Chapter 1000

Chapter 1000 Where Is Daphne?

“No way!” A look of disapproval crossed Sonia’s face as she hastily kept refusing.

Daphne was visibly shaken as she stood anxiously behind the lounge door and firmly grasped the door handle with both hands. It was obvious that she was resisting. So, she had to quickly stop Charles from entering the room by blocking the door while thinking that Sonia should give it her all and prevent Charles from entering.

Sonia’s rejection had only fueled Charles’ suspicions as he eventually asked, “Sonny, are you keeping a lover inside, which is why you won’t let me look?”

“What?” Sonia’s lips quivered into a questioning twitch as she answered, “A lover? Am I the kind of person that does that?”

“Explain why you’re blocking my entry if that’s the case.” He rolled his eyes.

“It makes no difference why. I said no.” Sonia’s arm was still outstretched to block his way.

“Could you be anxious because Toby is in the room? That’s not right. If he’s your man, there’s no need to keep him from me. To top it all off, he is a jealous man. If I’m here now, he’ll be out in an instant. So, Sonny, who are you hiding behind closed doors? Are you doing something that might upset Toby?”

“Do you believe it is possible?” She rolled her eyes and let out a long sigh.

“It’s impossible,” he replied as he shook his head.

“That’s it,” Sonia stated flatly.

“Why won’t you let me in if you aren’t trying to keep a lover hidden inside and haven’t done anything that would cause Toby any harm? Who is it that you have hidden inside? Why are you acting so suspiciously?” Charles asked while pointing to the lounge that was located behind her.

“I won’t reveal who’s inside, but I can tell you she’s a girl. She felt uncomfortable, so I invited her to take a break in my lounge. She was ready to come out after her nap, but she’s too embarrassed to leave my office while I have a visitor. She is pretty shy,” she said as she lowered her arms.

“Oh, really?” He arched his brow.

Sonia looked at him coldly and responded, “Yes, without a doubt. How could I possibly betray Toby?”

“No, of course not! I believe you, then. It would be disrespectful and inappropriate for me to have a look given that the person in question is a girl,” Charles chuckled as he spoke.

“You shouldn’t be seeing in the first place.” Sonia sneered before continuing, “It’s almost lunchtime now. Let me buy your lunch, okay?” she said this as she looked at the watch on her wrist.

Such words were said to hold Charles at bay to allow Daphne to leave the lounge room. Otherwise, he would be endlessly curious about who was in the lounge, causing her to fear being discovered at any moment. Sonia was also anxious about the potential outcome of the encounter between the two. For this reason alone, Sonia knew that both she and Charles should leave the office.

After hearing Sonia’s words, he felt compelled to lower his head and rub his tummy. “Okay, I’ll admit it: I’m starting to get hungry. Where do you suggest we eat? Should we eat at the cafeteria or go to a nearby restaurant?”

Sonia flashed a grin as she reached the shelf where her purse was kept inside. “I lack the courage to ask you to the cafeteria because you are such a distinguished guest. Of course, we should eat at the restaurant. What kind of food are you craving right now?”

“On this cold day, let’s have a spicy dish. It’ll be delicious,” Charles answered as he licked the edge of his mouth.

Sonia nodded and said, “Of course, but I suppose you favor it because you fear the cold.”

Her eyes wandered down his bare chest and ankles as she spoke and she let out a mischievous laugh.

“What? Do I, Charles Lane, seem like the kind of man afraid of the cold?” His eyes widened in surprise and he swiftly shot back, “To be completely honest, all I care about is satisfying my craving for a spicy dish. As you have inferred, I do not suffer from a fear of the cold.”

After seeing the stubborn look on his face, she found it impossible to contain her laughter. “Well then. You don’t fear the cold because you’re the best? I was wrong.”

“Hmph! You’re right!” Charles proudly raised his chin.

“Okay.” Seeing him responding in such a manner, Sonia rolled her eyes. “Please wait for me outside. I’ll be there as soon as I change.”

“Alright.” He nodded and strolled away, hands in his pockets as he hummed.

Sonia shook her head in surprise as she gazed at his back. After making sure he was gone, she ran straight to the lounge.

She knocked on the lounge door with a hand, saying, “Daphne, please open the door. It’s me.”

Daphne turned the door handle and then pushed it open. When she realized it was Sonia and not Charles, she let out a sigh of relief and greeted, “Miss Reed.”

Daphne could not resist craning her neck to look around while welcoming Sonia as if she was searching for something.

“You don’t need to look,” Sonia reassured her, knowing who she was seeking. “Don’t worry; Charles has left.”

As soon as Daphne heard Sonia’s words, she quickly averted her gaze and smiled while pursing her lips. “I am very grateful to you, Miss Reed, for keeping President Lane from entering the lounge and coming over to find me. If not, the consequences will be severe. It’s my fault; I shouldn’t have peeked through the door in the first place, or else he wouldn’t have noticed that I was staring at him. I apologize for giving him the impression that you harbored a man inside and acted inappropriately against President Fuller. My sincere apologies to you, Miss Reed.”

“It’s alright. It’s not your fault, and you shouldn’t blame yourself either. Moreover, you are on my turf, so I’ll help you. I have just sent Charles out and I will take him to lunch. You are welcome to stay here until we leave Paradigm Co., at which point you are free to leave.”

Daphne was aware that Sonia’s aim was to keep her from being discovered by Charles by leaving the lounge earlier with him. “Okay, I understand. Miss Reed, thank you so much.”

A grateful Daphne nodded.

“There’s no need to thank me.” While removing her hand from Daphne’s shoulder, Sonia said, “All right, take a little break and relax. I should be going; if I am late, Charles will be suspicious, and that will cause problems down the road.”

“Goodbye, Miss Reed.” Daphne waved her hand.

Sonia returned the gesture before turning around to pack her belongings from the desk.

However, when Charles was done with his smoking, he had an idea that made him narrow his eyes as he glanced at the assistants and secretaries working at the office next to the chairman’s room. He threw the stubs of his cigarettes and opened the assistant secretary’s door. It was still early; Sonia’s assistants and the secretary were still working hard. As soon as they heard the door open, several heads swiveled to observe who was there.

When they saw Charles, they immediately greeted him. “Greetings, President Lane.”

He nodded, but his eyes darted about the room as if trying to locate someone.

Despite this, he could not locate the person he was seeking, so he pursed his lips and asked, “Where is Daphne?”

The other secretaries in the workplace knew that Daphne had been in a relationship with Charles before she started working for Paradigm Co. as Chairman Reed’s secretary. However, they were unaware that Charles and Daphne had ended their relationship and thought those two were in a superior-subordinate relationship.

When they heard his question, the assistant secretaries said without hesitation, “President Lane, Daphne is with Miss Reed. Didn’t you see her when you were looking for Miss Reed?”