"Oh…" There went Mr Wentworth's lackluster response.
Luellen didn't mind even that. She lifted her face and got up from the seat. "I should head home now, Mr Wentworth. Thank you for hearing me out."
The man didn't look up at her even once. He just hummed as he leaned against his seat. "You're an intern in Sales… I guess I just have to fire you…"
Luellen froze. She mumbled, "Sir?"
Mr Wentworth waved his hand at her before taking out his phone. He got up from his seat and walked off to make a phone call. "Houston, I need you to take someone out of Sales. It's urgent. Wait…"
He turned to her. "Which subsidiary did you say you work in again?"
Luellen dropped her jaw before crying within her. She only sighed and answered in defeat. "Wentworth Homes, sir…"
"Wentworth Homes. Do it fast." Mr Wentworth walked away further, as if not letting Luellen listen to their conversation anymore. He didn't even care if he just fired someone in a snap.
"…what… just happened…?" Luellen cried before trudging to the elevator like a ghost. Why did she get fired just for saying things like that?
A sigh came to her. Luellen leaned against the clear elevator car that brought her to the first floor. She hid her tears. It didn't seem like working here was an option. Luellen could only apologize to Summer. That recommendation must have meant something.
Her low heels lost to the clicks of others in stilettos. However, she only held her head down as if avoiding everyone's gaze. Why would someone look back at a loser?
Ring! Her phone rang, and Luellen checked the caller. It was Summer. She inevitably stood where she was and answered, "Sue…?"
"Lue! Where are you? Matilda's looking for you everywhere!" Summer's voice broke as if fear mixed with her concern. However, Luellen didn't have the energy to apologize then and there. Summer could only keep on telling her about the chaos in the office. Their supervisor, Matilda, was turning over every desk in search of a sign of her—Luellen Piper.
"I'm just about to leave…" Luellen held onto her phone tighter. "Actually, I just got fired by the CEO. I don't think I should stay another second inside the building."
Summer's line went dead. It took her a few seconds to talk again. "What do you mean, fired by the CEO? You met him? Like… in person?"
Luellen pulled on the corners of her lips. "Yeah, but he didn't seem to like me at all. Sue, I have to go now. I'll just be at my house tonight. Sorry, I can't go with you to the mall. Tell August he didn't have to offer me a ride tomorrow, either."
Words didn't follow Luellen's voice. She only figured Summer was too horrified. Luellen ended the call and looked at the revolving doors.
"Well, at least… I'm not a glorified slave." Luellen took a step forward.
"Miss Piper!" A man's voice called her name. It was even so loud and distant that everyone else turned to the caller. Luellen froze before facing the direction of the stairs. A man in an expensive suit ran up to her. He was even out of breath as if he chased her all the way down the flights of stairs.
He weakly held onto her arm. His voice came out almost inaudibly. "Miss… Piper… report… to… the CEO's… office… first thing… tomorrow…"
Luellen's brows rose. She led the man to the seats and let him rest. "Why? Am I in deep trouble? Didn't he already fire me?"
The man fixed his slipping glasses and cleared his throat. His handkerchief then descended onto his face to wipe away his sweat beads. "Miss Piper, ahem, I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. You're not in trouble, but do report to the CEO's office tomorrow morning. You were supposed to be in Wentworth Homes. Take this as a transfer."
"A transfer? You're transferring me to the CEO's office?" Luellen gasped, but her voice remained soft. "Why?"
"Direct order from Leander… I mean, Mr Wentworth."
Luellen's eyes flickered. She then pressed her fingers to her face in disbelief. "He… isn't firing me? Eh, it's probably because of what I said…"
She then flinched as she felt her face. "Ah! I should buy makeup for real. I can't look like a dead person in his office. Erm, sir… Is Mr Wentworth allergic to certain brands? If I'm working in his office, I shouldn't harm the air around him…"
The man in the suit was busy catching his breath. However, he still froze in confusion. He turned to her with a raised brow. "Allergic to…? No… I mean, Leander's only allergic to the wearers. Any brand should be fine… but make sure your skin doesn't get a rash instead. If you work in his office, you will have to face him a lot."
Luellen looked up at the man, who rose to his feet. He even started smoothing his clothes. She smiled at him. "Thank you, sir… erm…"
"It's Houston." The man took a deep breath. "We'll probably be seeing each other a lot if we're working in the same place. Please stick to my name."
"Thank you, Sir Houston." Luellen bowed a little before finally bidding goodbye. She watched the man walk back to the elevators as if he didn't run down the stairs like a maniac. It was time for her to leave for the store.
[You have attracted (Leander Wentworth)'s interest! EXP + 10!]
[Congratulations on reaching Level 2! You have earned 300 Yellow Heart/s, 5 Proficiency point/s, and 1 Red Heart/s!]
…
Luellen could only stare at her pitiful bank account. If she bought anything expensive, it might mean not eating for days. She barely had anything left from their savings. Because of the business her father owned, they didn't qualify for any aid. Her internship didn't even have that big of a salary.
The maiden was at the mall's outdoor benches, but she couldn't even buy anything tonight. Even her tummy hungered.
Luellen then sighed and closed her eyes. The system might be enough to interest her to stave off hunger. It was just that the usually blank interface opened up to a system store. A prompt popped out before her.
[Welcome to the Hearts System's shop! You can spend your Hearts to obtain exclusive items that will help you with your conquests!]