Chapter 1308

The boss was working so hard—how could an employee like Ian have any excuse to slack off?

When it came time to leave that evening, Ian was just about to say goodbye when he noticed a distant look on Aurora’s face. He felt a flicker of doubt. Had she been pretending in front of him this whole time? Was this side of her the real one? He stopped in his tracks.

Aurora leaned back in her chair, still turning over in her mind the post she had seen that morning. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Ian hadn’t left and asked, “Why are you still here? The day’s over, isn’t it?”

“Boss, are you hiding something from me?”

Aurora froze at the words. She sat up straight, looking at him in confusion. “What do you mean? What could I possibly be hiding from you?”

“But today, before work and even now, your mood has been off. There’s a lost look on your face. Not even when we first started the studio did I see you look like this. I think whatever it is must have hit you hard.”

As he spoke, Ian felt a pang of sympathy for her. He pulled out a bottle of wine he’d been keeping and set it down in front of her.

“Boss, this is something I’ve been saving. If there’s something upsetting you, you can talk to me about it. They say alcohol brings out the truth, but I hope drinking this will help you return to yourself—back to your core.”

Aurora’s eyes softened at his words. She glanced at the bottle, touched more than anything. Sniffling, she turned her head away. “Why are you saying all this out of nowhere?”

“Because you deserve it!” Ian’s eyes shone with admiration. “Boss, to me, you’ve always been someone who can do anything.”

Aurora felt a little embarrassed at that. She rubbed her nose awkwardly. “It’s not nearly as exaggerated as you make it sound.”

“You really are that good. You need to believe it—you deserve everything this world has to offer.” Ian looked at Aurora with open admiration, as if stars were shining in his eyes. It was the first time Aurora had ever been praised so directly, and she honestly felt a little embarrassed.

“Alright, if there’s nothing else, head home. Don’t worry about me, I’m fine.” Aurora patted Ian’s shoulder. “You’ve worked hard these days. Tomorrow the two new employees will be starting, and I’ll need you to take care of them. Later, when I’m on the show, the studio will be in your hands.”

“Don’t worry, boss, you can count on me.” Ian’s promise was earnest. He couldn’t guarantee much else, but when it came to looking after the studio, he was unwavering. Aurora knew Ian was loyal, which was why she never held anything back from him.

“Alright then, see you tomorrow.”

With that, Aurora drove home, turning down Ian’s offer to drink. After all, she had work the next day, and drinking now would only affect her performance. Ian had considered that too, so he didn’t press the matter. Compared to drinking, work was far more important. And knowing Aurora’s workaholic nature so well, he didn’t try to stop her.