Chapter 41 A Gooseberry

Chapter 41 A Gooseberry “You’ve already arrived, so why didn’t you come over? What are you waiting for?”

After receiving the phone call from the front desk, Christopher put his work at hand to one side and waited for Diane to arrive. However, he grew somewhat anxious after he waited for a while and didn’t see her coming. She’s quite stupid, after all. I’d better go out and look for her, he thought to himself as he came out of his office.

Diane’s heart almost jumped out of her chest when she looked back and saw Christopher. When she thought about how he had caught her spying on somebody else, she felt very guilty.

Evidently, Christopher discovered Diane eavesdropping on the conversation inside the lounge. As he patted her on the shoulder, he took a look inside the room as well.

Just then, the people inside the lounge also heard the noise outside, so Queenie walked out of the lounge while holding a cup of coffee that she had just made. On the other hand, the employee from earlier turned pale at the sight of Christopher. Since she was afraid that he might’ve heard her gossiping about him just now, she lowered her head and left without daring to say a word.

Queenie’s eyes fell on Diane’s face. “Who is this, Christopher?”

At last, Diane had a clear view of Queenie’s face. As the two women looked at each other, they had a complicated look in their eyes.

“This is Diane.” Christopher introduced Diane to Queenie.

Queenie seemed to have figured out who Diane was long ago. Upon hearing Christopher’s words, she immediately pressed her lips into a smile. “Are you Diane? I’m Queenie Hayworth. Nice to meet you.”

Queenie Hayworth? What a gentle-sounding name that is, and her face is very attractive too, Diane thought to herself. Queenie’s eyes were bright; her nose was straight and delicately beautiful, and her lips were perfectly shaped and of just the right thickness. Furthermore, with her fair and incredibly tender skin, her gorgeously lithe figure, and the aura of an elite that she exuded, even women would involuntarily fall for her when she smiled at someone right now.

It was very easy for a person to feel inferior when facing such a woman, and such feelings of inferiority would distract them. Naturally, Diane stood there and stared at Queenie while the latter greeted her.

She forgot to give a response until Christopher reminded her from the side and said, “Why are you in a trance? Queenie is talking to you.”

Queenie? This name sounds so exceptionally sweet and tender when it comes out of his mouth, thought Diane to herself. “Oh, it’s nothing. I just think that Miss Hayworth is very beautiful. In fact, your beauty is unforgettable.”

“Hehe…” Queenie chuckled while shifting her attractive gaze to Christopher. “You’re really good at complimenting people, Miss Cornell.”

“She’s telling the truth,” Christopher replied without thinking. His thin lips curved in a smile, but he lowered his eyes to look at Diane. “Let’s go. Stop standing here.”

“Okay,” Diane replied. However, before she could turn around, Queenie saw the bag of desserts she was carrying in her hand and asked in surprise, “Crumbs and Bites? Do you like Crumbs and Bites’

desserts too?”

“This…” Diane looked at the bag she was carrying. She then replied casually, “It’s already mid-

afternoon, so I passed by the shop, bought some snacks, and brought them up with me.”

“Did she buy these afternoon snacks for you?” Queenie raised her brows while looking at Christopher banteringly. “Your taste is so different now. Didn’t you loathe such sweet desserts in the past?”

Diane’s heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously turned to look at Christopher. Suddenly, she found it awkward and funny for her to stand there at this moment. Not only was she unaware of Christopher’s coffee-drinking habit and his dislike for desserts, but she also was like an intruder who—

not knowing her own limitations—suddenly broke into the world between these two. I’m so unwanted, she thought to herself.

“You’ve misunderstood what I meant.” As she came back to her senses, Diane hurriedly changed her story. “These aren’t for him. I’ll be bringing these back to eat them myself.”

“Oh, I see. I’m so envious of you; I can’t even go near these since I’d only gain weight by eating sweet stuff.” Queenie smiled naturally with no trace of affectedness—it was as if what she said just now didn’t mean anything else.

As Diane looked at Queenie, she felt that she had been overthinking just now. Nonetheless, it made her feel perturbed.

