Chapter 160

Last night, Jonathan abruptly dragged me to Willowcreek, and we had a terrible fight. He then left me there and vanished. I still didn't know where he'd gone or how I was supposed to get back.

I sighed and said, "I'm not at the hotel anymore."

"What?" Frederick sounded surprised. "When did you leave? Why didn't you tell me?"

He probably thought I'd left that morning. I shook my head and said, "It's a long story. You should head back now. I'll call you if anything comes up."

He seemed to want to say something more, but finally let it go. "Alright, I'll hang up then."

After the call, I flopped back onto the large bed. I thought I could fall back asleep, but I couldn't, no matter how hard I tried. Frustrated, I ran a hand through my tangled hair and threw off the covers.

I got up and went into the bathroom. One look at the dark circles under my eyes made me sigh again. I didn't feel great, but I needed to compose myself.

Just then, a message arrived from Gabrielle asking if I had time to stop by the office. I called her back immediately. "What's up?"

Gabrielle sounded tired, perhaps even a little stressed. "Can you come to Millenia? Jonathan finally agreed to let you resign, but he said you have to come in person to submit your resignation."

I froze, exasperated. "My resignation isn't a request; it's a notice. Why does he get to approve it?"

"There's nothing I can do. If you don't show up, HR can't proceed," Gabrielle said, clearly conflicted. "They've been asking me constantly, and honestly, I don't know what to tell them anymore."

I didn't have much choice. Since she put it that way, I agreed. "Don't worry, I'll come in and handle everything today."

I thought Jonathan wouldn't bother me for a while. After walking out last night, I figured he was angry—at the very least, we were in a cold war. I didn't expect him to pull a stunt like this the very next morning, just to force me back to the office.

I rushed out the door. Unfamiliar with Willowcreek's immense size, I nearly got lost. Thankfully, a security guard directed me, and I reached the gate in time to catch a cab.

It took a while, but eventually I flagged one down and asked the driver to take me to Millenia Corporation. On the way, I glanced out the window while skimming the project proposal Frederick had sent.

When I arrived at Millenia, I went straight to the elevator. Gabrielle was already waiting at her desk. "Elise, finally! You're here."

She hurried over. "HR has been on my case nonstop. They said you haven't been coming in lately, and now they're docking your attendance bonus."

I gave her a helpless look. "Let them deduct it. I'm quitting anyway."

"But the severance—"

She sighed. "If you were being laid off, you'd at least get a decent payout."

"This isn't the time to worry about severance. Besides, I'm resigning of my own accord. Whether I get it or not doesn't matter."

Gabrielle let out a long sigh. "I thought we could squeeze something out of Jonathan on your way out."

That stopped me. I turned to her, serious. "Gabrielle, focus on your job. Don't let my situation affect your career."

She was silent at first, just looking at me with a complicated expression. Then, after a moment, she muttered, "Idiot. Even now, you're still worrying about me? What, do you think you're that irresistible? That it would actually be worth it for me to throw away my career just for you?"