Chapter 192: Elena's Odd Behavior Today

Leslie looked particularly innocent as he explained again, "Miss Martinez, you've misunderstood me. The boss has never instructed me to say these things. I just couldn't help but say a few words..." "Because I can see that he is really treating you well now. Don't you feel it, Miss Martinez? Maybe there's some misunderstanding between you and him. But in order to resolve the misunderstanding, there should be more trust between the two of you," Leslie added. Martina remained silent instead of speaking. She was puzzled. Was it really that obvious? Had her doubts about Benjamin become so transparent to everyone? Martina had the breakfast that Leslie had prepared for her in her hand. Since there was nothing to say, she focused on eating. Well, some things were better left unsaid. Maybe it's best to pretend as if she hadn't heard anything at all. Martina arrived at the company and clocked in for work. She was more than an hour late. Fortunately, she was the boss, so she could just mark herself as present for the whole day. She entered her office in the studio to start her day's work, while Leslie, with nothing to do, rested in the lobby outside. After all, his only responsibility was to ensure Martina's safety; he didn't need to be by her side all the time. Because, if Martina wanted to leave the studio, she would have to pass through the lobby, and as long as he waited there, he wouldn't miss any of her movements. Leslie, with nothing to do, either pulled out his phone to chat or immersed himself in a magazine. Because he was used to it, he didn't find it too boring. It wasn't until Elena also arrived late that, upon seeing Leslie, her steps involuntarily came to a halt. Today, Leslie seemed to have dressed up with a touch of flair, whether intentionally or not. Wait, it's not quite right to call it "flair." It's more like an indescribable charm that made people couldn't help but take a second look. Even Elena couldn't help but take a second look. She felt that Leslie looked entirely different today. This made her think about that night, and she scolded herself for being so foolish ever since that incident. Elena had warned herself that she could drink, but she absolutely couldn't drink so much, or she'd really embarrass herself. It seemed like Leslie noticed Elena's gaze and slowly raised his eyes to look at her. What surprised her was that Leslie had a beauty magazine in his hands, and it was mainly the cover that gave a somewhat misleading impression. The actual content inside was quite normal. As Elena passed by Leslie, she heard him say, "Why are you staring at me? Do I have something on my face?" Elena shook her head and retorted playfully, "Looking at you? Me? Well, I can clearly tell that you have no shame." Leslie immediately became displeased. "Miss Rodríguez, what do you mean by that? How am I shameless? I'm just sitting here, responsible for protecting Miss Martinez. Is there a problem with that?" Elena snorted, but in reality, she said that on purpose because she was feeling somewhat uncomfortable. "Let me tell you how. Haven't you seen what you're holding? You're actually reading a beauty magazine in our studio? Are you out of your mind?" Elena warned. "If you bring any bad things to our studio, I'll be the first to beat you up!" Leslie was somewhat bemused but still flipped through the magazine's content. "Could you please take a look? The content inside is perfectly normal. I got this magazine from your studio, so if it's a 'bad thing,' it's your studio's problem, not mine." Elena was speechless for a second, however, she soon retorted, "Is that so? Anyway, it's still not allowed. You could have taken it to read in private." After saying this, she might have realized that her previous words were a bit embarrassing. In frustration, she stomped her feet and decided to compromise, "Alright, never mind. As long as you don't affect anyone else, it's fine. Otherwise, I'll kick you out." Leslie rolled his eyes, feeling that Elena seemed a bit off today. Did she wake up on the wrong side of the bed? Why was she picking on him right away? About an hour later, Martina and Elena had already begun designing new drawings, busily working without even taking a water break. Leslie had pulled an all-nighter the night before and didn't get home until 3 in the morning. After a bit of cleaning up, it was already 4 am. He had woken up early today. So, feeling a bit drowsy, he had read the magazine and played with his phone for a while, but now he was starting to feel extremely sleepy. He thought to himself, at this time, it's unlikely that Martina would go out, and even if she did, she'd probably ask him to come along. So, he decided to take a short nap. He also informed the receptionist nearby, "I'll take a rest on the couch over there for a while. If Miss Martinez leaves, please let me know." The receptionist, aware of the relationship between Leslie and Martina, which seemed to be a protector-protected relationship, nodded in understanding. "Of course, Mr. Ling. I'll make sure to wake you up when the boss appears." With that assurance, Leslie felt at ease and made his way to the sofa in the rest area. He stretched out on the long couch, figuring even a short nap would do him good. Leslie had probably slept for less than half an hour when an unexpected figure appeared at the studio's entrance. This person was dressed in a light gray suit, carrying a briefcase, and appeared to have rushed here in haste. His demeanor was both gentle and captivating, the kind of person who was very likable. If Leslie were to open his eyes right now, he would realize that the newcomer was none other than Elena's brother. Benjamin had warned him in advance to make sure to keep that person from getting too close to Martina. Unfortunately, Leslie was in a deep sleep, so he had no idea about this. Alejandro, however, wasn't bothered by it. He followed the route Elena had given him and made his way to their shared workspace upon arriving at the studio. When Alejandro reached the door, he lightly knocked and called, "Elena." Elena, who had been busy with her artwork, heard her brother's voice and quickly got up to open the door herself. This was probably a privilege only Martina and Alejandro enjoyed, as others wouldn't have had it. "I thought you were joking with me today! But you are here now!" Elena had no knowledge of the phone call from yesterday, but she could see that her brother was in a bad mood. She didn't expect Alejandro's arrival here.