Chapter 44

For the dinner that night, Nathan reserved a private room with three tables.

Layla and her team sat at one table, with Alice sitting beside her.

During the meal, Molly raised her glass in front of Nathan and said ambiguously, "Layla, you just joined the company less than a week ago, and you have already taken on such a big project. You will be the backbone of our team in the future. Mr. Marley values you so much, don't let him down."

Everyone understood the implications in Molly's words, but no one said anything.

Today's incident was unexpected for all of them.

Nathan asked Layla's name at the elevator and then handed over the project to her. When these two things were combined, it inevitably sparked speculation. Could it be that Layla caught Nathan's attention, and that's why he gave her the project through the backdoor?

This is not in line with Nathan's usual style. He has always been fair and wouldn't bother with such small projects. This situation is quite intriguing.

In addition, Molly doesn't have good relationships with others, so everyone is observing from a distance.

"Molly, I I can't drink." Layla forced a smile. Her tolerance for alcohol was very low, just one glass of wine could make her dizzy. Moreover, her stomach was uncomfortable at the moment, so drinking would definitely be unpleasant.

"Just because you've become popular in front of Mr. Marley, you refuse to drink with me? Do you look down on me?" Molly questioned.

"No, really, I just..."

Alice discreetly tugged at Layla's clothes under the table and mouthed the words, "Just drink."

Layla reluctantly raised her glass and took a sip, but it made her feel so uncomfortable that she almost spat it out. She quickly put the glass down.

"Boom!" Molly slammed her empty glass on the table, furrowing her brows. "Layla, I finished mine, and you only had a little sip?"

"Exactly, even newcomers should have some manners, shouldn't they?"

"Molly is her superior, but does she think she can do anything she wants now just because she has Mr. Marley's support?"

"How did someone like her get into the company?" murmured the people at the same table, while those at nearby tables watched the spectacle.

Nathan quietly watched her, his dark eyes behind his glasses revealing a hint of sharpness.

"I'm sorry, I choked earlier. I will drink more." Layla quickly raised her head and finished her drink in one gulp, coughing repeatedly. It burned her throat and made her stomach even more uncomfortable.

"Just one glass is not nearly enough. How about a penalty of three glasses?" Molly suggested.

Layla panicked. One glass was already unbearable. If she had to drink three, she would surely collapse today.

"If you don't want to drink, it's fine. As long as Mr. Marley supports you, you can refuse to drink. How can I force you?" Molly deliberately said this.

"I'll drink." Layla poured herself a glass, brought it to her lips, but couldn't swallow it.

Normally, she found the scent of red wine pleasant, but now it was suffocating due to the alcohol. What was happening? Her sense of smell seemed to have become unusually sensitive, and she felt waves of nausea.

Nevertheless, Layla had to gather her courage, closed her eyes, and was about to force herself to drink it.

"Today is a dinner, not a drinking contest. If you want to drink, let's choose a different occasion." Nathan spoke up.

Everyone looked at him. Was he clearly protecting Layla?

Molly's face turned pale, and she tightly clenched her fingers under the table. How infuriating!

Someone tried to ease the tension and said, "Mr. Marley is right. Haven't we had enough drinking during social events? Let's just enjoy our meal among colleagues."

"Yeah. Those who want to drink can drink, and those who don't want to shouldn't be forced."

Molly unwillingly retorted, "Not being able to drink is unacceptable! As a designer, it's inevitable to have social obligations. She may not respect me, but can she tell clients that she can't drink? Mr. Marley can't always protect her."

"I just have a slight stomachache today. I'll work on improving my alcohol tolerance." Layla quickly spoke up. She didn't want the situation to become even worse.

More awkwardness ensued.

"Since Mr. Marley is protecting you so much, you should at least raise a toast to him," Someone chimed in.

Layla had no choice but to pick up her wine glass. "Mr. Marley, I..."

"But it would be more sincere if you raise the toast in front of Mr. Marley," He interrupted.

"Yes, of course," Layla replied as she raised her glass. However, just as she took a few steps, Molly tripped her, causing her to fall into Nathan's arms.

Nathan quickly steadied her, but it appeared as if he was holding her, and some of the wine spilled onto him.

A fleeting smirk played at the corner of Molly's mouth.

"Sorry, Mr. Marley, I..." Layla's face turned pale as she scrambled to sit up and hurriedly reached for tissues.

"No need to apologize, as long as you're okay," Nathan helped her up and cast a cold gaze at Molly, "As a designer, one must learn how to behave. I won't tolerate anyone on my team playing such tricks. Sort yourself out."

After Nathan finished speaking, he left the table.

The room exploded with voices and discussions.

"Crying out Mr. Marley's name at the elevator was already bad enough, and then to throw oneself on him in front of so many people, how shameless."

"What a 'pure' student she is. She's quite skilled at this. We can't measure up to her."

"Exactly. She got a project on her first day, she'll probably be promoted to designer in just three days."

"What talent? It's all about looks, tricks, and being shameless."

Layla's face burned as she glanced at Molly, realizing that Molly had deliberately tripped her.

Molly proudly said, "Mr. Marley said he doesn't like people playing tricks. I guess he doesn't like people shamelessly flirting with him."

"I don't believe Mr. Marley was talking about me," Layla coldly said before leaving.

"What do you mean? Are you saying it was me?" Molly angrily stood up and tried to grab her, but her hand only caught the air, "Hey, stop right there! How dare a mere intern be so arrogant? Don't you want to work here anymore?"

"Don't be angry, Molly, it's not worth it. She was purposely trying to provoke you, don't fall for it."

"That's right, Mr. Marley will soon see through her tricks and see her true colors. She won't last long in her current position!"

Several colleagues comforted Molly, but she was still furious and consumed by jealousy.

Nathan was her senior in college, and she had fallen for him at first sight. She even came to work at the Holland Group to be closer to him.

After four years of being colleagues, Nathan never showed any extra interest in her and always had a cold attitude. She had even tried to ask him out privately, but he had rejected her.

She consoled herself, thinking that Nathan was naturally aloof, a workaholic who had no interest in women. But now, seeing how biased he was towards Layla, could she accept it?

"Just a mere intern."

"Why her? What is better about her?"

Molly grew angrier as jealousy burned within her.

Layla caught up to Nathan and saw him embracing a curvaceous woman in the corridor.

The woman planted a kiss on his lips and said, "Darling, I'll be waiting for your call," before swaying her hips and walking away.

Nathan smirked and wiped off the lipstick from his mouth, lazily saying, "Come out."

Caught again.

Awkwardly poking her head out, Layla apologized, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to peek."

"Once or twice, what's the difference?" Nathan teased frivolously. "Next time, do you want to watch it live?"

Layla blushed bright red and quickly waved her hands, "No, no, no, I'm not into that."

"Haha! Just kidding, look how nervous you are." Nathan reached out with two fingers and touched her face, checking her temperature. "You're so hot. Are you drunk?"

"Well, maybe a little." Layla's heart raced faster and her head felt dizzy. Emboldened by alcohol, she couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Marley, can I ask you a question? Are you... suffering from split personality?"