What If?

Chapter 27 - The Burning Shadow

Launa stood in front of the restroom mirror, smoothing out her shirt and her new, matching soft pink skirt. She had given her old coffee-stained skirt a quick wash before tucking it into her tote bag. Even though Glenn had told her to just throw it away, a typical rich-man mindset, Launa refused. The skirt would still look perfectly fine once the stain was gone. She glanced down at her legs; luckily, thanks to Martha's ointment, the redness had faded significantly and left no marks.

Staring at her reflection in the mirror, Launa took a deep breath. "I promise I'll keep it professional. I can't catch feelings over the way Glenn acts. Because this is strictly between a boss and an assistant," she whispered, giving herself a pep talk.

The moment she stepped out of the restroom and returned to the transparent glass office, Launa found Glenn already lounging on the long sofa with several luxury food boxes laid out on the table.

"Took you long enough. Were you taking a dump?" Glenn blurted out, completely unbothered.

Launa instantly shook her head, her cheeks flaring with a sudden blush. "N-no, sir!" Internally, she was utterly flabbergasted.

How can this guy say something so taboo so casually? He's seriously reckless and unruly. No wonder his dad is constantly on edge.

Glenn’s sharp eyes traced Launa’s appearance from head to toe, inspecting the new skirt that fit perfectly around her tiny waist. His gaze softened without him even realizing it. "There you go. See? Much prettier."

Launa knitted her brows in wonder, her heart suddenly skipping a beat. "What was that, sir?"

Glenn caught himself, snapping out of his momentary lapse, and cleared his throat loudly with a forced, awkward expression. "I—I mean... you look neat. Not like a total mess like earlier."

Launa offered a faint smile, feeling a wave of relief. "Th-thank you, sir, for buying me the new skirt."

"Mm-hmm, yeah," Glenn replied shortly, trying to switch back to his nonchalant mode. "Come sit. Eat." He gestured toward the empty spot on the sofa across from him with a tilt of his chin.

Eat? Launa blinked in innocence, then reflexively gave her own temple a soft smack. "M-Mr. Glenn... I think I'll just eat at the cafeteria downstairs."

Both of Glenn’s brows knitted in pure confusion. "The cafeteria? Then what about this?" Glenn pointed at the stack of luxury food boxes on the table. "I already ordered some for you too. Are you expecting me to eat alone? There is no way my stomach can hold all of this," Glenn pressed with heavy emphasis.

Oh God, Launa was suddenly at a total loss. How on earth was she supposed to explain that she had already promised to have lunch with Sofia?

"Ohhh..." Glenn narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Do you have a date with a guy? A male staff member?" Glenn shot the question out of nowhere, his tone sounding... displeased?

"N-no! I—I have plans with Sofia, a fellow intern. We were going to grab lunch together," Launa explained in a panic.

Glenn secretly let out a subtle sigh of relief, then unbuttoned his formal suit jacket to get more comfortable. "Just tell this Sofia girl to push lunch to tomorrow. You have a task from me. Problem solved, right?"

Launa bit her inner lip in hesitation. Looking at the food Glenn had already gone out of his way to order for her, she finally gave in out of guilt. She hurriedly typed an apology text to Sofia. Fortunately, Sofia, who was a fast responder, replied instantly, saying it was totally fine and only hoping that Launa wasn't in any trouble up there.

"Sit here," Glenn ordered again.

Launa set her phone down, then took a seat on the sofa facing Glenn. She awkwardly picked up her food box and began eating the luxury meal in silence.

"How about Laura?" Glenn asked, striking up a conversation. His tone sounded genuinely caring as he inquired about Launa's younger sister.

Launa looked up, a small spark lighting up her eyes. "She’s doing much better, sir. She might even be discharged and come home next week. Thank you so much, sir, for all your help."

"It's nothing," Glenn replied nonchalantly, completely hiding the fact that he actually monitored the hospital's medical reports every single night.

Glenn set his spoon down, then leaned back against the sofa. His gaze suddenly turned dead serious, causing the atmosphere inside the glass office to instantly tighten.

"Now, let's talk business. Since you’re officially my field assistant, I have your first assignment ready."

Launa instantly straightened her posture, listening intently. "What kind of assignment, sir?"

"After lunch, you're coming out of the office with me. We have an appointment to meet someone outside," Glenn said. His voice dropped to a low volume, almost a whisper, as if he were afraid the vibrations of his voice might pierce through the transparent glass walls surrounding them.

Launa furrowed her brows, completely bewildered. "Leave the office? But sir, the administrative paperwork for my transfer to this floor hasn't even been finalized yet. If we leave right now, the people downstairs will definitely—"

"Let them talk. That is exactly why you're coming with me," Glenn cut her off quickly. He locked his eyes on Launa with a sharp, enigmatic glint one that she couldn't decipher at all. "The person we’re about to meet holds vital information. Crucial for something I've been investigating."

Launa fell silent, staring at Glenn with a million questions swirling in her head. What investigation? Is Mr. Glenn some kind of detective? Launa speculated internally. Her new boss's character was truly shrouded in mystery. The way he spoke, his vigilant gaze, even his calculating instructions... for some reason, made her feel like the guy in front of her was acting like a secret agent straight out of an action movie. There were simply too many mysterious plots that Glenn was hiding all by himself.

