CHAPTER 116: CHAPTER 116: THE FRUSTRATED BOSS

Hugo Quinn comforted her for a while, only to find that Eleanor Hollis was still sobbing.

He rubbed his temples and realized that when a woman starts crying, she’s even more devastating than an atomic bomb.

"Eleanor, don’t cry."

He said softly, ruffling her hair, "You handled the documents well; it was me nitpicking."

Hugo felt that being a boss to this extent was truly stifling.

Eleanor felt extremely embarrassed, very embarrassed, but in front of Hugo, she couldn’t care so much.

She cried for a bit and then took a tissue from the table to wipe her tears.

"Since the documents are fine, can I leave now?"

Probably because she had been crying, her voice was somewhat hoarse.

Hugo’s mouth twitched; even a fool could see she was angry, very angry.

He grabbed her wrist and sat down on the sofa.

"Are you mad at me?"

Eleanor didn’t speak, but her face clearly said, what do you think?

She served this person diligently for so long, and he just casually had Lan Yancy come pack up his things and leave.

What did he take her for? Coming as he pleased, leaving as he wished.

Eleanor realized she wasn’t upset about his deliberate work-related challenges but rather his silent move, as if she were just an unimportant passerby.

Even roommates who’ve lived together this long would at least say something when they move out, right?

"Mad about what? You think I’m deliberately making things difficult for you?"

Hugo’s eyes showed a hint of tenderness, ending with a slight chuckle.

"Do you know, if it were someone else today, I would’ve fired them already. I had a meeting with another company’s president at noon that required that contract. You went to lunch and forgot to give me the contract, pushing back my meeting. Every minute of mine is money. I waited for you in the office all through lunch. Do you know how much money you cost me?"

However, his earnest explanation didn’t make Eleanor grasp the main point.

She only felt that, in this man’s heart, money was still the most important thing, and because of money, he made things difficult for her like that.

Yes, that’s how women are; they always manage to find fault in what men say.

Eleanor felt very uncomfortable; she knew she was being unreasonable.

Hugo put his arm around her shoulders and started coaxing her, "You made me miss my meeting, so letting you take a bit of a fall is only fair, don’t you think?"

The documents were indeed fine, but the appointed time with the other party had passed.

Under his usual temper, the person dealing with the documents would’ve definitely been let go.

But when the person changed to Eleanor, it was a different matter.

"You..."

Eleanor whispered, and then bit her lip.

"Why did you move out? Is there something I did wrong?"

Hugo raised an eyebrow, thinking that his training had made some progress. So soon, she was already looking for the problem in herself.

He smiled and let her go.

"You told Alice Warren to go after what she likes; because of what you said, she confessed to me. Eleanor, I don’t believe you really don’t know that the person I like is you. You encouraged others to pursue me, what are you thinking? Are you trying to tell me indirectly not to bother you anymore?"

Eleanor truly didn’t think that way. She just couldn’t admit to her special relationship with Hugo in front of Alice.

Besides, she still considered Alice a friend at the time and didn’t want to discourage her enthusiasm.

"No, I just..."

She lowered her head and eventually sighed, realizing her words that day had upset him.

"I’m sorry."

How odd, clearly at first she was the one upset, but after hearing his reasons, it was like she was the one at fault.

Hugo wasn’t the type to drag things out. Seeing Eleanor like this, he gently cupped her face.

"I thought I’d been clear enough already. If you still don’t understand, then I’ll say it plainly. Miss Eleanor, I’m pursuing you. If you realize you like me too, let’s be together. Whatever difficulties the future holds, I’ll face them for you. Don’t be afraid, I’ve willingly initiated this relationship, and I’ll do my best to protect you."

This wasn’t the first time Hugo said something like this.

Eleanor’s mind was in turmoil, her head filled with noise; she had no idea how to respond.

She got up in a panic, gripping the seams of her pants tightly as if that could help calm her down a bit.

Hugo’s face suddenly became a blur in front of her. She panicked, opened the door, and ran out.

Hugo stood there, watching her actions, and after a moment, he slowly smiled.

Eleanor had already returned to her seat, feeling conflicted.

She had always thought she was a calm and rational woman. But if she really were calm and rational, she should have rejected Hugo when he confessed.

At that moment, her heart beat unusually fast. She knew she didn’t want to reject him, yet she was too scared to agree, so she chose to avoid the issue.

She really was a coward.

The whole afternoon, she sat dazed at her desk, doing nothing.

Alice had been watching her coldly since she left the office.

Seeing her dazed as if she had suffered a huge shock, Alice’s lips curled into a mocking smile.

It seemed the boss had harshly scolded her. That instigation the other day really paid off.

After work, Eleanor finally snapped out of it. She lowered her head, packed the documents on the table, then quickly grabbed her bag and headed for the elevator, not daring to glance at Hugo’s office.

Once outside Grandeur, she thought for a moment, then walked a few hundred meters further before finding a bench by the road to sit on.

As an employee of Grandeur, she’d come face-to-face with Hugo often. If this guy came to confess emotionally every day, what would she do?

She was afraid she might just agree.

After thinking for a while, she took out her phone and called Samantha Sullivan, inviting her out for a meal.

In the restaurant, she stared blankly at the chopsticks in front of her.

Samantha propped her head with one hand. She was already halfway through her meal, yet the woman opposite had barely touched her food. What was going on?

"Eleanor, do you have something on your mind? Could it be because of Hugo?"

Samantha was spot on, because she saw Eleanor’s face turn red, then pale, then red again.

"Samantha, what should I do?"

Eleanor really had no solution, or she wouldn’t have been desperately seeking advice from Samantha.

After all, Samantha was always one to relish chaos in the world.

"Did President Quinn pull a new trick, catching you off guard, so you were scared and came to me? I’m so heartbroken; I thought you genuinely wanted to treat me to a meal."

Turns out it was all about a man.

Eleanor bit her lip twice and slowly put down the chopsticks in her hand.