“Frank, take me back to my office.”
Helen was hugging her legs, her expression one of misery and disappointment.
Frank began, “Helen, actually-“
“Don’t say it, Frank. I get it,” Helen murmured, turning to look outside the window so that he would not have to see her cry. “I regret nothing at all.”
After being silent for a while, Frank started the car as it drizzled.
He drove in silence, feeling unsettled even as he took Helen back to Lanecorp’s offices.
They got out, and Helen stopped outside the entrance. “I’m giving you two days’ leave, Mr. Lawrence. It’s been taxing… You should get some proper rest.” Frank could hear the crack in her voice and saw that she was forcing herself to smile despite forcing back tears.
“Yeah.” He nodded and started to leave since he knew she needed time by herself.
“Oh, and don’t mind what my mother said,” Helen added. “Even if you were a pig, you’d still be the most amazing, most handsome boar there is.”
“Pfft…” Frank chuckled, amused. “And you’d be the most beautiful sow.”
“Quit being slick already.” Helen smiled, holding a palm over her lips as she strode in the building.
Frank’s smile faded in turn, standing silently outside as he looked up at the towering building.
“Well, they’re the ones behaving despicably, so they can’t blame me for anything…” he muttered and turned to leave.
Frank was driving aimlessly along the streets of Zamri when he received a call from Winter Lawrence.
“What have you been doing?” she asked. “It’s been so long since you’ve shown up in Riverton.”
“Uh, well…” Frank trailed off, but he
ve
really had his hands full over the past month or so helping Helen and Vicky, and he did not have the time return to Riverton.
Winter ignored his half-response and asked tentatively just then, “Will you be free tomorrow? It’s my
convocation ceremony tomorromet
and you’re a lecturer at the
university. Do you think you can make it?”
Still, she was understanding as ever and quickly added, “But it’s fine if you can’t make it if you’re busy. Yeah, it’s definitely fine…”
“Hmm…”
Frank could hear the hope in her voice and decided right then that he should surprise her.
Hence, he sighed and said, “Yeah, I’m sorry, Winter. I’m really busy so I can’t make it. Next time, maybe?”
“Eh?” Winter was a little surprised,
but giggled nonetheless. “You’re
such a joker, Frank. There’s no next time for a convocation! Well, it’s fine if you’re busy. Just worry about yourself-I’m fine.”
They chatted a little longer to catch up before hanging up, and Frank breathed a sigh of relief after.
He almost told Winter his plans right then… and he had free time anyway, so he could really spare some time to go back and check on Winter and Noel York. Moreover, he could show up at Winter’s graduation ceremony to surprise her.
Making up his mind right then, Frank spun his steering wheel repeatedly, powersliding his Maybach as he U-turned into another road.
It left the cars behind him exclaiming in shock endlessly.
“That’s a Maybach! Shit, the guy’s rich and still that good a driver?!”
“The tires have to be expensive too… Shit, the man is literally burning money!”
