Chapter 1347
Chase gave a nod and gently patted Belinda’s shoulder, reminding her to calm down a bit. “Yeah, there’s no need to worry anymore.”
Jacob, being Belinda’s boyfriend, felt a bit off about his boss, Chase, getting all touchy-feely with his girlfriend. He was uneasy about it but couldn’t buck up the courage to voice his displeasure to his boss.
So he stepped forward and also comforted Belinda. “Belinda, all’s well that ends well. They’re okay, so you can breathe easy now.”
Belinda looked at Jacob, snapping back to reality and realizing she was standing way too close to Chase. Immediately, she took a step back, creating a safety bubble between her and Chase.
Chase noticed her reaction, knew what she was thinking, and gave a slight chuckle.
Jacob then wrapped his arm around Belinda’s shoulder. “Belinda, Mr. Larios is right. We’re not supposed to go in. Let’s wait out here. I saw a coffee joint not far from the cop shop. I can get you a cup of coffee. We can sip and wait, okay?”
Belinda was in no mood for coffee and shook her head. “I’ll pass. I don’t feel like drinking anything right now.”
Jacob, feeling a bit bummed, simply nodded. “Alright then, no coffee. I’ll just stick around with you.”
Chase squinted his eyes at Jacob’s arm around Belinda’s shoulder, his face a mask. He asked quietly, “Jacob, did you get your PPT ready for tomorrow’s meeting?” Jacob was taken aback. “Uh… Mr. Larios, I’ll burn the midnight oil when I get back.”
Chase said sternly, “Burning the midnight oil? Can you guarantee there won’t be any slip-ups? Are you sure you can clearly explain everything to the bigwigs at the meeting? I won’t spell out how important the meeting is. Lsuggest you get your priorities straight.”
Jacob was in a pickle. “Uh…”
Only after Chase spoke did Belinda realize that Jacob still had a big, unfinished job. She quickly said, “Jacob, if you got work, head back. Don’t wait around with me. I don’t want your work to take a hit.”
Jacob was still worried. “But…”.
Belinda said firmly. “Don’t worry about me. I know my uncle is fine. He’ll drop me home once he’s out.”
Jacob looked at Belinda, still unwilling to leave.
Chase teased. “Jacob, Belinda understands your workload. You can head out. I’ll take care of her.”
Jacob looked at Chase as a chill ran down his spine. His boss was smiling, but it felt threatening.
He was scared that if he left, Belinda might no longer choose him.
After a moment of thought, Jacob decided to ditch work.
“Mr. Larios, I think it’s best if I stick with my girlfriend. Your kind offer is noted.
As for work, I promise I’ll finish it before the meeting tomorrow. If my slack causes any snags, I’ll take the fall. You can even fire me.”
Chase paused for a bit before smiling. “What I meant was that this isn’t your business. You’re an outsider here. It’s not appropriate for you to nose around too much.”
The term “outsider” made Jacob feel a bit awkward. He indeed had no business meddling in this. He wasn’t in a position to.
Belinda also felt it wasn’t cool for Chase to say that about Jacob, but she didn’t have the energy to argue with Chase right now. She said apologetically to Jacob. “Jacob, listen to me; go back to work now. We don’t know when they’ll be out. I’m worried you won’t finish your work in time. I don’t want to see you worn out from pulling an all-nighter.”