“Who said that I don’t like sweets?” Christopher suddenly responded while taking the bag of afternoon snacks from Diane. Diane was startled, but he had already held her hand and asked, “Let’s go to my office. Would you like to have a taste too, Queenie?”

The expression on Queenie’s face froze for a moment before her lips curved into a smile. “All right, I shan’t care about my diet today.”

Christopher then turned around and left while taking Diane’s hand.

As Diane was being dragged along by Christopher, she heard the rhythmic clack of Queenie’s heels behind her. For some reason, she had a strange feeling deep down inside, for she thought that the atmosphere between Christopher and Queenie was weird. They were smiling, but they seemed to be angry with each other. What about me? What am I in their relationship? Obviously, Queenie’s relationship with Christopher isn’t as simple as the relationship between a subordinate and her superior. I’d better not get involved in this. Otherwise, I’ll be reduced to a gooseberry or a cannon fodder in their relationship.

A trace of unhappiness that even Diane didn’t realize herself filled her heart. Just as she and Christopher were about to reach the door, she suddenly stopped dead in her tracks and said, “I’d better not go inside. Actually, I’m here to visit Emilia. I’m going to see her right now.” With that, she broke free of Christopher’s grasp and walked toward the elevator without waiting for his reply.

His palm became empty, and Christopher looked at the woman who had suddenly turned around and left with a frown.

“What’s wrong with Diane?” Queenie looked at the elevator, and there was a puzzled expression on her face as well.

Christopher’s eyes darkened. Without saying a word, he took several steps and went after Diane. Not only did he leave without hesitation because of the woman’s emotions, but he also didn’t tell Queenie that he was leaving.

Meanwhile, Queenie froze as if she had lost consciousness. Then, as she loosened her grip, the exquisitely made coffee cup dropped to the ground with a clang!

The coffee cup shattered into pieces as it dropped to the ground, but most of the brown liquid spilled over her feet. The coffee had been freshly brewed at a temperature of at least 80 degrees Celsius.

Furthermore, she was wearing leather shoes with low-cut uppers. As her foot became scalded with coffee, she instinctively let out a cry and crouched on the floor.

Christopher took a backward glance upon hearing the noise. After pausing for a few seconds, he turned back and asked, “What’s wrong?”

The anxious tone in his voice warmed Queenie’s heart somewhat. “I’m fine. I just accidentally lost my grip on the coffee cup,” she answered while squatting on the ground.

Christopher crouched down as well and stared at her feet. Then, he looked up and shouted, “Amy…”

A tall and capable secretary ran out of the room next door. “What can I do for you, Mr. Wayne?”

“Miss Hayworth has scalded herself. Help her downstairs and find a clinic to treat her burns,” ordered Christopher as he stood up. After taking a look at Queenie, he turned around and walked toward the elevator without saying another word. In the end, he left anyway.

The pain in Queenie’s foot spread all over her body along the nerves. As she squatted on the ground, she watched as the slender and tall figure in front of her turned a corner and disappeared from her sight.

“You may leave now. I’ll send Miss Hayworth there.” Suddenly, a voice rang in Queenie’s ear, and she turned her gaze to see another man standing beside her.

“Stop looking. He’s left,” the man said with a smile as he grabbed Queenie’s arm and dragged her to her feet.

Amy Gibson promptly left at the man’s order. As she stood up from the floor, Queenie felt a burning pain in her right foot, but she broke free of the man’s grasp right after standing up. “I’m fine, so you don’t have to worry about me. Please head back, Mr. Jonathan.”

Jonathan Wayne retracted his hand, but he didn’t leave. Instead, he was still wearing a faint smile on his face as he said, “Why are you being so stubborn? You’ve seen it as well; it seems that you no longer have a place in my brother’s heart.”

“This is my business, so you don’t have to care about it,” Queenie replied coldly. Not bothering to look at him again, she turned around and walked to her office with a limp.

Jonathan followed behind Queenie and moved close to her cheek. Then, he retorted softly, “You’re wrong. Don’t forget that we’re on the same side, Queenie.”

Queenie suddenly stopped in her tracks. As she looked at Jonathan, a trace of ruthlessness flashed across her exquisite features.