In the evening, Layla joined her colleagues from the Secretarial Staff for an outing at a nearby bar and dining restaurant. The atmosphere was light, with laughter and casual conversation filling the air as they settled into their seats.
"Boss, won’t you accompany your wife?" Roger asked, casting a glance at Lucius, who stood slightly apart, observing the group from a distance.
"No," Lucius replied coolly. "If I sit there, the employees might feel restricted, unable to speak freely around her. It’s better for them to relax without my presence. We’ll stay in the lounge upstairs. That way, I can still keep an eye on everything," he explained with a asured tone.
Roger nodded in understanding. "I see," he said, following Lucius discreetly to the upstairs lounge, where they could watch the group below without being noticed.
Once seated, Lucius leaned back in the sofa chair, his sharp eyes scanning the scene below before reaching for the glass of alcohol in front of him. "How long will it take for the DNA test results to co back?" he asked, his voice low and calculating as he trailed his finger around the rim of the glass.
"At least a week, Boss," Roger replied, standing nearby with his usual composed deanor.
Lucius humd in thought, lifting the glass to his lips for the first sip. The liquid burned down his throat, but his mind remained focused. "Good," he said quietly, his gaze still fixed on Layla.
Upstairs, Lucius listened to Roger with a thoughtful expression, swirling his drink slowly. "Orabela went to see Roderick," Roger said, his tone cautious. "It seems like things aren’t going well between them. Also, I heard from his secretary that the new chairman will be announced on your father’s upcoming birthday."
Lucius’s eyes narrowed slightly. Roger continued, concern creeping into his voice. "Boss, shouldn’t you act soon? There’s only a month left until your father’s birthday."
Lucius took another slow sip of his drink, a small, confident smile playing on his lips. "I will. Soon."
Downstairs, the mood was entirely different. Layla, seated with her colleagues, felt the warmth and welco of her team. She clasped her glass between her palms, smiling at the friendly banter flowing around the table.
"Layla, how did you et our boss?" Sarah Wilson, a female colleague, asked curiously, leaning forward. "Everyone talks about your love story, but we haven’t heard the real details yet!"
Another employee chid in with a mischievous grin. "Yeah, I heard the boss himself sent a marriage proposal to you!"
Layla blushed softly at their teasing. A shy smile spread across her lips. "Yes, Lucius did send a marriage proposal," she confird, her face glowing under their playful remarks.
Intrigued, a third colleague asked, "So, how did you two et?"
Layla recalled her first eting with Lucius, which was when he returned from a funeral of his close friend. "Umm... It was a long ti ago. Lucius snatched a flower from a young boy and I ended up scolding him. I didn’t know the man before was Lucius De Salvo," she replied.
Her coworkers erupted into laughter, and a male employee sitting next to her clinked his glass with hers. "Sounds like a fated encounter!" he said, grinning.
Layla smiled warmly and took a sip of her drink. "Yes," she said softly, "it does."
As the evening progressed, the lively group beca more engrossed in their food, drinks, and laughter, filling the large table with cheer. Layla, having finished her first glass, found herself with a second one filled by a well-aning colleague.
Upstairs, Lucius was montarily distracted by a call from his father, not realizing that Layla had consud more alcohol than she could typically handle. Though he’d instructed Roger to keep an eye on her, no one was aware that Layla shouldn’t have more than one glass.
Downstairs, Layla, now a little tipsy, waved her hand in the air, her cheeks flushed a rosy red. A lazy smile played on her lips as she spoke, her words slightly slurred. "Lucius... he’s like a baby," she said with a giggle, causing those around her to laugh along. Most of her colleagues had also had more than their share of drinks, adding to the festive atmosphere.
"A baby?" soone repeated, amused by her statent.
"Yes," Layla nodded enthusiastically, her eyes half-closed. "He’s sweet... nothing like people describe him. He’s a lovely husband," she added, her smile widening.
Her colleagues exchanged glances, surprised by the contrast between the formidable Lucius De Salvo they knew and the affectionate description Layla had just painted. But in her tipsy state, all Layla could think of was how much she adored him, unaware that her words would soon reach the ears of others.
Layla’s laughter echoed around the table as she muttered, "I thought he had a potbelly," causing the entire group to join in her drunken amusent. She blinked slowly, trying to focus, her cheeks flushed. "But when I saw him on the altar, my jaw dropped. He wasn’t so balding old man," she added, giggling as the mory played in her tipsy mind.
Her colleagues burst into laughter at her candid confession, clearly entertained by her honesty. The sa male employee who had earlier poured her a glass leaned in with a teasing grin. "What are you saying, Layla? Didn’t you two date? A lot of won in the office had a crush on him, including Sarah."
Sarah blushed at the ntion, but Layla barely noticed, her gaze drifting as she spoke. "Ah, yes. We dated..." she murmured, her thoughts wandering to the early days of their relationship. "Lucius was always present on the dates," she said with a chuckle, rembering how he always seed to be around, even before she knew he was interested in her. It’s just... She got to know a little late.
Her coworkers laughed, unaware of the deeper story behind her words, while Layla swirled her drink, lost in her thoughts.
"I dance well. Do you see my dance?" Layla asked with a wide grin, swaying slightly as she spoke.
"Yes!!!" her colleagues cheered in unison, encouraging her with playful excitent.
Determined, Layla stood up from her seat, though her steps were unsteady. She removed her blazer and let her hair loose, shaking her head lightly, ready to start dancing. But before she could take another step, a pair of strong arms suddenly lifted her from the ground.
"Sorry, my dear employees!" Lucius’s deep voice interrupted, drawing the attention of the group. "I need to take my wife ho. She’s a bit tipsy," he explained with a polite but firm smile, cradling Layla gently as he carried her away.
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