As the meeting concluded, Allison quickly exited the boardroom, eager to confront Chuck about his unexpected presence and the fact that he was the one to announce her appointment as the new director. While she felt a sense of joy regarding her promotion, she was also perplexed and sought clarity. Could Chuck have been the one to advocate for her advancement? she wondered, questioning how someone seemingly inconsequential could influence the executive members to support her promotion. She stood outside the boardroom, awaiting answers from Chuck.
Suddenly, Chuck, Sandra, and Mr. Miller emerged from the room, followed closely by security personnel. As Allison attempted to approach Chuck, the bodyguards blocked her path, prompting her to call out his name. Upon hearing her voice, Chuck, along with Sandra and Mr. Miller, turned around. Noticing Allison was impeded, Chuck motioned to the bodyguards to allow her to approach him. Confused and somewhat incredulous, Allison thought, "What is the reason for Chuck having bodyguards? What is going on?"
When she reached Chuck, who was standing alongside Sandra and Mr. Miller, she immediately began questioning him. However, Chuck informed her that he had little time for her inquiries, deeming them trivial, and promptly walked away. Determined not to give up, Allison shouted after him in frustration. At that moment, the elderly gentleman signaled to the bodyguards, who then redirected Allison away, warning her never to raise her voice at their young master.
"'Young master?'" she thought to herself. "Why are they calling him that? Don't they realize who Chuck truly is?" She challenged the bodyguards, suggesting that they had been deceived, claiming that Chuck had been pretending to be affluent. "I have known him for three years, and he is nothing more than a pauper. Perhaps you are just pretending to be his bodyguards. How much has he paid you for this charade?" As she continued her tirade, one of the bodyguards clenched his fist, visibly losing patience with her provocative remarks. This woman was increasingly testing their composure.
Upon noticing the change in the expressions of the bodyguards, a chill ran down Allison's spine. She realized that if she continued her disparaging remarks, there was a strong possibility that the bodyguards would not hesitate to physically confront her and humiliate her in the process. With no other option available to her, she decided to leave and headed directly to her new office.
Once she arrived at the new office, she took out her phone and dialed Louis's number. He answered promptly as soon as the call connected. "Hello, darling. How did the meeting go?" he inquired.
"The meeting went well, Louis. However, there appears to be trouble in paradise," she replied.
"Trouble in paradise? What do you mean by that? Didn't you receive the promotion?" Louis responded, clearly puzzled.
Earlier that day, Allison had informed Louis about the meeting after receiving an email. He had promised to speak with his father, who had connections with the vice president of Westminster Hospital, and had agreed to advocate on Allison's behalf for the promotion. Now, hearing about trouble in paradise, Louis was perplexed, unable to grasp what was unfolding.
"It's not about the promotion," Allison explained, causing Louis to be taken aback by her words.
"What happened with your contacts?" Allison asked. "Didn't they succeed in getting rid of Chuck?" she inquired quietly.
"I haven't heard from them since. Why do you ask about him? Have you seen him?" Louis replied.
"Yes, I have seen him. Not only did I see him, but he was also present at the same meeting as me. In fact, he was the one who announced me as the new director," Allison stated, her tone revealing her confusion. "Louis, did your father manage to speak with the vice president?"
"I haven't had that conversation with my father yet. Why do you ask?" Louis responded.
"To be honest, I'm quite baffled by how Chuck is still alive and how he managed to secure a position at the hospital. Not only that, but I suspect he may even be part of the executive committee," Allison said.
"That can't be right. Didn't you tell me he's an orphan, raised by your grandfather? How can someone of his background suddenly become an executive? Is the world coming to an end?" Louis exclaimed, perplexed. He never anticipated that someone like Chuck would be alive and in a position of authority at such a respected institution. If someone like Chuck could achieve an executive role, then perhaps he could aspire to the presidency of the hospital as well, he mused quietly to himself.
"Are you certain he was the person you saw?" Louis inquired, unable to refrain from asking, despite knowing that Allison was incapable of lying about such matters. He found himself repeating the question multiple times.
"Louis, are you suggesting that I don't know what I saw, or that I have lost my memory to the extent that I can no longer recognize someone I used to see every day for the past three years?" Allison replied, her irritation evident in her tone. Nonetheless, she understood that Louis was just as taken aback as she was, so she chose not to be harsh with him. She then inquired about Louis's next steps, given that the man they wanted to be rid of was still on his way, and it was only a matter of time before he discovered that they were involved in the circumstances surrounding his kidnapping.
"I don't have a plan at this moment, but I'm confident that I will devise something soon," Louis responded. "What about you? Do you have any ideas as of now?" A brief silence ensued as Allison contemplated their next move. Eventually, she admitted that she, too, had no plans, as she had not anticipated encountering Chuck. The surprise was mutual for both Allison and Louis.
"Whatever plan we formulate will be quite challenging this time," Allison remarked. "And why do you believe it will be difficult?" Louis asked. She proceeded to explain her experience in attempting to approach Chuck. "Chuck is accompanied by four bodyguards who have not left his side since he arrived in the boardroom. This suggests that whoever is supporting him is quite powerful and difficult to contend with. Since we remain unaware of his intentions, I propose we act swiftly before he gets to us," Allison advised.
"Where are you at the moment?" Louis asked.
"I'm still in my new office," she replied.
"Okay, I will come over to meet you so we can devise a plan together," he said. "Please hurry; I was just about to leave."
With that, the call ended, and Louis got into his car, driving toward the hospital.