Chapter 455


    Chapter 455 What’s Our Rtionship Status


    The bitterly cold wind and rainshed at the windows, rivulets cascading down the ss like waterfalls.


    Inside the room, all was silent, but Leah felt as if the mor in her heart and ears would never stop.


    The deafening thudding of her heart helped her to ignore the turmoil in her mind.


    Han had kept these photographs all this while. From the looks of it, he had constantly kept them with


    him as well.


    She suddenly felt like crying again; this was not good. Blowing her nose, she was about to return the


    photos to Han''s pocket when Carlotta''s gleeful voice interrupted her. "Mommy! You and Daddy have


    pictures like this! Howe I didn''t know about it? Heehee, I''ve found out your little secret now! There


    are so many pictures. I want one to put in my photo album!" She stretched out her chubby little fingers


    to take one.


    Leah immediately caught hold of her eager hands. Patiently, she exined, "Carlotta, these are your


    Daddy''s photos. Mommy can''t say yes because they''re not mine. If you want one, wait till hees


    back, then you can ask him yourself, okay?"


    These pictures were Han''s treasured possessions. She could not make such a decision on her own.


    Fortunately, Carlotta did not seem unduly upset by this since she already had a lot of photographs of


    the three of them together. "Okay! When is Daddying back then?"


    Leah bit the inside of her lip hard to remind herself to stay calm. "That, I don''t know, darling. He''s gone


    on a business trip. If things finish fast, then it''ll be a few days. If not, perhaps a few months maybe…"


    At this, Carlotta''s face fell, and she looked usingly at Leah. "Bad Daddy! He went on such a faraway


    trip, and he didn''t tell me! Hmph! He''d better have presents for me when hees back, or I won''t


    forgive him, ever!"


    When she saw what a spirited response this had provoked in her daughter, Leah felt even more


    deste than before.


    Would Han evere back? Surely he would! He had to.


    It was a working day, so Leah stayed with Carlotta and yed with her until the early afternoon before


    leaving for Dream Designs.


    Just like Han had told her before, one had to keep moving forward. True, he was in hospital now. That


    was a fact. It would not be worth thepany''s performance deteriorating because of her negative


    attitude.


    The truth was, when all was said and done, she was using that as an excuse to keep busy so she


    would stop thinking about things.


    After she had scheduled the afternoon''s meetings, her assistant knocked on the door. "Ms. White, Lou


    Frobisher would like to see you.''


    "Please ask her toe in."


    Leah wrinkled her forehead slightly at the familiar name. Lou had been one of her new employees and


    the most skilled, talented designer in thepany after herself and Serena. She had an inkling of why


    Lou hade back to see her after resigning from Dream Designs.


    Upon entering the office, Lou went straight to the point. "Ms. White, I would like to represent Dream


    Designs in the International Design Contest. I know I''m nowhere as good as you or Ms. Coleman, but


    I''ve always dreamed of having an opportunity like this. Please, could you give me another chance? As


    long as I can take part, it doesn''t matter what the results of the Contest are; I''ll stay with Dream


    Designs and grow with thepany!"


    She said a lot more along these lines.


    Strangely enough, this did not move Leah as much as might have been expected. If this had happened


    in the past, she might have felt touched. However, she had been with Han long enough for him to teach


    her a great deal about the business world. It was not difficult for her to immediately realize that Lou was


    merely saying these things out of necessary courtesy, just so she could take part in the Contest .


    Lou would certainly stay with Dream Designs if she lost. However, if she won, the designer would


    immediately leave for greener pastures. The studio would only be a stepping stone in her quest for a


    brighter, more morous future.


    "I''m very sorry, Lou. The Contest is extremely important to us this time around. Based on the rules that


    we set for thepany''s internal designpetition, only the first-ce winner will represent Dream


    Designs in the International Design Contest."


    Whether they won or lost at this event was intrinsically tied to Dream Designs'' growth as apany. If


    no one else in the studio could match her design skills and capabilities, then Leah would have to take


    part in the Contest herself.


    After Lou left, Leah flipped through the information in her file and her gaze grew increasingly aloof. The


    main reason for her turning Lou down was that the woman had previously worked in the design


    department of the Frey Corporation as a team leader. Furthermore, on the day of Dream Designs''


    internal designpetition, Lou had been having a meal with her former Frey Corporation colleagues.


    Today she had tried to have Leah make an exception and allow her to represent Dream Designs in the


    International Design Contest. Even if Leah had been incredibly naive, she would still have been able to


    see the problem inherent in that.


    It was imperative to find out information on any coboration partner and be alert for any hidden


    dangers.


    This was also something that Han had told her as Hendrik.


    Without her being aware of it, he had be so much part of her life.


    At this moment, the phone began ringing urgently.


    "Mr. Wright, has anything happened?" The sudden phone call made Leah''s heart pound so hard it hurt


    to breathe. She was terrified that it would be bad news.


    "Ms. White! Our colleagues managed to find the antidote on the attacker''s dead body when they


    searched it! We''ve already given the Boss the first dose; he''s finally conscious."


    The sudden good news made Leah''s bleak eyes light up like stars. "Oh! In that case, I''lle over and


    see him right now!"


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    "Um. No, Ms. White, the Boss said you''re not toe. He''s refused the next dose of the antidote as


    well." Ben''s voice lost its enthusiasm. "The doctor says that if there''s another dy like this and he


    refuses again, he''ll only have around a month or so to live…"


    Leah was stunned; immediately, her face crumpled. "Why won''t he let me see him?" Had Han''s


    character changed suddenly now that he had regained consciousness? If their positions were reversed,


    he would havee up with every scheme under heaven and earth to get her in a ce where he


    could take care of her, even if he had to deceive her to do so.


    "That I don''t know…but if you''re willing, I really hope you can persuade the Boss to take that second


    dose of the antidote." Ben did not say anything else but hung up the call.


    Leah felt her heart clench with anxiety. She hesitated for a good while before she finally called Han''s


    number. However, even though she kept calling repeatedly, he hung up directly without answering.


    Just as she was utterly baffled, she received a short text message from Han. It read, "You''re concerned


    about me, yes, but what''s our rtionship status?"


    Leah''s brain froze. She typed and retyped her reply but was unable to send anything in the end.


    What exactly was their rtionship status?


    Was she his ex-wife? Were they friends with benefits, housemates, or merely friends? Their


    rtionship was soplex, with so many facets, that she could not decide what exactly they were.


    She was afraid that if she gave the wrong answer, it would furtherplicate matters between them.


    After quite some time, she finally typed out what she felt was the safest, most neutral answer and sent


    it. The message read, "We''re friends." Since he hade to her aid countless times, the other


    answers did not seem appropriate.


    She did not receive a reply from Han for a long while.


    Since it so happened that it was time for her to leave work, she packed up her things and went straight


    to the hospital. As soon as she had left, a figure stole into her office…


    By the time Leah arrived at the hospital, it was almost night. However, Han stopped her at the door.


    "Leah, this isn''t something friends would do. It''s best that you don''te and see me in the future."


    His words stopped her in her tracks, leaving her utterly dumbstruck.


    Ben, the hitherto silent observer who was experiencing love for the first time, sensed something


    different in the atmosphere. "Ms. White, I think what the Boss means is that you need to make a choice


    about your own feelings. If you love him, then agree to be with him. If you don''t, then interact as


    friends, and don''t overstep those boundaries."