“Alright, thank you.” Estelle expressed her gratitude. She was concerned about Cristofer using his walking stick on the stairs, worried that he might stumble. Once they reached the bedroom, she watched him sit down and take the phone. “I’ll answer the call now,” she said before hurrying out of the room.
As Mrs. Moorsum was busy preparing breakfast, Estelle stood in the hallway to answer the phone, with the door open so Cristofer could hear the conversation.
“Eva, you finally decided to call me back. I tried reaching you so many times yesterday, but you didn’t pick up. Did aliens abduct you?” Estelle swiftly scolded Eva, her voice laced with dissatisfaction.
Cristofer listened attentively, feeling relieved when he recognized Eva’s voice. He couldn’t help but smile, thinking, ‘Thank goodness it’s Eva. As long as it’s not Wern.’
Eva playfully stuck her tongue out and said, “What’s up, Estelle? You can’t imagine how busy I was yesterday. I didn’t even check my phone. I saw the missed calls last night, but I thought it would be too late to call you back. So, I decided to return your call when I got to the office today.”
Estelle, understanding that Eva worked for Cristofer and followed his orders, didn’t want to push further. Instead, she asked, “How’s everything at the company?”
Eva reassured her, “Don’t worry, everything is running smoothly. All the departments are working together.”
“Good,” Estelle replied with relief. “I’ll work on the design for Mr. Wern’s jewelry order. Please inform the factory to gather all the materials needed for the samples.”
Estelle had only outlined the new design yesterday while taking care of Cristofer. To meet the deadline, she needed the materials ready in advance.
Eva responded, “I’ve already taken care of that. Estelle, are you planning to take the day off today? You haven’t come to the office yet.”
Estelle glanced toward the bedroom, still uncertain about her decision. Over the phone, Eva sensed Estelle’s hesitation and tried to make the choice for her. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll handle things here. You’ve been working so hard and need some rest. Take a few days off. I’ve seen your message, and I’ll consult Vincent if there are any uncertainties. If he’s unsure, I’ll reach out to you.”
Eva seemed to preemptively address all of Estelle’s concerns, leaving her little room to argue. Then she added, “I have another call coming in. I need to get to work. Goodbye,” and promptly ended the call.
Listening to the beeping sound on her phone, Estelle wondered if Eva still saw her as the CEO. Meanwhile, Cristofer, still leaning against the headrest with a pale face, took out his phone and logged into Estelle’s email account on the web. He sent the emails from the drafts folder, which contained responses to various departments that he had prepared for Estelle by reviewing her email conversations.
Cristofer had discovered that Estelle hadn’t changed her email password, so he would log in daily to read their past exchanges and reminisce about their passionate history before going to sleep. It was his sweet secret. After some time, he decided to do more and began composing solutions to various department issues. He would send these solutions to Eva first, who would then offer subtle suggestions to Estelle as her assistant.
Estelle was sharp enough to understand the hints he provided and find the best solutions to the problems. It was another one of his secret ways of helping her. Last night, he woke up despite his discomfort, and after crafting responses to the departments, he went back to sleep peacefully, which explained his state this morning.
When Estelle was still hesitating in the hallway, Cristofer typed quickly on his phone to send Vincent a message. ‘The emails I sent you are all work-related. If Eva asks you questions, you can answer her according to the emails.’
Yawning and drinking coffee in front of the desk, Vincent thought he had a new task and quickly logged into his email. He was stunned by the number of unread emails and almost spat the coffee on the screen. ‘Wow, what a workaholic! Cristofer could help with other people’s work when he was so ill.’ He thought to himself.
Vincent received Cristofer’s email, opened the latest email, and was immediately impressed by the detailed project plan. Cristofer had meticulously outlined every step, including do’s and don’ts and backup plans. It was evident that he took this task even more seriously than his own work. Vincent sighed and got to work on the project.
After sending the email, Cristofer reverted to his weak, sickly state. He leaned against the headrest and coughed when he heard Estelle’s footsteps approaching. As he expected, Estelle paused on her way downstairs.
Estelle had gone up and down several times but finally returned to the bedroom. Upon seeing Cristofer, she offered, “Uncle Luke is not at home, and Eva can handle my work, so I can take care of you if you don’t mind.”
She gently touched his forehead and commented, “Your fever has subsided, which is good. However, I still think you should rest a while longer to fully recover. Hold on, I’ll fetch a warm towel to clean your face in case you start sweating again.”
Cristofer was known for his cleanliness obsession. Even if he worked late at the company, he’d go home for a shower before returning the next day, ensuring he appeared fresh in meetings. Consequently, it must have been uncomfortable for him to lie in bed with a pale, sweaty face.
“Okay. Thank you,” Cristofer replied, offering a sincere smile.
Estelle had her back to Cristofer at that moment, so she couldn’t see his smile. She quickly went to the bathroom and retrieved Cristofer’s towel. Thinking back to how she cared for Christina, she instructed, “Raise your hands.”
Cristofer followed her instructions, and as she covered his face with the towel, he couldn’t help but ask awkwardly, “Are you taking care of me like a child?”
Estelle responded without hesitation, “The children are much better than you. Even Christina knows not to move around when she’s sick. But what about you? How could you leave your room to bring me my phone when you’re so sick? You’re not even as obedient as the children.”
She wiped his face gently as she spoke. Under the warmth of the towel, Cristofer realized how close Estelle was to him; he could feel her breath.
Almost involuntarily, he raised his hand and held hers.
Estelle felt the warmth of his hand and was surprised. She quickly withdrew her hand, rushing to the bathroom with the towel in hand, saying, “The towel isn’t hot enough. Let me soak it in hot water again.”