The Apple of My Eye
Chapter 374 It Is Your Own Choice

"Oh it's nothing. I am just fine," Leila responded as she shook her head slightly. The very next second, tears suddenly started to trickle down her flushed cheeks and then she was unable to hold it. She had worked so hard and tried especially hoping that Charles would pay special regard to her if she bagged the deal. But now her hope had shattered into small pieces. Everything was so messed up beyond repair which meant that all of her efforts were in vain.

"Are you in pain?" Charles asked softly, looking at Leila who was injured. "I will take you straight away to the hospital," he added.

Her face was scratched while there were many bruises across her body. Her clothes were nearly torn. Upon seeing this, Charles took off his coat, and draped it around Leila. "Please put it on and wait here while I clear the bill. After that I will take you to the hospital."

After he paid the bill for the meal, he drove Leila to a hospital. On the way to get there, both of them sat in silence and did not utter a word to each other. Once they reached, the doctor began with cleaning her wounds with alcohol while Charles waited outside for her. Fortunately, it was not serious at all and she just had to apply some ointment over the bruises every day. Charles was relieved upon hearing the doctor say that she would recover very soon.

"Let me take you back." Charles insisted on dropping her back. As they arrived around her house block, she did not get off the car immediately. Slowly, she turned to Charles and said, "Mr. Lu, I am so very sorry and embarrassed for how things unfolded today. And I really appreciate what you did for me with all my heart. Thank you so very much!"

"Why are you apologizing to me? You don't have to say sorry to me without any reason, " Charles replied with confusion and honesty.

"I really did consider and plan to sign the contract with Mr. Xu today. But now I have screwed it up. And we even lost the chance to cooperate with Mr. Xu. It is all my fault. You lost face and business because of me today. I am really sorry," Leila explained in an apologetic and sincere tone.

"Is that all?" Charles, instead of getting angry, burst into a hearty laughter.

Leila felt so guilty for what happened as she had worked hard for a long time to get the project from Mr. Xu successfully. In this way, Leila thought Charles would get impressed by her.

However, as she learned that Charles did not seem to care about it, Leila felt a little shocked and yet anxious. "Mr. Lu, why are you not worried about it?"

"Mr. Xu called me just a moment earlier and he asked me to sign a five-year contract with him tomorrow," explained Charles. Charles received the call when they were in the hospital, but he forgot to tell Leila the good news.

"Oh my god, is that so?" Upon hearing this news, Leila was stunned and her eyes were shining with joy. She looked at Charles with expectant eyes as she asked, "Did Mr. Xu promise to sign the contract with us?"

"Yes, he did. I am going to sign a contract with him tomorrow. Please rest assured." Saying this, Charles paused for a while and added, "So you don't have to feel guilty for this. In fact, I have to thank you or things would not have develop so smoothly even though you had such a rough night."

"Smoothly, what do you mean?" Leila smiled bitterly as she was reminded of what happened. "It was not smooth at all. I lost my standing before so many people. It was so embarrassing."

Leila was hesitant as she stared at Charles. "Mr. Lu, would you think that..." she muttered.

"What, I didn't catch that?" Charles was confused by what she said.

"I literally sold myself in order to bag the contract with Mr. Xu. Do you think I am a shameless woman to have acted in such a manner? Do you look down upon me?" After hesitating and considering this for a while, she went ahead and finally asked him.

Shocked by the veracity of her questions, Charles was unable to respond immediately since he never considered this before or even looked at in that light.

His previous secretary would have acted in the same way as Leila so as to get the contract from their cooperative partners. No matter what route they took to reach the destination, Charles only cared about the result, the full and final result.

Therefore, he never really cared or thought about what his secretaries did.

But upon second thought, he did look down upon them a little since Charles never once forced them or even urged them to adopt the honey-trap method. It was their own choice and no one asked them to do that yet it was their preferred method.

Therefore, bearing this thought, Charles let out a warm smile and replied, "Of course I won't judge you. I can understand where such actions come from and I appreciate it because all what you did is in the bes interest of our company.

Just don't make blind and disorderly conjectures. Take some good rest at home. And please join work only once you have recovered and feel better." He tried assured her in a soft tone.

"Mr. Lu, thank you so much for your kind words and concern." Leila nodded slightly. She did sense the hesitation in his eyes when he answered her question, so she was clear that actually he did despise her behavior but cared enough to conceal it.

So she was determined to take some steps so as to let Charles know that she could also be a good wife.

"Please do have a safe journey to go home. Thank you for what you did for me today again, Mr. Lu. I really appreciate it." Leila got off the car and headed upstairs once she saw his car vanish from her view. It was pretty late when Charles reached home as it took him a lot of time to drop Leila home after the hospital trip because of the incident at dinner. However, he didn't expect Autumn to still be awake. The light was still on in their bedroom. As he walked into the room, he found that Autumn was wide awake, reading magazines in bed. "Autumn, it is quite late. Why haven't you slept?" he asked gently. "I was waiting for you. I also did not expect it would take you so long to return..." As she put down the magazine, Autumn smiled and then asked, "So, why are you so late today?"

"I had a social gathering tonight. Please don't wait up for me next time. You need to take rest and take care of your health." Charles, moved by Autumn, asked her with worried eyes, "Are you feeling better now? I am free tomorrow. I will take you to the hospital to have a physical examination."

"No. There is no need for that at all. I feel much better now." As she leaned on his chest, Autumn asked, "Do you still remember the tickets you gave me on my birthday?"

"Yes, of course I remember," he replied with a wide smile. "It is next Wednesday," added Charles.

He fiddled with Autumn's hair and as he continued, "I know we have to go out next Wednesday, so in preparation I have to work overtime these days, to ensure that I finish my work before we leave." Saying this, Charles kissed her gently and then assured her, "Don't worry. I remember what I promised you and I will keep up my side of the bargain at any cost."

Autumn, assured and warmed by his words, felt the urge to cry. She was hospitalized twice these past days, but her bad temperament had disappeared once she was discharged from the hospital. What's more, she was no longer suspicious about Leila since she fully believed in Charles now.

"Please sleep now. It is getting late," said Charles. He held tightly Autumn in his arms.

The next day morning, Charles sent Autumn to her company and then went to work. The preparation for the press conference of Giant Promise Company was almost finished as it was going to be held on Sunday. Therefore, all staff in the company were busy making final touches on their respective work for the event. However, they did not expect that Roger would come again.

"Why are you here again? What do you plan to do this time? I will call the police if you stay here and obstruct our work flow," Isla said angrily. Isla was busy discussing some crucial details of the press conference with Autumn when the foreground lady took Roger in abruptly. Isla was furious when Roger showed up in front of her.

Roger had not come here since his relationship with Rachel was disclosed. However, Rachel forced him to come here today, because the shooting for the film was about to begin. Roger had no other options but to come here since he was afraid that he would displease Rachel.

"Isla, don't get so angry. Would you mind coming out for a moment? I am going to have a chat with him, "Autumn said calmly to Isla.

"No," replied Isla firmly without hesitating for even a second. "Autumn, he is dangerous. I can't let you stay alone with him under any circumstance."

"Don't worry, Isla. I am sure he will not dare to stir any sort of trouble here with all these people around, "Autumn assured her since she too was growing eager and anxious to know why he kept badgering her.