Chapter 176: Maybe I Could Help

The humming of the exhaust fan, and the grunt of the leather chair every time Dr. Sison would shift her position on her office chair were the only sounds that can be heard inside the small room. 

Jess was kneeling on the floor, with the mountain of folders spread out in front of her. She was trying to make sense of how Dr. Sison filed her documents so she could file them accordingly. 

After trying for about twenty minutes, she gave up on kneeling. She sat down on the floor and opened each folder to skim the content. And then, she grouped them together with the same research. 

She's studying Microbiology and not secretarial, she huffed as she finally was able to make some progress with the mountain of folders. 

"Jessica, you can take your lunch." 

She was startled when Dr. Sison suddenly spoke up. She swept her gaze to what she did and found that she had nine stacks of folders in front of her. 

She slowly got up and winced because her knees complained in pain from being folded for a long time. But the task has to be finished for she has a feeling that if she doesn't, Dr. Sison would just make a mess of her files again. 

However, her stomach made a noisy sound, informing her that she has to eat lunch. She glanced at her watch and saw the time to be quarter to one. 'Lunchtime is almost over.' 

She picked up each stack of folders and put them in line against the wall near the door. That's the only floor space that would not hinder walking around the small floor area of the room. 

Stretching her aching back, Jess exhaled a deep breath. She put a mental note to read all those files once she has put some food in her grumbling stomach. 

"Dr. Sison, would you like me to get you something to eat?" she asked, seeing that the old woman has her face buried on some documents. 

"Thank you, Jessica, no need. I will just finish this and I'll be out of the office. I'll have a meeting with some bosses regarding my trip to India." 

"Okay, then, I will go and have my lunch now. I'll return to filing once I have my lunch." She waited for Dr. Sison to say something but she was already back to her reading. 

Jess just walked to the door and closed it softly behind her.

***

Earlier, about an hour after Dr. Sison called Jess to her office and she didn't get out, Luke was called by the senior researcher. 

He was excited, expecting that he would be given a task but the senior researcher just told him to report to HR. 

Disappointed, he said his thanks and headed to the second floor where a connecting walkway to the adjacent building was located. The HR department was a separate building from the Laboratory building. 

Whilst taking his time to reach the HR department, he wondered what Jess was doing in Dr. Sison's office that made her not get out since she entered.

Whatever it was that she was doing, he was sure that it was way more interesting than just listening to Lim's rumble about the previous research that he took part in. 

He was having a difficult time, showing interest in what he was talking about that being called to HR was something he was thankful for. His ears need some rest from Lim's incessant chatter. 

When he arrived at the next building, he looked for the elevator that would bring him to the HR department that was located on the sixth floor according to the building map he saw at the walkway. 

The ride to the sixth floor was uneventful. He passed the time staring at his engagement ring that he put on his ring finger the moment he left the laboratory. He wanted to keep it on his finger all the time but it was impossible. 

The huge diamond perched proudly on top of the ring band caught everyone's attention. Curious glances were thrown in his direction at the lab that he was forced to put the ring in his lab's coat pocket. 

When he finally arrived at the HR department, the first person he asked pointed him to the last cubicle on the right. He murmured his thanks and went to the cubicle and was surprised that it was Noah's secretary who was sitting behind the desk. 

"Uhm, I was asked to report to --." 

"Good morning, Mr. Ravenport," he stood up from the chair and picked up his coat. "Follow me, please." 

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Luke kept his mouth shut despite the many questions that were running in his head. Like, why is Noah's secretary here, and where is he taking him?

He has an idea that the HR department didn't actually call for him, since he was fetched by Noah's secretary and was asked to follow a series of corridors until they reached an empty meeting room where the secretary excused himself, saying he must wait. 

But wait for who, he wondered as he looked around the room. 

There wasn't anything special about the room. It was just your usual meeting room with a long oval table in the middle, chairs surrounded the table, and at the end of the table was a projector screen. And that's it. 

He took the seat at the head of the table and pulled out his phone. He was checking his Instagram when someone entered the room. 

"Good morning, Luke." 

"Good morning, Noah or should I call you sir? Boss? Mr. Tiefenbacher? Or my -- fiancé?" he grinned when he noticed Noah was staring at his ring when he accepted the coffee that he handed him. 

Noah cleared his throat when he heard the teasing in Luke's voice. "Everybody calls me Mr. Tiefenbacher here," he said, taking the seat next to Luke. 

"Good morning, Mr. Tiefenbacher," he said in a formal tone. He was dying to tease Noah but the time and place weren't appropriate. Here, Noah is his boss. The big boss. He is not Jess's suitor in this place. 

Noah looked at the ring on Luke's ring finger and couldn't help but ask, "Jess bought you a ring?" 

"Jess? Oh no! You bought this one Mr. Tiefenbacher," he leaned forward after darting his eyes left and right as if someone would see them talking, and in a whispered told Noah, "That's why I asked if I can call you my fiancé since according to Jess you paid for this," he waved his hand in front of Noah's face. 

Noah exhaled a deep sigh. He was expecting Jess to buy herself expensive jewelry for he received a receipt with a humongous amount. He didn't expect Jess to purchase an engagement ring for Luke. 

He doesn't know if he should be pissed off or laugh at Jess's action. A grin started to shadow the corner of his lips as amusement was slowly winning with how Jess, in her annoyance with him, bought her friend an engagement ring. 

Jess never ceased to amuse him. That was what he was thinking until --

"I never expected to own such a beautiful piece of jewelry. Jess told me that you can't take it back," he met Noah's eyes that were crinkling in amusement. "She said I should always wear it since it was our couple's engagement ring." 

"Excuse me? Couple what ---?" he asked, flabbergasted. 

"Couple engagement rings," he said. He took back the thought of not teasing Noah here in their workplace. He just can't let go of this golden opportunity to piss him off. 

Noah stared at Luke, blinking his eyes in disbelief. He looked back at the diamond ring in Luke's finger and the notion that Jess was wearing the same one as a couple ring with Luke made him clenched his fist. 

Luke, seeing the distress in Noah's eyes, pulled his phone and opened his Instagram, "See, we even had a photoshoot to commemorate such a glorious day!" he grinned. 

He felt a pang of pity when Noah's face turned into a scowl after seeing the photo of him and Jess with a flute of champagne showing off the rings they got from him. 

"She was truly mad, wasn't she?" he asked in a small voice. "She hasn't replied to any of my messages or answered my calls." 

"Well, any woman would be pissed off if a man bedded her and then disappeared the next day only to send her a diamond gift with a note saying, "Thank you for everything," he smirked and huffed. "A girl would feel like a discarded bed partner." 

Noah lowered his head. He understood the severity of his action. He can say that it was just a stupid misunderstanding, but the pain Jess must have felt, he has no way of taking it back. 

Seeing Noah, acting like a dejected puppy, Luke felt the need to comfort him. "What really happened, Noah? I mean, I know that you are a jerk, but are you really THAT jerk?" 

"I am a jerk. And what happened was a stupid mistake, and now I don't know how to fix it if Jess won't even talk to me." 

"I can help...maybe…"

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