What If?

Chapter 22 - Little Girl?

Launa stood frozen right in front of Glenn’s tightly closed door, looking around in utter confusion. Her eyes darted anxiously down to the luxury paper tote bag gripped in her hand. How on earth was she supposed to walk back down to her division carrying this? Glenn’s office was indeed in a private area, but the moment she stepped away from this door, she would be greeted immediately by a bustling crowd of other staff members in the lobby.

What would everyone think? Her mind was instantly flooded with Glenn’s warning about the gossip that had been circulating since this morning.

BANG!

The heavy teak door in front of her was suddenly thrown open with force from the inside. Standing right in front of it, Launa had no time to dodge; the door clipped her, sending her off balance and tumbling forward. But before she could hit the floor, a strong, muscular arm swiftly shot out, catching her by the waist and pulling her back into a warm, solid embrace.

Launa’s hands instinctively pressed against the man's broad chest, trying to maintain some distance between them.

Her whole body tensed up instantly. The air around her suddenly felt tight and dizzying. Her heart hammered twice as fast. They were so close that she could feel Glenn’s warm breath brushing against the crown of her head. At this proximity, Launa’s eyes were forced to take in every chiseled detail of Glenn’s sharp features, his clenched jaw, and the expensive, masculine cologne radiating powerfully from her boss.

As it turned out, Glenn had been rushing out and accidentally collided with Launa, who was still standing outside his door, nearly sending her crashing down. For a few seconds, time seemed to stand still between them.

Click!

The sound of the glass access door at the end of the corridor swinging open revealed a security officer walking in to do his rounds.

Realizing they weren't alone, Glenn released his grip instantly. Launa reflexively took two steps back, hurriedly straightening her slightly disheveled work blouse in a flurry of awkwardness. There was no doubt her face had turned a bright, flawless crimson.

The security officer, catching onto the situation, immediately bowed his head deeply out of sheer awkwardness. "Good afternoon, Mr. Glenn," he greeted quickly, then rushed past them without daring to look back.

The atmosphere between them suddenly became incredibly awkward. Glenn cleared his throat softly, trying to mask his own surprise by pulling on a blank, expressionless face.

"I-I’m sorry, sir... it was my fault," Launa stammered softly, keeping her head down, not daring to meet Glenn’s eyes.

"It was my bad. I didn't see you were still in front of the door," Glenn replied in his signature nonchalant tone. He narrowed his eyes, staring at Launa who was still standing frozen outside his office. "Besides, why are you still spacing out here? Haven't left yet?"

"Were you eavesdropping?" Glenn accused lightly.

"N-no! I wasn't eavesdropping, I—"

Launa went quiet. Her tongue suddenly tied, leaving her at a total loss for words. There was no way she could admit that she was terrified of becoming the office gossip target just for carrying a luxury shopping bag given by Glenn.

Glenn glanced at the tote bag in Launa’s hand, then let out a faint scoff as if he could read her mind instantly. Out of nowhere, Glenn stepped forward and snatched the bag right out of Launa’s grip.

The girl gasped in surprise as she watched Glenn casually reach inside, pull out the smartphone box, and without a second thought, break the seal to take the brand-new phone out of its packaging.

Launa was completely mystified. How could her notoriously selfish and sharp-tongued boss suddenly become this perceptive?

Glenn thrust the bare phone straight toward Launa’s chest. "You make things so complicated. You’re just scared they’ll start whispering about you again if you carry this bag downstairs, aren’t you?" Glenn asked curtly, hitting the nail right on the head. "Here, take the phone. Shove it in your shirt or skirt pocket right now."

Still in shock, Launa instantly took the phone and hurriedly hid it inside her pocket.

Glenn then placed the empty box back into the luxury paper tote bag. "I’ll take the bag. I’ll have Jerry drop it off at the front lobby storage lockers or leave it with security. You can just pick it up on your way out after work so no one gets suspicious."

Launa was completely speechless. Her tongue tied at how incredibly considerate Glenn was being, down to the smallest detail, to protect her position as an intern , even if his tone still carried that faux-nonchalant edge.

"Thank you so much, sir," Launa whispered sincerely.

"Mm. Now get going, hurry up," Glenn replied shortly.

He immediately turned on his heel and strode away, leaving Launa behind in the corridor, as if he wanted to quickly shake off the awkwardness between them and mask his own attentiveness.

