What If?

Chapter 23 - A Driven Mind

"Launa," Emma called out softly. The elderly woman stepped closer, standing right beside her granddaughter, who had been staring blankly at the bed where Laura lay sleeping.

Launa snapped out of her thoughts slightly, turning around with a forced smile. "Yes, Grandma?"

Emma looked at her granddaughter with a gentle yet deeply anxious gaze, a look only a grandmother could give. She reached out and took Launa’s hand, squeezing it softly. "I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. Are you absolutely sure you want to accept that job offer... or whatever 'partnership' Mr. Glenn was talking about?"

Launa went quiet for a moment. She stared down at their intertwined fingers, letting out a long breath to quiet the turmoil in her chest.

"I am sure, Grandma. I’ve thought this through all night," Launa answered, forcing her voice to remain steady. "Laura’s medical expenses at this hospital are astronomical. Valerius Grand isn't just any regular hospital, Grandma. There's no way we can just accept all these luxury facilities for free from a total stranger."

"But that job... isn't it dangerous for you, sweetheart? Mr. Glenn is a prominent man; his world is completely different from ours," Emma whispered, her voice tight with suppressed worry.

"No matter what, I don't want to take advantage of anyone's kindness, Grandma. A financial debt can be paid back in installments, but when it comes to a debt of gratitude like this, our self-respect is on the line," Launa explained, looking intently at her grandmother.

"And another thing, Grandma... we never truly know what someone's ultimate intentions might be. Mr. Glenn might seem like he’s helping us now, but we don't know what the future holds. I just want to make sure we're safe, and I don't want to let down the person who saved my sister's life."

Emma stared at her eldest granddaughter, her eyes glistening with tears moved yet heartbroken that at such a young age, Launa had to carry such a heavy burden to protect their small family. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart... Grandma is old and useless. I can't do anything to help you except pray."

"Oh, Grandma, don't say that," Launa interrupted quickly, wrapping her arms tightly around Emma’s shoulders. "Just having you here to watch over Laura is already the biggest help I could ever ask for."

Click!

Before Emma could reply, a soft knock sounded on the door of the VIP room. A nurse stepped inside with a warm smile. "Excuse me, Miss Launa. You have some visitors outside."

Launa broke the hug, knitting her brows in confusion. Who could it be? she wondered, knowing they didn’t have any wealthy relatives in the city. "Who is it, Nurse?"

"There’s a young man, an elderly woman, and... a well-built man in a black suit behind them. He looks like a private bodyguard," the nurse explained thoroughly.

Launa’s heart suddenly hammered twice as fast. Her intuition immediately pointed to one specific name. She hurriedly stepped out of the room to see for herself.

The moment the door swung open, her eyes widened in shock. Standing there was Glenn in his usual nonchalant stance, a highly enthusiastic Mery, and a burly man in a black suit towering behind them.

"M-Mr. Glenn? Grandma Mery?" Launa greeted them, her hesitation incredibly obvious. "Please, come in."

Before stepping over the threshold, Glenn glanced back slightly at the man in the black suit behind him.

"Hawky, wait outside."

"Understood, Mr. Glenn," the suited man named Hawky replied obediently, immediately taking a standby position beside the door.

The moment they entered the fragrant, quiet room, Mery walked straight toward the bed, her face etched with worry. "How is Laura doing, Launa?"

"Laura is still sleeping, Grandma," Launa answered softly.

Mery gently stroked the hair of the pale, sleeping girl, then set down a tote bag filled with fruit and a beautiful bouquet of flowers on the nightstand. The elderly woman then turned to look back and forth between Launa and Emma. "Have you two eaten yet? Don't go falling sick yourselves."

"We have, Grandma. We ate this afternoon," Launa replied with a faint smile, her heart warmed by the concern. "Grandma, Mr. Glenn, please have a seat."

Mery took a seat on the sofa, followed by Glenn, who sat down casually though his eyes occasionally flicked toward the new phone tucked into the pocket of Launa’s office skirt.

"I still can't wrap my head around it how could Laura suddenly collapse like this?" Mery asked sadly. "Were there really no warning signs at all beforehand, Launa?"

Launa shook her head weakly. "None at all, Grandma. Yesterday, during her birthday, she was as happy as could be, but then she just suddenly collapsed out of nowhere."

Mery squeezed Emma’s and Launa’s hands in turn, offering them strength. "You two have to stay strong, okay? Let’s hope Laura recovers quickly."

"When can she be discharged?" Glenn interjected suddenly, his baritone voice sounding flat, yet carrying an underlying tone of concern.

Launa turned to Glenn. "The doctor said not yet, sir. We have to wait until Laura fully recovers and keep her under observation for a few more days."

Emma stepped closer, looking at Glenn with eyes shimmering with gratitude. "Mr. Glenn... thank you so very much. If you hadn't been there yesterday, I don't even want to think about what would have happened to my granddaughters."

Mery immediately waved her hand dismissively, cutting her off. "Oh, Emma, please don't overthink it. You are good people, so you truly deserve this help. Even though we just met, I’m old enough to know a genuine heart when I see one."

