Secretly Mine
Chapter 174: Cared For

Chapter 174: Cared For

The moment I stepped into the office, the same scene greeted me as it had for the last week. A massive bouquet of flowers and a beautiful crystal jar that contained my favorite chocolate-covered almonds.

My lips curved up into a small smile. I quickly ran up to the bouquet to look for today’s note. A small piece of pink paper was still between the flowers. I reached in and pulled it out, quickly unfolding it.

[You’re always on my mind]

I ran my fingers across the small piece of paper, taking in the familiar sight of Christian’s handwriting.

Today’s note was a lot more romantic than the previous ones. Usually, it was cryptic messages like "Soon" or "I’m Trying".

I brushed my finger across the words before folding the note back up and placing it into my desk drawer with the others.

As I sat down in my chair, I couldn’t help but glance over at the pocket door that led to Christian’s office. It felt like forever since I’ve last stepped through that door. A sense of emptiness rose within me every time I looked at that door.

It’s been so long since I’ve seen him last...

Getting up in the morning has been a lot less stressful for me every day, and I even found myself looking forward to seeing what kind of bouquet I would receive each day.

Maybe I should go say something to him?

It was the first time I had thoughts to pay him a visit. I could at least say thank you for the flowers, snacks, and lunch that he sends me every day.

After thinking about it all morning, I finally gathered my courage and stood up.

All I have to do is say thank you. Don’t overthink it.

My pep talk helped me convince myself to walk over to the small pocket door. I took a deep breath and opened the door.

In my chest, my heart was beating wildly. I couldn’t tell if it was due to excitement or nervousness, but there was one thing I couldn’t deny...I wanted to see him.

As soon as the door opened, I stuck my head inside, praying that I wasn’t walking in on any meeting. But to my surprise, the office was completely empty.

Is he even here today?

I glanced around his empty office, looking for any signs of him. But there was nothing. No jacket, no briefcase, no phone. The stillness in the air told me that he hadn’t been here for at least a few days.

The expectant look on my face turned into a contemplative frown. It was very strange that someone with as much work ethic as Christian would be absent.

I wonder if everything is okay? Maybe he moved to a different office?

After one final glance around, I closed the door and went to sit back behind my desk. For some reason, I felt concerned for him.

Just as I was considering other possibilities of where he could have gone, I heard a knock on my door. My eyes drifted to the time on the bottom of my computer screen.

It must be Blake to deliver my lunch.

"Come in!" I shouted from my seat.

The door opened, and sure enough, Blake walked in, pushing his usual silver cart.

"I am here to deliver your lunch, Miss Moresi," he said calmly, walking over to my coffee table.

I stood up from my seat and nodded respectfully. "Thank you," I said as I watched him place the silver platters from the cart on the table. Just as he was about to walk away, I cleared my throat.

"Blake? Umm...I was wondering where Christian was today. I wanted to say thank you for all the things he’s sent over..." I looked around the room while my fingers fidgeted with the pen I was holding.

Blake paused and turned to face me. "Oh? Are you not aware? CEO Vittoria has been sick at home these last two days. He came down with a serious fever."

My eyes widened. I never considered the possibility of Christian getting sick. He’s always been so healthy that the fact that he was sick made me even more nervous.

"Is he okay?" I asked softly.

Blake nodded, "From what I heard, he’s over the worst of it. He sounded better today when he called me to remind me to pick up your lunch."

What? He called Blake personally?

"He called you to remind you to pick up my lunch?" I asked, visibly shocked.

Blake smiled politely and nodded, "Yes, Miss. He calls me every day to tell me which dishes to order for you."

I froze. I never expected that Christian would pay so much attention to me to personally choose my lunch each day.

"Then even these last two days...?" I asked, mumbling.

Blake heard me enough to answer, "Yes, Miss, he made sure to call me even as he battled a high fever these last two days. The CEO has always been attentive when it comes to you."

After answering my question, he pushed the silver cart out and left my office, leaving me to stand frozen in place.

There were so many emotions that turned inside of me. I had no idea that he put so much thought into the food that I ate.

I walked over to the coffee table and lifted the lid. A delicious rice dish looked back at me, spreading its delicious scent throughout the room. It was only then that I realized that every meal I’ve had this past week was perfectly to my taste. Not a single dish was subpar or even just okay.

My head spun as conflicting emotions turned inside of me. Feelings of "this is what he should do" clashed with "Maybe he really does care about me".

Forget it, Leslie! Don’t let yourself become so easily bought over!

I let out a small huff as I plopped down on the couch and looked at the food in front of me. No matter how conflicted I was, it still didn’t prevent me from digging in.

As expected, the food was so delicious that I didn’t leave a single crumb on the plate. My mood immediately lifted as I leaned back and closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling of having a full belly.

Who would’ve thought that I was such a foodie all along?