Meanwhile, Launa remained standing where she was, staring down at the new phone in her pocket while trying to make sense of her heart, which had suddenly gone into a tailspin over Glenn’s hidden kindness.

*****

The roar of Glenn’s sports car engine shattered the silence of the night as he pulled through the gates of his sprawling estate. The moment he hit the brakes, his eyes locked onto a classic, old black sedan neatly parked in the front driveway.

"Who’s visiting, Wilson?" Glenn asked after rolling down his window, looking at his house security guard who had immediately greeted him with a respectful bow.

"That would be Madam Mery, sir. She has been waiting inside for about an hour now," Wilson answered politely.

Glenn frowned in surprise, not expecting his grandmother to pay a sudden visit. "What about my dad? Did he show up here?"

"No, sir. Your father hasn't been here today."

Glenn let out a cynical scoff, leaning his back against the car seat. Ever since his mother passed away, Simon had barely set foot in this house. The man preferred to live in their other residence, using the cliché excuse that being here constantly reminded him of the late Miranda. An excuse that had always sounded completely hollow to Glenn’s ears.

Glenn opened the car door, stepped out, and silently took notice of the dark circles under Wilson’s eyes. The middle-aged man looked utterly exhausted. Glenn let out a short sigh, then gave the guard’s shoulder a gentle pat. "Starting tomorrow, take some time off."

"What do you mean, sir?" Wilson blinked in confusion.

"Take a week or two off. Don't come in to work, just go home," Glenn said casually, slipping both hands into his pants pockets.

"But, sir, Mr. Simon assigned me to station here and keep an eye on you," Wilson declined sheepishly.

"I’m not a toddler who needs to be watched. Stop letting my dad control you so much. I’m the one paying your salary here, not him. Don't worry, I won't dock your pay by a single cent," Glenn cut him off, his tone absolute.

His gaze suddenly turned serious and deep as he looked at Wilson again. "Your kid is still a baby, Wilson. He needs you at home, 24/7 by his and his mother's side. Don't be selfish, constantly drowning yourself in work, until your kid grows up feeling like he doesn't have a father. Come on."

Glenn’s voice grew slightly heavy at the end of his sentence. He wasn't just giving Wilson advice; he was giving voice to his own shattered heart, having been neglected by Simon since childhood. He simply wanted Wilson’s child to have a father who was always there something Glenn had never experienced in his entire life.

"I can look after myself. I'll have another guard cover the shift here. Now go home, take proper care of your family," Glenn continued in his signature nonchalant tone, trying to mask his emotional side. "And if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to let me know."

Wilson was stunned, staring at Glenn in utter disbelief, his heart swelling with emotion. Beneath Glenn's reckless demeanor, which at a glance resembled that of a street thug, his young boss actually possessed an incredibly deep level of empathy.

"Thank you so much for your understanding, sir," Wilson said sincerely, bowing respectfully.

Glenn merely let out a vague grunt, then strode widely into the main house.

"Grandma?" Glenn called out the moment he spotted the elderly woman lounging casually on the living room sofa.

"Glenn!!!" Mery cried out excitedly, turning around to reveal her face completely covered in a sheet mask.

Glenn reflexively rolled his eyes in exasperation. This trendy grandmother of his never failed to leave him rubbing his chest in disbelief.

"I thought you'd be back this afternoon, but it's already night. I've been waiting forever, you know!" Mery complained, adjusting her posture.

"Yeah, I know. Wilson told me," Glenn replied casually. He slipped off his formal suit jacket, tossed it over the back of the sofa, and sat down near Mery. "What are you doing here anyway, Grandma?"

SLAP!

Mery instinctively smacked Glenn’s thigh in playful exasperation. "Ugh, look at you! Am I not allowed to come here? A grandmother is bound to miss her own grandson."

"Hmm, right, whatever you say," Glenn replied, nodding just to humor her.

Mery went quiet for a moment. Her sharp eyes scrutinized her grandson’s pale, weary face. She reached out, gently stroking Glenn’s head. "What’s wrong, sweetheart? You look like you have a lot on your mind."

"It's nothing. Just... missing Mom rambling on about random things," Glenn said, forcing a grin to cover up the turmoil in his heart.

Mery let out a soft sigh, her eyes softening with deep yearning. "Me too. I miss your mother terribly, too."

