The Apple of My Eye
Chapter 334 What Reward Do You Want

"Her fever is gone." Chris gave a heavy sigh and said, "I noticed that Autumn have been unhappy recently. That's probably because you're not here. And it was worse that she got the fever without you around." Chris heaved a sigh out of frustration and asked, "Brother, when on earth will you come back?"

"I am coming back today." Charles replied and hung up. Actually he made that decision right at that moment. He realized that all the agreements and all cooperation were of little importance to him compared with Autumn. He loved her and and of all people, he should be the one beside her when she needed him.

He called Leila into his room and instructed her to book the earliest flight back. It beat her why they were suddenly going back in a hurry. But she soon realized maybe his hasty decision had something to do with Autumn. She gathered her courage and suggested, "Mr. Lu, we have an agreement to sign in a few hours. Why don't we ...?"

"I have told you to book tickets. Do I have to repeat myself twice?" Charles raised his voice. He did not want to give up the agreement, but his desire to see his wife as soon as possible was much stronger. "Yes, sir..." Taken aback and embarrassed, Leila nodded awkwardly. She wasn't used to being yelled at by her boss. With Charles watching her, she quickly switched on her smartphone and browsed online for available flights. The next available flight was not until after midnight. "Mr. Lu, the earliest flight available is sometime after midnight. We have plenty of time for the signing of the agreement before going to the airport. No need to rush," she suggested.

"Fine. Go ahead and arrange today's schedule." Charles replied. He had checked to confirm it online and found that Leila wasn't lying. The next flight was indeed past twelve o'clock that night. He felt hopeless, like a flattened balloon.

Although he was still in Europe, his heart had already flown out to Autumn.

After the agreement was signed, it came as good news that the agreement they thought they didn't get was now theirs. Another victory. Charles was happy about that part and regarded the trip as worthwhile and successful.

When Charles arrived at his partner's office, his partner complimented Leila on her competence and persistence, "Mr. Lu, we didn't choose your company as our partner. But your secretary Miss Zhang approached to us several times and that was why this partnership became a reality. She effectively showed us your advantage over the others. After an internal meeting, we reconsidered your company. So ... she deserves credit for trying her best. You should give her a big bonus for this!"

Charles was astounded to know that Leila had made such efforts without his knowledge. Leila was too embarrassed to meet Charles' surprised gaze. "It was very kind of you to give me another chance. We look forward to having a pleasant and long standing cooperation," she told the client. She was bursting with pride inside but was too shy to show it and just hung her head low.

"Indeed. We hope for a harmonious relationship ahead of us, " Charles agreed as he stretched out his hand. Handshakes were exchanged and pleasantries passed around before the meeting ended. After they left the company, Charles turned to Leila and asked, "Why did you do that?"

"I ..." Leila grinned at Charles, her eyes sparkling. "Mr. Lu, I knew that it would please you, so I did what I could to realize what we came here for."

Leila continued after a short pause, "Last night, you had too much wine thinking that the agreement was a failure, so I took my chances and requested for reconsideration. I didn't really expect to pull it off." "This time... I will have to do something to show you my gratitude," Charles laughed. "Tell me, what kind of reward do you want?" Charles didn't know that Leila had feelings for him. After all, that agreement was beneficial for the entire company.

Leila was delighted by Charles's offer. It took her quite a while to get over her excitement. She said to Charles, "I will think it over carefully. It's not common for you to make promises like that, so I will cherish this opportunity."

Charles replied with a smile, "Tell me when you have made your decision."

They went back to the hotel and packed their luggage. Luckily enough, they managed to take the earliest plane. And to Charles' satisfaction, there were no delays so the plane arrived as scheduled. When they got out of the airport, Charles booked a taxi for Leila. He explained to her, "My family needs me, so I won't drive you home. Send me a message to let me know you have gotten home safely."

"Okay." As a sensible woman, Leila knew what she should do at that time. She smiled and said, "Don't worry about me, Mr. Lu. I am sure that your wife is waiting for you. Drive safely."

Charles replied with a smile and saw Leila's taxi off. He couldn't wait to get home, so he drove quickly to Dream Garden, only to replace Autumn not at home. His grandpa said that she had left for work. Autumn went to work as soon as she felt better as there were so many things that needed to be done. Isla was competent and could very well be trusted, but she couldn't handle all the affairs by herself. Moreover, staying at home only made Autumn's imagination run wild. And that was a worse punishment than being up to her neck in work. It was better to distract herself with it.

When Isla saw Autumn come, she looked at her in a weird manner, surprised to see her back so soon. "I thought you were sick. Weren't you rushed to the hospital just the other day? I'm sure you are not fully recovered yet. Why don't go back home and rest some more?"

"I am used to being busy. You know that about me, don't you?" Autumn smiled at Isla and asked, "Are the materials ready?'

"Almost ready," Isla replied causally. She was more concerned about Autumn's health and well-being. Things at Cloud Advertising Company were still well within control. "Autumn, I don't want to interfere with your personal affairs, but you..." hesitated Isla.

"Isla!" Autumn interrupted in a stern voice, "I am not in the mood to talk about it."

Autumn looked serious, so Isla's face broke into a smile to change the atmosphere. "Okay, okay. Sorry about that. In that case, don't hesitate to let me know if I can help with anything."

After lunch, she had dealt with the most urgent tasks, including the most important documents. Knowing Isla was busy, she went to the hotel alone to discuss the details of the Giant Promise Company's launch event.

When Charles arrived at the Cloud Advertising Company, Autumn again, wasn't in her office. His wife was getting harder and harder to replace. Isla happened to see him as she walked into the hall. "Mr. Lu, I heard you have gone to Europe?" she mocked. "What brought you back so soon?" Isla addressed Charles in a polite way, calling him "Mr. Lu." But her tone wasn't natural.

Isla thought Autumn had suffered a lot since she married Charles. She hated the fact that although their marriage was happy, Autumn endured too much hate because of him. He was to be blamed for the whole thing.

"Miss Zhao, where is my wife? Have you seen her?" Charles had driven from their house to the office. He got increasingly annoyed when he found out that Autumn wasn't there either. He had no choice but to ask Isla for help.

Isla replied with a forced smile, "Mr. Lu, you are ridiculous. She is my boss. Do you think there is any need for her to inform me of her entire schedule? As for you, you are her husband. You should know where she is. Funny, isn't it?"

"I..." Charles was confused about Isla's double edged attitude. She sounded friendly, but there were hostile undertones of it. But he didn't care much about it. He thought, 'Isla is Autumn's good friend. If Autumn was unhappy, it's normal for her to jump to Autumn's defense. I admit, I haven't been a very good husband lately.'

He was eager to know the whereabouts of Autumn. So he explained, almost begging, "I arrived just now. Straight from the airport. My grandpa said that she had come to work. I didn't see her in her office and I can't get through to her phone. Please tell me where she has gone."

Isla didn't reply. "Miss Zhao, I know Autumn is not only your boss, but also your good friend. I am sure you know where she is, " Charles continued asking.

Seeing him somewhat upset, Isla kind of felt bad for him.

On one hand, Autumn went through hell in the last couple of days. As Autumn's friend, she wanted Charles to feel what Autumn had experienced. On the other hand, she knew that Autumn loved Charles. If she found out that her husband had unexpectedly returned, Autumn would be happy again.

Isla was still struggling inside.

Charles began perspiring heavily as he urged her some more, "Miss Zhao, I don't know what has happened during my stay in Europe. We couldn't have a real talk unless I replace her. What's more, I heard that she is not feeling well now. I am really worried about her. She shouldn't even have left the house. Please help me replace my wife."