Half an hour later, Natasha looked at the documents with a somewhat complex expression.
After looking them over again, she still couldn't find any issues.
More accurately speaking, she still couldn't discern any reason or problem that could make Kenneth set the projects aside.
She pursed her lips, a hint of hesitation etched across her features.
Perhaps it was due to her overly deep understanding of Kenneth himself that the more problem-free things seemed, the more it indicated that there were indeed problems.
Nonetheless, Natasha was in no hurry. Even though she made a two-month bet, she was not an overly hasty person. Therefore, she would not rashly make a move on the projects until she had gotten a satisfactory answer.
She simply stowed the project proposals away in the drawer.
Looking at the other project proposals brought over at the side of the desk, Natasha once again immersed herself in work.
That continued until noon when the phone on the desk rang. Only then did Natasha pick it up without delay.
“Hello.”
“Mrs. Hamilton, would you like me to order some food for you?” Fabian asked over the phone.
Natasha lifted her gaze, briefly scanning her eyes over the time displayed on the computer.
It was already noon, but there was still much work to be done, so she replied softly, “Sure.”
“Is there anything in particular that you want to eat?”
“I'm not picky. Anything will do,” said Natasha.
“All right, got it!” Fabian was not one for idle chatter. Once he had received the green light, he took matters into his own hands.
After hanging up the phone, Natasha continued to peruse the documents.
Just as she turned her attention back to work, the phone rang again. Natasha looked up. Upon seeing the name flashing on the screen, she frowned.
With no intention of answering the call, Natasha lowered her eyes and continued to peruse the documents.
However, the person on the other end of the phone seemed relentless, calling constantly as if he would never give up.
At that, she decisively reached out and set her phone on silent. Without even lifting her head, she continued working.
After an indeterminate time had passed, a knock sounded at the door.
“Come in!” said Natasha.
At that moment, the door was pushed open, and Fabian walked in.
With an exquisite lunch box in his hands, he headed straight for the table across the desk.
“Mrs. Hamilton, lunch is here!” Fabian announced.
“Okay.” Natasha nodded. “Just leave it there for now. I'll eat it later!”
“They'll be taking the lunch box away in a while, but they can deliver again to you tomorrow. So, it's best to eat early!” Fabian said.
Upon hearing that, Natasha finally lifted her head from the documents, first looking at him, then at the thermal lunch box on the table.
At the sight of the thermal lunch box, she rose to her feet and walked toward him, asking, “What is this?”
“This is a lunch spot Mr. Hamilton used to order from regularly. All the ingredients are freshly picked, with some even air-freighted from overseas. Their food is nutritious and healthy.”
Listening to Fabian's introduction, Natasha walked over and sat down at the dining table.
At that, Fabian removed the lid of the thermal lunch box. As he did so, Natasha caught sight of the name on top.
“What's with this?”
“They specifically customize for their clients. After this, no one else but you will use this lunch box. Moreover, it will be cleaned and disinfected by a dedicated person!”
Natasha was dumb stuck.
For the first time, she learned that there was so much involved in just a meal.
Fabian opened the lunch box. Despite its modest size, it surprisingly contained a variety of food.
Natasha was a person who was not at all picky when it came to food. To her, eating was merely an act to fill her stomach. But at that moment, as she looked at the exquisite food, she was slightly taken aback.
After Fabian came in to collect the lunch box, he didn't disrupt her anymore.
And so, Natasha spent the entire day in the office, reviewing documents, even though the company had long since been buzzing with activity.
Everyone knew that Natasha had replaced Kenneth as the CEO of Hamilton Corporation. In a flash, rumors about them spread like wildfire.
Some said that Kenneth was discontent with the status quo and had found a new woman. Therefore, Liam banished him from the family and supported Natasha to be the CEO of Hamilton Corporation. In other words, he wanted to keep his three grandchildren within the family.
Others suggested Natasha was nothing more than a smokescreen, and Kenneth was surely plotting something.
Yet others surmised that something had to have happened to Kenneth.
Many other rumors circulated around the company.
On the surface, everything seemed peaceful, but rumors had long since abounded behind the scenes.
Fabian was on the phone. As soon as he hung up, someone looked at him. “Mr. Houde, do you have any insider information or news?” a coworker asked.
“What insider information or news?” Fabian asked.
“Didn't you know? The company has been abuzz for a while now. Didn't you check the group chat?” someone asked.
Hearing that, Fabian unlocked his phone for a look. As he scanned through the speculations in the group chat then, his brows furrowed.
“You've worked with Mr. Hamilton for many years, so you must know the inside story. Please shed some light on what's really going on.”
A hint of displeasure showed on Fabian's face. “What do you mean by that?”
“Why exactly has Mr. Hamilton stopped managing the company? Everyone is worried now. Say, could there be some problem with the company? If you know anything, please tell us quickly. Many people have already started looking for another job!” the coworker whispered.
Fabian looked at her, took a deep breath, then asked softly, “Then, why don't you do the same?”
“I...”
“Since you think the company is going under, hurry up and leave!” Fabian retorted, glaring at her.
“I'm asking you, aren't I? You must know something. If you were to leave now, I would undoubtedly follow without hesitation. But you're still here, so there must be another reason!” As she spoke, she looked at Fabian, lowering her voice and adding, “I also heard that something happened to Mr. Hamilton, but I'm not sure if it's true. You must know the inside story. We've been coworkers for such a long time. Can't you give us a hint?”
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: You're Out, Daddy novel (Natasha and Kenneth)