Glenn lowered his body, casually resting his head on Mery’s lap. The elderly woman smiled faintly, her fingers moving tenderly as she stroked and combed through her grandson’s hair with absolute affection.

"Glenn..." Mery called out softly.

"Hmm?"

"Don't you ever blame yourself for everything that happened. Miranda’s death was God's will, it was predestined even before any of this was created," Mery whispered reassuringly.

Glenn just lay there completely still, letting his grandmother’s warm fingers soothe his mind.

"Miranda was a remarkable woman, Glenn. She started everything from scratch, all by herself. She never wanted to be a burden to anyone. Honestly, if she had chosen to just sit back and do nothing, the inheritance from your grandfather was more than enough to last her lifetime, it would have lasted until you had great-grandchildren of your own," Mery continued, her gaze drifting into the past. "It's just that your mother was stubborn. She wanted to fight her own battles through her own hard work."

Glenn squeezed his eyes shut, his playful grin completely vanishing, replaced by a tightening jaw. "But I still feel guilty, Grandma," Glenn whispered faintly, his voice suddenly thick with emotion. "I should have been by Mom's side back then. I should have turned down that overseas assignment."

Glenn opened his eyes, staring blankly at the ceiling. "I’m angry at Simon, too." For some reason, Glenn just couldn't bring himself to call Simon 'Dad' right now. "He should have been there, being a fully supportive husband for his wife. But what did he do? He just kept drowning in his own world, leaving Mom to handle everything by herself, she even passed away completely alone."

Mery paused her movements for a moment, looking down at Glenn with a proud, teary-eyed glimmer. "I am truly proud of you, Glenn. You’re actually incredibly mature, it’s just that the way you present yourself to others is always completely opposite to who you really are."

"Because you're just not the type of person who is easily controlled," Mery added.

The room fell quiet for a few moments, leaving only a lingering warmth between the grandmother and grandson. Until suddenly, Mery nudged Glenn’s arm, a mischievous grin popping up on her masked face.

"Oh, by the way... that Launa girl from yesterday is absolutely gorgeous, isn't she? I had no idea she actually works at the same office as you," Mery teased excitedly.

Glenn reflexively opened his eyes, letting out a defeated scoff. He thought to himself in annoyance, it turned out his grandmother was just like Jerry, a total gossip monger.

"From what I saw, Launa’s family is really sweet, they just seem so genuine," Mery continued, switching to a more serious tone. "It's heartbreaking, really. It’s just the three of them living in that house her, her grandmother, and her little sister."

"Laura was admitted to the hospital," Glenn interjected calmly.

"What?! Are you serious?!" Mery gasped in shock, nearly sending Glenn’s head rolling off her lap. "How did that happen? What’s wrong with her?!"

Glenn finally sat up, then briefly explained what happened last night regarding Laura’s critical heart condition at Valerius Grand.

Mery shook her head, her face a mix of sadness and sudden realization. "Oh my... no wonder Laura hasn't replied to any of my texts since last night. I just assumed a kid her age was busy playing. I had no idea she was actually in the hospital."

Glenn instantly fell silent, staring at his grandmother with a look of utter, dumbfounded disbelief.

"Hold on," Glenn interrupted, cutting Mery off. "Grandma... you exchanged numbers with a kid as young as Laura? You’ve only known each other for a day, how on earth are you two already acting like lifelong best friends?"

Mery waved her hand dismissively, not finding it odd in the slightest. "Oh, please! Laura is such a fun kid, she's so easy to talk to even if she's still little. Unlike you."

Glenn could only rub his face aggressively, completely baffled by his grandmother's antics. They weren't just a few years apart—they were generations apart!

Mery suddenly sprang up from the sofa excitedly. "Let's go, Glenn! We’re going to the hospital right now to visit Laura!"

Glenn knitted his brows in confusion at his grandmother's sudden outburst. "Ugh, can't we just go tomorrow? I don't feel like it, I'm exhausted."

"No tomorrows! We are going right now, Glenn Ellsworth!" Mery demanded absolutely, tugging at her grandson's arm to force him up.

Glenn let out a long sigh, pushing himself up with a limp, lazy posture. Still, there was no way he could refuse an order from his personal walking ATM. "Fine, fine, hold on. Let me go upstairs to change my clothes first."

*****