Chapter 18: Take the responsibility.
Noah sat in his office in silence, but his mind churned in complete chaos. His father’s warning kept echoing in his ears endlessly, and it made him restless.
With it came the memory he buried deep down for fifteen years.
’I’m dying. I’ll give my kidneys to your father. But promise me one thing... You will take care of my daughter,’ Elena’s father pleaded with him, clutching his hand. ’Never abandon her.’
Noah closed his eyes briefly.
Elena was only ten when she lost her father. The Sinclair family had taken responsibility for both her and her aunt ever since.
Noah had promised her father that he would never abandon Elena and protect her.
To fulfil that promise, he had even married her, abandoning the woman he loved. All those years, he had been with Elena, treated her like a perfect lover, then a perfect husband.
But things started to change when he met Tessa again.
He couldn’t stop thinking about her, couldn’t stay away from her. He didn’t even realize when he had crossed the boundary. And now, he couldn’t think of separation from Tessa again.
But what about Elena? What if she decided to leave him?
Knock-Knock...
The sound of the door knocking broke his trance. He straightened in his seat and said coldly, "Come in."
Tessa entered. "Noah." She rushed over to him, looking anxious. "Please forgive me. I didn’t know things would spiral out of control."
Noah’s anger burst forth the moment he saw her.
"Really?" He shot her a glare. "You caused such a scene in the meeting. You humiliated Damien Knox and destroyed the partnership deal. And you are still saying you didn’t know."
"I..." she faltered.
Tessa had expected him to support her. Seeing him furious, she panicked instantly.
"It’s Elena..." she blurted out. "Yes, it’s her fault."
"What?" Noah narrowed his eyes in disbelief.
Tessa thought she would put all the blame on Elena. "That man was not fit to be a partner with us. He is a pervert. He was openly flirting with Elena."
At that, his eyes turned fiery.
"And Elena..." Tessa continued with venom in her voice. "Instead of stopping him, she kept entertaining him."
Jealousy instantly ignited inside him.
Tessa squeezed out tears. "Then he started humiliating me, saying the company made a mistake by choosing me as the vice president. I couldn’t take it."
She grabbed his hand. "Please believe me, Noah. He started it. If Elena had stopped him, none of this would have happened."
Noah shot to his feet. "Call Elena here."
Tessa lowered her head to hide her vicious smile. She believed Elena would be fired this time. But outwardly, she still acted pitiful.
"Don’t be mad at her," she said softly, clutching his arm. "She must be only thinking about securing the deal. That’s why she endured everything."
That only fueled Noah’s anger. "How could she not care when someone was openly flirting with her? She should have protested."
Tessa felt satisfied deep inside. She could imagine Elena facing Noah’s wrath. But she hid her joy and pretended to be selfless.
"Calm down," she started again. "I made the mistake. So I should resign and leave. I am so sorry. I ruined the partnership deal..."
She started sobbing.
"No one likes me here anyway," she added. "Everyone blames me for losing the Zenith Core partnership. It’s only good if I resign."
"No..." he said firmly. His expression softened as he wiped her tears away. "It’s not your fault. You were only standing up against someone who crossed the line."
"But now what?" she asked. "The deal is off. Your father must be furious. He definitely won’t let me stay in the company anymore."
Noah thought for a while. "I have a way out. Don’t worry about this. I’ll handle everything."
He took his phone and dialed Elena.
"I need you in my office," he said coldly. "Come right away."
Tessa smirked. ’Let me see how you escape this now.’
Elena entered after some time. She felt the cold pressure inside the room. The moment she noticed the malicious glint in Tessa’s eyes, she sensed something was off. But she suppressed the feeling and stepped forward.
"You called me." She was calm and composed.
Noah stepped toward her. "I heard everything that happened during the meeting. I trusted you to help secure the deal. But instead, everything was ruined."
Elena frowned. She glanced at Tessa, who gave her a provocative smile. At once, she understood.
Tessa had twisted the story again.
"You are blaming me?" Elena asked incredulously. She thrust a finger toward Tessa. "It’s her fault."
"Still dare to say that?" he snapped. "I sent you to help her. But you... You did nothing. You let that man humiliate Tessa. It’s only obvious she would lose her temper. No one will tolerate it."
He grabbed her arm tightly. "And don’t forget she was standing up for you."
It caught her off guard. "Standing up for me?" she repeated with disbelief. "How exactly was she standing up for me?"
Noah cocked his head. "You still have the nerve to question? That man was flirting with you, and you kept your silence."
His grip tightened painfully. "Is this how you secure the business deals?"
The thought of another man looking at Elena with interest made rage spread uncontrollably through him. His fingers dug deeper into her arm.
"In the board meeting, you will take the responsibility for what happened."
Elena gaped at him, stunned. "You want me to take the blame? I did nothing wrong."
She tried to shove his hand away, but he gripped even harder. She whimpered in pain. It felt as if he were about to crush her bones.
He lowered his voice dangerously. "You already planned to resign. Taking the blame won’t affect you much. But Tessa just joined the company. And this incident can tarnish her image. The board will refuse to accept her as the vice president."
Elena felt her chest ache sharply. She knew his blind love for Tessa made him irrational. But hearing him ask her to take the fall to protect Tessa’s reputation still hurt unbearably.
"No," she refused firmly. "I was trying to save the deal. But she kept humiliating Mr. Knox."
"Enough," he roared. "How long are you going to lie?"
Even Tessa flinched at his loud voice.
"Do you think I am lying?" Elena shot back.
Every time, it was the same. Whenever it involved Tessa, he chose to believe her without question.
’Why won’t you trust me?’
She wanted to scream. She wanted to shake him awake to see the truth. But nothing came out of her mouth.
"Take the fall, and I’ll accept your resignation," he added. "And if you refuse, you will go to Damien Knox and beg him to sign the contract with us."
Elena laughed dryly. Even if she knelt before Damien Knox, he would never collaborate with Sinclair Group.
"Fine. I’ll take the bullet for her," she said. "Remember to approve my resignation."
She walked out.