Chapter 413
Chapter 413:
Helena had playfully scolded him for being shameless, but deep down, she secretly wished for that trip just as much.
Now, hearing Alden mention it again, she fought to hide her embarrassment and said firmly, “If you want that trip, you’d better follow Leonino’s advice and get through the surgery without a hitch p>
“Yes, ma’am,” Alden replied, his smile playful.
Helena rolled her eyes at him, her gaze quickly darting to the clock on the wall. It was seven o’clock in the evening where she was, but already past midnight in Corland. Alden was staying up late just to chat with her.
Concerned it might mess with his surgery, Helena was about to tell him to hang up and get some sleep, but then another figure appeared on the screen. A voice she recognized followed—Leonino’s. “Still up? Do you want to skip your surgery? Get to bed, now p>
The screen jolted and flipped, and Leonino’s face replaced Alden’s. He had actually confiscated Alden’s phone.
For a brief moment, Helena felt like she and Alden were teenagers separated by miles, with Leonino playing an overprotective parent, trying to keep them apart.
Quickly, she adjusted the camera to show just her face.
“Thanks for Alden’s surgery,” she said to Leonino with a smile. Leonino returned the smile. “Don’t worry—I’ll keep a close watch on him p>
“Hey!” Alden’s voice grumbled from off-screen. He was usually the one in charge, but now he was under someone else’s thumb.
Hearing him complain, Helena imagined his icy, pouty expression and couldn’t help but chuckle.
The next day was the day of Alden’s surgery. Helena kept checking her watch, trying to figure out when they would take him into the operating room. Despite her worries, she still went to work like any other day. Donn handed her a bunch of menial tasks—helping an intern polish an interview draft, printing papers for other coworkers.
Once those were done, Donn insisted she rush and turn in her reflection report. An hour later, she finished it and took it to Donn’s office, only to face another round of nitpicking.
“Is this how you take responsibility for a mistake? As a news editor, do you actually think your writing is good enough? Every word makes it seem like you’re just dodging your duties!” His criticism kept coming without pause.
𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 ⍰
Helena was already feeling uneasy about Alden, and as she listened to Donn go on and on without saying anything important, her thoughts wandered to Corland. Had Alden’s operation begun yet? How much longer would it take?
Her focus faded, and Donn quickly saw this.
“Helena Ellis!” He struck the desk and called her name in a firm voice. Helena quickly snapped back to reality. Donn, visibly frustrated, insisted she repeat what he had just said. He hadn’t anticipated it—despite her distracted state, she echoed every word flawlessly.
With no reason left to scold her, Donn took a long breath and said, “There’s a new winery in the eastern part of the city. They’re hosting a launch party. They’ve invited the media for coverage, so I’m putting this on your plate p>