*Knock~ Knock~ Knock~*
After announcing her presence, Leyna pushed open the door of the office at the top of Arland Group's headquarters and walked in with measured steps. Arriving before the large desk inside under the gaze of the owner of the office, Leyna calmly reported with a soft shake of the head:
"No reaction, chairwoman, neither from the vice-chairman nor from the strategic director. At least, not yet."
Hearing that, Grace frowned instead of feeling relieved. Leaning back in her chair, she remarked:
"Marten and Sigurd, huh? Either they will fall in line, for now, or they are already moving somewhere we cannot see."
Leyna didn't say anything, but the look on her face showed her agreement to the observation of her superior. So, seeing that the latter remained silent, she proposed while observing the reaction she would get:
"Should we act instead of waiting to react, chairwoman?"
Grace glanced at Leyna. She opened her mouth, then seemed to think about something that caused her to change her mind, and her words. Shaking her head, she spun her chair around to face the transparent wall on the side. With a deep look in her eyes, she spoke, her voice clear despite the thoughtful look in her green eyes that were like emerald lakes:
"We will not do anything. We don't even need to control the disturbances. They will not go overboard."
Looking at the profile of the model she had been building herself to resemble all those years, Leyna allowed a small smile at the corner of her mouth, before she schooled her expression back into a fully professional one. Taking a deep breath, she took down the instruction:
"Understood, chairwoman. However, what about the negotiations with K Group? They are important, in more than one way. Should we take control of them?"
Grace blinked, then smiled slightly. Casually waving her hand, she didn't bother turning around as she shot down the proposal:
"No need. We all know who will be the winner in the end. Let's not intervene and just enjoy the show."
"Pfft."
Leyna stifled a laugh, and pretended not to hear the amusement in Grace's tone. Lowering the hand covering her mouth, she revealed the remnant of the amused smile she failed to contain and gave a curt and dutiful answer:
"Understood, chairwoman. I will keep observing without intervening."
Nodding with a light smile, Grace concluded the morning period with an exhale, and spun her seat around. Facing her desk again, she ordered the scattered papers and put them aside, then stood up and picked up her handbag.
"Let's go. Call the car."
"Yes–"
Leyna's smile didn't last as she froze mid-nod. The sight of Grace staggering suddenly sent into a state of tetanizing shock. Her eyes went wide, and her heart almost stopped as she exclaimed:
"CHAIRWOMAN!!!"
Grace raised one hand to stop Leyna from panicking further. Holding fast onto her desk with her other hand, she did seem to have regained strength in her legs, but her state didn't look better. Her twitching face looked barely controlled to not contort in pain. It was pale, and in the one or two seconds it had taken for all of that to happen, a fine layer of sweat had already created a shiny sheen on her forehead.
Leyna felt her heart plummeting, but she didn't lose her composure further. Hurriedly turning to her phone, she sent a message and hastened forward to support the woman who was more than just her superior:
"I have called the car, chairwoman."
Grace nodded slowly, then forced out in a calm voice:
"Let's go to the hospital."
Just that single sentence relieved Leyna like fresh water in a dry desert. It was not just because Grace could still speak calmly. It was because the latter had already accepted the need to get herself examined, otherwise, as an assistant, she would not have known what to do had the chairwoman decided to be stubborn about suppressing the matter.
Letting out a breath she did not even realize she had been holding in, Leyna let go of Grace to hurry to the depth of the office and open the discreet door there that led into more private paths, and quarters.
*Ding*
Taking the private elevator, Leyna spent the ride through the lower floors sneaking glances at Grace, half expecting the strong front the latter had adopted as she stood straight without any support to collapse at any moment, while, on the other hand, at the same time hoping that what had just happened to actually have been an illusion.
As they sat inside the car said to be a gift from Alex to his mother, a hint of relief bloomed in Leyna's chest. Buckling the seatbelt for Grace at the back, she gave the back of the driver's seat two anxious pats filled with urgency as she instructed:
"To the hospital. Fast."
"Yes, Miss Staten."
The Mercedes lurched forward, then jumped out of the underground garage. With a graceful turn, the vehicle continued on its way, its forceful momentum not only undiminished, but growing, even if with controlled recklessness.
Pushing itself into the traffic, it soon disappeared, leaving the tall building behind. And as it did, Leyna exhaled, pushing down the tension in her core. Nervously adjusting her seatbelt, she took out her phone. After searching inside, her finger hovered above Alex's name as she turned to the side to glance at the resting chairwoman.
Though she didn't ask for permission, she was more than just a simple assistant, as Grace Lenner was more than just her superior at work. Suppressing what just happened, what was happening, from the public would be one thing, but she would be unable to justify doing the same from the others, especially Alex.
Looking down at her phone, Leyna struggled with the growing unease she was feeling. But in the end, she snuck another glance at the suffering chairwoman, then snuffed out whatever hesitation had been flickering inside her. She stopped caring about the possible consequences.
Crossing the short distance that symbolized her hesitation, her manicured finger touched the screen of her phone, and she pressed on the contact bearing Alex's name to launch the call with trepidation.