Chapter 261
Chapter 261:
Janice’s face wore a look of intrigue, but no immediate reply came. Their interactions were rare, despite being colleagues. And now Andrew was suddenly extending a coffee?
“Do you want to borrow money from me?” she asked.
“What?” Andrew blurted out, clearly thrown off by her question, vigorously shaking his head. “No, no, I’m not looking to borrow money.”
“Then what’s the coffee for?” Janice withdrew her hands from the keyboard, her curiosity unabated. “There’s no such thing as a free lunch, after all. If it’s not money, what do you need? Is something wrong at work?”
“Hey, Andrew,” Sierra chimed in playfully. “Don’t tell me you’re trying to get on Janice’s good side because she has a meeting with Freak Design today. You’re hoping she might bring you along, aren’t you?”
Andrew’s discomfort grew more evident. All he had intended was to make a favorable impression on Janice. Yet somehow, it had turned into a conversation about favors.
“That wasn’t my intention,” Andrew replied through clenched teeth, reaching for the coffee cup. “If you don’t want it—”
“Who says I’m turning it down?” Sierra interjected, grabbing the coffee from Andrew’s hand. She took large, eager gulps, seemingly unbothered by the heat. “Coffee’s always better when it’s free.”
She let out a satisfied burp, earning a playful eye-roll from Janice. “Worried about scalding your tongue?”
Sierra flashed a broad smile. “I prefer it scorching hot. It’s comforting somehow.”
Andrew watched in disbelief as the coffee meant for Janice quickly disappeared into Sierra. Feeling embarrassed yet powerless to protest given Sierra’s higher status, he bit back his frustration.
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“I should get back to work,” he said, masking his humiliation with a rigid face as he returned to his desk. Delilah caught his eye and offered an encouraging glance. Acknowledging her with a smile, Andrew restored his usual poise. He knew winning Janice over would be challenging, but that only added to her allure. He was convinced that his genuine efforts would eventually endear him to her.
“Janice, is it just me, or is Andrew behaving unusually today?” Sierra rested her chin on her hand, her eyes turning to Andrew, who had settled back at his desk. “Did you notice how he was looking at you? That wasn’t just friendly.”
“What exactly did you notice?” Janice asked, her interest piqued.
“He’s definitely into you,” Sierra said with a sly grin. “But isn’t he overstepping? You’re Aiden’s wife. Going after you would be like picking a fight with Aiden.”
Raising one eyebrow, Janice considered this. Andrew’s look had indeed been unusually intense.
But why the change? He typically kept to himself, hardly making eye contact with her. What brought on this newfound audacity?
“Janice, you should steer clear of Andrew. The man’s nothing but trouble. Remember how he sided with Delilah during that whole reputation-smearing fiasco?” Sierra’s warning cut through the air.
The memory crystallized in Janice’s mind—Delilah orchestrating a public witch hunt over Carman’s scandal, with Andrew leading the charge of accusations.
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