Chapter 3

When Mila turned back after distributing the materials, Penelope was already seated. But the seat she took was the one Mila usually occupied. Mila froze for a moment, about to speak up, when Matteo's voice cut through. "You'll sit there from now on." Penelope smiled apologetically at Mila. "I'm new to the company, and there's so much I need to learn from Matt. It'll be more convenient if I'm closer." What more could Mila say now that Matteo had given his order? So, she silently gathered her files and laptop and moved to a seat in the corner. No one else in the meeting room dared to make a sound as things transpired. Yet, Mila could clearly feel the looks of sympathy directed at her, and those looks made her skin crawl. Halfway through the meeting, Matteo raised a question about one of the projects. "Why hasn't this project been finalized yet? Who's responsible for it?" His tone was stern. Those familiar with him knew this was a warning sign of his temper flaring up. The entire room fell dead silent. Under the heavy pressure, Mila stood up and said, "I'm the one in charge of the project." Matteo shot her a cold look, his voice unyielding. "I need an explanation." "I'm sorry. I was sick a few days ago, which delayed the progress—" Before she could finish, Matteo cut her off. "That's not an excuse. I've said this before—no one is allowed to let personal matters affect work. That's the rule!" Mila fell silent and didn't argue any further. "I'll catch up on the progress." Only then did Matteo let go of things. Before the meeting ended, Matteo extended an invitation to everyone. He announced that there would be a welcome party for Penelope at Eclipse Club that evening, and everyone was invited. Eclipse Club was the most exclusive entertainment venue in all of Jesterville, known for being incredibly expensive. Such a grand gesture clearly showed Matteo's regard for Penelope. The gesture made many in the company view Penelope in a new light. Even the usually simple-minded Mindy sensed something off. While helping Mila tidy up the conference room, she whispered, "Mila, are you okay?" She was one of the few who had an inkling about Mila and Matteo's relationship. Mila's tone remained calm. "I'm fine." "But you look quite pale." Mindy sounded worried. Mila reached up and touched her face. "Is it really obvious?" Mindy nodded. "Very." "It's just my stomach acting up. It's nothing new." Mila made up an excuse. "Will you be going to the welcoming party tonight, then?" Mila gave it some thought and answered, "No, I won't be going. Please inform Mr. Hall about it for me later." Matteo had invited the entire company to welcome Penelope. With so many people there, her presence hardly mattered. Perhaps Matteo wouldn't even think of her now. Whether she went or not made no difference. "That's probably for the best. Go home early and rest. Your health comes first," Mindy reminded her. Even Mindy could see that Mila wasn't well. Yet Matteo, who had shared countless intimate moments with her, seemed oblivious. In the past, she could deceive herself into believing he was just too career-focused to notice such details. But now, it seemed she could no longer keep up the pretense. As if on cue, her stomach began to ache again. But with so much work still pending, she could only rely on painkillers to push through. She forced herself to endure until the end of the workday. The moment she reached home, Mila curled up on the bed, too exhausted to even lift a finger. She felt utterly drained, both physically and emotionally. After lying there for a long time, she finally felt slightly better, and drowsiness began to set in. "Maybe a good sleep will help," she thought. But she had barely fallen asleep when a phone call jolted her awake. The ringtone was exclusive to Matteo. What had once filled her with joy now felt like torture. She didn't want to answer, ignoring the ringing. She knew Matteo had little patience. If she didn't pick up, he usually wouldn't call again. However, this time, Matteo broke his own rule. When she didn't answer the first call, a second one followed. Ignoring it now would be inappropriate. "Mr. Hall, is something the matter?" Mila asked when she picked up, her tone distant and cool, unlike how she used to sound. Matteo frowned and looked at the screen to make sure he hadn't dialed the wrong number. He then asked, "Where are you?" "I'm not feeling well, so I won't be joining. I hope you all have a good time." Mila was about to hang up, but then Penelope's voice came through the line, asking Matteo, "Ms. Wright isn't coming? Matt, does she not welcome me?" Immediately after, Mila heard Matteo's cold, stern warning. "Mila, don't put on airs. Everyone else is here except you. Are you trying to be special?" "I—" "You have 20 minutes. If you're not here by then, don't bother coming to the company ever again," Matteo spat before hanging up. Listening to the dial tone, Mila felt a sudden urge to laugh. Just missing a welcome party had provoked Matteo to threaten her with dismissal. So what did all her years of hard work and sacrifice amount to? And what about the severe gastritis she developed from drinking to secure deals? … When Mila arrived at Eclipse, the private room was already buzzing with energy. Trent was loudly egging Matteo and Penelope on to feed each other a drink. Matteo's tone was indulgent, completely unlike the coldness from the phone call earlier. "Don't be ridiculous." "Can't you take a joke, Matt? We're all here to have fun. Everyone else has done it. Do you feel that it's right for you not to do it too?" Before Matteo could respond, Penelope raised her glass in an open invitation for him. "Come on, Matt. It's just a game. Play along! Don't make things awkward for me." Under everyone's expectant gaze, Matteo picked up his glass of red wine. Just as Penelope raised a glass to his lips, Matteo's gaze met Mila's from the doorway. The contact lasted barely a second. Then, he coolly looked away, leaned closer to Penelope, and raised his glass. Trent pulled out his phone to capture the moment for gossip, but in his excitement, he accidentally bumped into Penelope. "Watch out!" As the two were standing close to each other, Matteo instinctively reached out to steady Penelope. They collided and ended up in a tight embrace. The tension in the room seemed to reach a tipping point. From Mila's angle, they looked like lovers locked in an intimate embrace. Strangely, she felt no heartache. Perhaps she had gone numb. Instead, her stomach churned violently. Suddenly, a startled gasp broke through the lively noise. It was Mindy. Seeing Mila standing at the entrance, she couldn't help but exclaim, "Mila, why are you here? Weren't you unwell? Shouldn't you be resting at home?" Her concern felt starkly out of place in the room's liveliness. Penelope looked up from Matteo's arms and smiled warmly at Mila. "Ms. Wright, you made it! Come in! Everyone's waiting for you." "Sorry. I was held up by something." Mila stepped into the room, appearing relatively composed. Trent, however, felt a sudden pang of guilt, as if he might have gone too far. Just as he was about to explain, Matteo said coldly, "You're late. Shouldn't you drink up as a form of apology?" At the mention of alcohol, the churning in Mila's stomach intensified, sharp pain surging through her as if her insides were being turned upside down.