"I’m intentionally taking you out of the office to draw everyone's attention to us. Let them think I’m just acting busy, dragging my new assistant around," Glenn continued. The corner of his mouth ticked upward, forming a faint smile that felt chillingly cold. "While they are focused on monitoring my movements outside, something else can run smoothly inside this office without raising any suspicion."

Launa swallowed hard. Even though Glenn didn't explicitly explain who he was referring to or what he was actually targeting inside the office, she began to realize that her presence by his side right now was nothing more than a decoy.

Seeing Launa just sitting there lost in thought, Glenn cleared his throat softly. He abruptly switched back to his nonchalant, cool-headed front. "Don't overthink it until your brain short-circuits. You just need to come with me, walk behind me, and keep your eyes peeled. Got it?"

Launa gave a firm nod, burying her confusion deep down. "Got it, sir."

"Alright, finish your food. Once lunch break is over, we move," Glenn ordered, going back to eating his meal as if the secret-agent-like conversation from moments ago had been nothing but casual small talk.

*****

The transparent glass door slid open. Glenn stepped out first, followed closely by Launa, who trailed behind while clutching her files and bag to her chest. The moment they set foot into the main corridor, the atmosphere shifted instantly. Dozens of pairs of eyes locked onto them, filled with suspicion and cynicism.

Glenn kept striding forward confidently with long paces. Launa, on the other hand, reflexively shrunk back, her head bowed deeply.

Noticing the gap between them widening, Glenn slowed his pace until he was walking side by side with Launa.

"You don't need to hang your head like that. Did you just cause some kind of scandal?" Glenn teased in a low voice, without even looking at her.

Launa shook her head quickly. "N-no, sir."

"Exactly. Here, watch me," Glenn suddenly halted his steps right in the middle of the corridor, forcing Launa to slam on the brakes as well.

The man turned around, then demonstrated how to walk using his own rigid, upright posture. "Keep your shoulders back, eyes straight ahead. Walk gracefully, full of confidence," Glenn said, practicing it for two steps forward before turning back to look at Launa.

"Like this. Don't look all slouchy and weak like a fugitive about to stand trial."

Launa blinked innocently, then tried to mimic Glenn’s movements. She straightened her back and stared straight ahead, albeit a bit stiffly.

Seeing her compliance—which ended up looking incredibly rigid—Glenn instantly broke into a chuckle.

"You are too much. Seriously, who needs a demonstration just to walk?"

Blush. Launa’s cheeks flushed pink as she tried to fight off the embarrassment. "Of course I can and know how to walk properly, sir. It's just that I—"

"Lack confidence? Are you insecure?" Glenn cut her off quickly, looking straight into the pupils of Launa's eyes.

"Why be insecure? You're pretty."

The words slipped out of Glenn’s mouth so effortlessly, spoken in a tone so genuinely sincere that it successfully made Launa’s heart feel as though it had stopped for a beat.

Yet, right after those words were spoken, the spark in Launa’s innocent eyes suddenly triggered another image in Glenn’s mind. Those eyes... that spark...

Glenn froze instantly. Why? Why do you look so much like her? Glenn’s mind screamed in anguish.

Suddenly, a sharp throb shot through Glenn’s head, followed by a violent wave of dizziness that rushed in without mercy. His chest felt as though it were being crushed by a massive boulder, causing his breath to come in short, ragged gasps. That familiar pain struck his heart every single time he looked straight into the eyes of the girl standing before him.

"Sir?" Launa called out softly, noticing the drastic change in her boss's facial expression. "Mr. Glenn, are you okay? You look incredibly pale."

Panicking as she saw Glenn’s body sway slightly, Launa reflexively stepped forward and grabbed his arm with both of her hands to steady him.

"I’m... I'm fine," Glenn dismissed in a strained voice, trying to pry Launa’s grip off him.

"Sir, let's just go to the hospital right now—"

"No! When I say no, I mean no, Launa!" The harsh outburst escaped Glenn’s mouth out of nowhere.

His baritone voice boomed, echoing off the corridor walls. At that exact second, the entire division floor fell dead silent, like a graveyard. Every single employee held their breath, once again turning the two of them into the center of a tense spectacle.

Glenn shut his eyes tightly, then rubbed his face roughly in sheer frustration. The moment he caught sight of Launa’s eyes, now glistening with tears as she held back the shock of his outburst, a wave of guilt instantly struck his chest.

"I... I’m sorry," Glenn whispered, consumed with regret.

Launa blinked, swallowing hard to force down her fear. "It’s okay, sir. Maybe you're just exhausted and need some rest," Launa replied softly, trying to offer a faint smile to defuse the situation.

Glenn froze in wonder. How on earth could this girl be so quick to understand?

"What should we do now, sir? Can we keep moving, or would you like to rest for a moment?" Launa asked, her focus entirely on Glenn’s physical condition.

Glenn took a deep breath, regaining his composure.

"We keep going,"

*****