file. His fingers tapped absently against the paper as his mind remained half-occupied with Layla, and half with the document.

"He mentioned needing your final approval on the revised design layout. He said he’s made a few major changes and didn’t want to proceed without your go-ahead."

Lucius finally looked up. "Where is he now?"

"He went to the planning department. I can let him know you’re ready to see him."

Lucius gave a small nod. "Tell him to come in five minutes."

"Understood, Boss," Roger replied and walked out.

As Lucius settled on the chair, he clasped his fingers together while leaning on it in a relaxed posture.

Exactly five minutes later, Roderick was in his uncle’s office with Roger.

Lucius gestured to the seat across from him. "Why did you feel the need to change the design plan?" he asked directly.

Roderick sat down and responded calmly, "Uncle, after reviewing recent feedback from medical consultants and hospital staff, I realized the original layout didn’t prioritize patient flow and emergency accessibility as efficiently as it should. The revised design improves movement between critical departments like ER, ICU, and radiology, cutting down response time in emergencies. It also adds more natural light to patient rooms, which studies show can aid recovery in a much better way. I made the changes to enhance both functionality and patient care."

Lucius glanced down at the file again. "That’s a solid reason," he said after a pause, tapping a finger on the page. "You’ve improved, Rick. I’m impressed that you didn’t come with lame excuses in front of me," he said, clearly pride flowing in his eyes for Roderick.

He picked up the pen and put his signature on the document. Forwarding it to Roderick, he said, "I know this project is going to be the most successful one."

"I hope so," Roderick said with a warm smile as he took the file from Lucius.

As he took his leave, Roger gazed at Lucius with inquisitiveness.

"I know what’s in your mind. That how come Rick changed and why I allowed him to handle such a big dream project of my brother," Lucius said.

Roger nodded his head.

"Well, he wants to do something for his father. I don’t want to stop him from fulfilling Antoine’s dream. After all, he regretted the most for never doing anything that could fill Antoine with pride when he was with us," Lucius said.