Secret Wealthy Marriage
Chapter 178: Embarking on the Journey (8)

Chapter 178: Chapter 178: Embarking on the Journey (8)

"Alright, then you can sleep. Andy, I’ll accompany you for a couple of drinks. The Village Chief’s homemade wine is really good." Gavin Campbell patted Andy Aguirre’s shoulder and wanted to take him away.

Andy didn’t say anything. He glanced at Carolline Ruiz, knowing that she had closed the door to her room. He then followed Gavin Campbell to the room next to the kitchen, where they would eat.

He returned early from M Country’s Hospital, which had tried their best to keep him there, but he refused. His dream was not to be in a foreign country but domestically. He wouldn’t even want to go abroad if it wasn’t for becoming an outstanding man who can make Carolline look up to, just like she admires Henry Ruiz. Based on his understanding of Carolline, he knows how much she admires Henry, and he also hopes to become such a person.

Eventually, Andy withdrew his gaze and had a nice drink with Gavin and the Village Chief. As medical staff, they couldn’t afford to overdrink. After drinking two small cups, Andy refused to drink more, and Gavin didn’t drink either.

After Carolline returned to her room, she filled her thermos with the remaining hot water. The weather was getting warmer, but it was still cold in the room at night. With the thermos, Carolline quickly warmed up and could have a good night’s sleep.

She wasn’t as excited as Gavin because she was too familiar with Andy. The only thing she was curious about was whether Megan Clifton had returned as Andy had.

——Divider——

Bryan Hawkins didn’t finish his work and get back until the day before Austin Hawkins’ birthday. He didn’t inform anybody, but Joyce Lopez somehow found out and appeared at the arrival gates.

Xavier Estrada closely followed Bryan and saw Joyce holding a bouquet of flowers amid the crowd, looking eye-catching. At that moment, he suddenly pictured Carolline holding such a bouquet, and wondered what Bryan’s reaction would be.

This time, Bryan’s foreign business trip was different from usual. Even Xavier, who was usually slow, could sense that Bryan was eager to return to the country. Perhaps he wasn’t calm enough, which led to the delay and their return being rescheduled to this day.

As a special assistant to the current CEO, Xavier was invited to the birthday banquet for the former CEO. He had to get up early tomorrow to prepare the gift. The banquet would be held at their hotel.

However, Bryan didn’t seem to notice Joyce, or he did but didn’t think she was there to pick him up. As a result, he walked straight past her with Xavier following closely behind.

Joyce helplessly pouted her lips and lengthened her stride to catch up. "I’m such a big person. Can’t you see me?" she complained, annoyed.

"You came to pick me up?" Bryan stopped, turned to look at her, and frowned at the sight of the large bouquet in her hand. "I don’t like being the center of attention. Don’t you know that?"

As the Public Relations Department manager of the Hawkins Family, Joyce should have known better. After all, it was supposed to be her working hours. Bryan hadn’t arranged for her to pick him up, so it would be considered her skipping work.

"I..." Joyce was speechless. She knew he disliked being the focus of attention, but he had always been the center of her life. So why was he being so harsh with her? She still hoped to be a little woman in front of him, despite her strong appearance at work.

"Did you ask for leave?" Bryan continued with another question that left Joyce even more puzzled. Why would she ask for leave to pick him up? Seeing her expression, Bryan turned to Xavier. "Tell the Human Resources Department whether it was Manager Lopez’s tardiness or her skipping work, and let them follow Hawkins Family rules."

"Yes." Xavier suppressed a smile, and his response was loud and clear, even echoing.

Afterward, Bryan walked away, with Xavier closely following. In the end, Joyce was left standing there, disheveled by the wind. Not only were her good intentions wasted, but now her salary would be deducted too?

Joyce, infuriated, threw the flowers into the trash can. When she rushed out, there was no trace of the two of them. Had they really left her behind like this?

Joyce was angry, but what could she do? If she was late, she would lose her monthly bonus at most. If she was found to be skipping work, she would lose her annual bonus as well.

It wasn’t about the money; it was about Bryan not valuing her feelings.

She hailed a taxi and went straight to the office. When Bryan returned to his office, she clocked in and went back to her office in a huff.

Bryan spoke to Jeremy Auclair on the phone before calling Carolline. He tried calling her three times in a row, but each time he received a ’the number you dialed is not in the service area’.

Had she changed her number?

Bryan was annoyed, thinking Carolline was still angry. If that was the case, wasn’t her temper a bit too long-lasting?

After hanging up Carolline’s call, Bryan called his home to tell them he was back and would be heading home shortly. The person who answered the phone was his grandmother.

Before Bryan could say anything, his grandmother spoke first, "Bryan, tell me, why are you only coming back now? Do you know that Carolline has been gone for almost ten days?"