Departed With A Belly {1}

You're So Good to Me

"Do you have nothing better to do or did you suddenly decide to become a deliveryman? Do you want to switch-"

Alaric's sentence came to an abrupt halt when he finally registered what his assistant said earlier. His assistant said the name 'Miss Selwyn.'

"From whom did you say? Miss Selwyn?"
His assistant nodded blankly. "That's right. That's what the deliveryman said."

At the same time, Alaric's phone buzzed. It was a text from Victoria.

"Grandma said you didn't have lunch, so I ordered some food for you. I just got a message from the restaurant saying that it has been delivered. Did you get it?"

Alaric's foul mood improved immensely when he saw the text, but even so, he murmured stiffly, "Aren't you trying your best to avoid me? Why are acting all concerned about me now?" Then, he looked at his assistant.

"Bring it over."

"Oh."

His assistant set the bag down on the table right beside Claudia's lovingly
prepared lunch, which was an irksome sight, for some reason.

After thinking about it, Alaric's assistant asked, "You said you're giving the lunch Miss Johnson made, right, Mr.
Cadogan?"

"Mmhmm," Alaric hummed curtly.

Then, his assistant intentionally queried, "But, since I'm full, can I give the food out to the others in the office instead? It wouldn't be good to waste food."

Alaric frowned at this question.

His assistant thought the frown meant a rejection, but instead, he heard his boss retorting in irritation, "I've already given it to you so you can do whatever you want with it. Do you need to check with me over such a simple matter?"

"I understand."

Alaric's assistant immediately took the lunchbox out with him as if he was
afraid that his boss might regret it. Claudia came back again when it was nearly time to get off work.

After going home, she kept mulling things over and felt uneasy still.

It was noon. He was supposed to be having lunch then. Why did he go out? Most importantly, he neglected me.

Am I not the person he's indebted to?
Am I not the most important person
in the world to him?

He didn't even tell me what he was going out for. Claudia felt extremely on edge.

When she walked past the assistants' area, she spotted Alaric's assistant and other employees busy at work, so she went in.

"Mr. Levane."

Alaric's assistant was a man named Peter Levane. When he looked up and saw Claudia, his mood soured.

Why is she here again?

Nevertheless, Peter stood up and greeted coolly, "Hello, Miss Johnson."

"Hello," Claudia replied with a smile.
"So sorry to disturb you, but is Al back?"

She tried her best to give a good impression because she wanted Peter to
think favorably of her, lest he badmouthed her in front of Alaric.

Peter paused before responding, "Mr.
Cadogan got back to the office at noon."
Claudia was taken aback.

"He was already back at noon?"

Why didn't he tell me that he was back in the office?

Feeling embarrassed, Claudia chuckled dryly and said, "I'll go in to see him then."