Hearing his grandmother’s praise, Glenn merely let out an awkward clear of his throat, averting his gaze toward the window. Until suddenly, he stood up and looked intently at Launa.

"Launa," Glenn called out.

Launa looked up, bewildered by his sudden use of her name in front of their grandmothers. "Yes, sir?"

"Come outside with me for a moment. There’s something important I need to discuss with you," Glenn said in his signature, absolute tone that left no room for argument.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly felt incredibly awkward for Launa. She glanced at her grandmother, then softly excused herself. "Grandma... I’m going to step out for a moment to speak with Mr. Glenn."

Seeing this, Mery instantly shot Glenn a meaningful look, teasing him with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Caught under her gaze, Glenn instantly grew flustered; he reflexively scratched the back of his neck, looking utterly confused, before hurriedly stepping out first to lead the way.

*****

Glenn leaned his back against the garden bench, casting his gaze over the sprawling, twinkling city lights below them. The night breeze of the Sky Garden blew softly, rustling a few strands of his hair. Beside him, Launa sat stiffly, intentionally leaving a wide gap between them.

Glenn glanced at the small document lying between them, then looked at the side profile of her face.

"An audit mission... what exactly does this mean, sir?" Launa asked, breaking the silence after taking a quick glance at the file.

Glenn rested both elbows on his knees, leaning forward with his head down. The reckless persona he usually put on at the office vanished completely, replaced by a cold, serious aura.

"The Ellsworth Group isn't as clean as it looks from the outside, Launa. There are too many corporate rats playing games behind the scenes," Glenn said, his baritone voice dropping low. "I can't move freely to expose all of it on my own because every spy has their eyes on my every move in the audit division. That's why I need you."

"But... will I really be able to move around unnoticed, sir? The other staff will definitely get suspicious if I suddenly become close to you," Launa asked hesitantly.

Glenn let out a low chuckle, a clever smirk playing at the corner of his lips. "That is exactly the point. Tomorrow, I'm going to face my dad myself to officially bring you in as my personal assistant. On the surface, I’ll have two assistants. Jerry will remain the official assistant handling formal documents. Everyone's attention will be focused on watching Jerry."

Glenn angled his body slightly toward her, locking his eyes on Launa with a nonchalant yet deeply calculating gaze. "As for you, the entire office will know you as a trophy assistant who got promoted purely based on your looks or because of the rumors about us. Those corporate folks who think they’re the smartest guys in the room will definitely look down on you. And the moment they let their guard down, you can slip into the old archives room, eavesdrop on the breakroom gossip, and gather the data I need without drawing a single eye."

Hearing Glenn’s lengthy, detailed explanation, Launa completely froze. Her tongue went entirely numb, and a wave of intense fear slowly crept into her chest. She gripped the hem of her office skirt tightly.

"Sir... but this is way too risky for me," Launa squeaked, her voice trembling with hesitation. She looked at Glenn with an anxious gaze. "Just being an intern has already made me the target of all sorts of office gossip. If I suddenly jump to being your personal assistant tomorrow, the people at the office will definitely look at me with even more hostility. They’ll only assume the absolute worst of me."

Launa looked down, recalling just how cruel Simon Ellsworth’s gaze had been yesterday. "And besides... your father. Mr. Simon definitely won't approve. How are you even going to explain this to him, sir? I’m scared."

Glenn let out a short sigh, then closed the distance between them. "Launa, listen to me. My dad is my problem. I’m the one who will handle him tomorrow; you don't have to face him. And as for the people at the office..." Glenn let out a faint scoff, putting his arrogant mask back on. "Let them talk. Just treat it like white noise. The more they busy themselves looking down on you and throwing shade because of the gossip, the less they’ll ever realize that you’re actually monitoring their every move. I will make sure you are safe under my watch."

After those words left Glenn's lips, a sudden silence fell between them.

Launa didn't answer right away. Instead, she fell completely silent, lifting her face to look intently at Glenn for a long, drawn-out moment. Her eyes traced the sculpted features of her young boss's face, trying to figure out what was truly hidden behind Glenn Ellsworth's nonchalant and reckless mask.

Being stared at so intensely by Launa under the dim, glowing garden lights, Glenn suddenly felt a strange sensation. A sudden flutter stirred in his chest. His heart unexpectedly hammered twice as fast. Glenn, who was usually brimming with confidence, now found himself completely flustered under the girl's deep gaze.

Glenn cleared his throat loudly, hurriedly averting his gaze to hide the sudden wave of nervousness crashing over him.

Noticing the shift in Glenn's demeanor, Launa finally gathered the courage to speak. "What... what is your real reason for doing all of this? Why are you this ambitious?"

Glenn went quiet again. Staring straight ahead, he took a deep breath, then leaned back against the bench with his signature nonchalant posture.

"You’ll find out eventually," Glenn replied, his voice cold and enigmatic.

He then stood up from the garden bench, slipping both hands into his pants pockets. "Alright, let's head back down. Stay out here any longer and we'll catch a cold," he snapped abruptly, immediately walking ahead to mask the lingering awkwardness between them.

Meanwhile, Launa remained frozen on the bench, staring at Glenn's broad back fading into the distance, as a mountain of curiosity began to pile up in her mind.

*****