Gloria stubbornly stood in place and did not move.
"Gloria, pick it up," Patrick said for the second time. His deep eyes were aggressive.
Tiny beads of sweat appeared on Gloria's forehead, but she still said, "I am an employee of Fittro Club. I work in the Public Relations Department of Fittro Club. I'm not an employee of the Hammond Group."
Patrick walked toward Gloria. Gloria wanted to retreat, but she just couldn't move.
Patrick stood in front of her and glanced at her. Then, under her gaze, he bent down.
He picked up the suit on the ground and handed it back to Gloria.
"Gloria, for what you've lost, I'll help you get them back." He looked at Gloria and said, "Go change your clothes."
Gloria did not understand what Patrick meant, but she could only obey Patrick since he insisted on it.
Soon, Gloria changed her clothes and followed Patrick into the car.
Soon, Patrick's black car stopped in front of the building of the Hammond Group.
Patrick got out of the car gracefully. Then he walked to the side of the passenger seat and opened the door for her.
All the way, Gloria had been silent. Patrick looked at her but didn't urge her. He was waiting for her to make a choice herself.
Gloria sat in the car. She suddenly hated herself so much for her incompetence. She hated herself since she didn't dare to resist.
At this time, it was time to go to work. The employees were coming to work. They checked on Gloria curiously and she didn't like it. She had no choice but to get out of the car.
As she stepped out of the car, more people began to look at her with curiosity. Gloria immediately lowered her head so they couldn't see her face.
She was afraid of facing so many people, afraid of their gazes. People would be afraid of the sunshine if they were kept in the dark for too long. When they first got in touch with sunlight again, they wouldn't feel warm. Instead, they would only feel the sunlight dazzling. It was the same case with Gloria now.
Patrick walked in front, followed by Gloria. They walked into the building of the Hammond Group.
Patrick suddenly stopped and looked at Gloria behind him.
He saw Gloria hesitating outside the gate. She was reluctant to come in.
Patrick recalled how confident she looked when she came to see him in the Hammond Group a few years ago.
Gabrielle was shy. But Gloria was never shy.
The past was still in his memory, but the reality was no longer the same as before.
He remembered how humble she was when she faced everyone after leaving the wolf prison. He also recalled how perfect her self-defense posture was.
If she lost something important in those three years, he would help her get it back.
Making Gloria smile was the way Derrick proved his love to her. As for Patrick, he would help her get her dignity and pride back. This would be the way Patrick proves his love.
"You can come in and follow me to the meeting. Or you can turn around and go back to your dorm now." Patrick glanced at Gloria and said, "I'm not joking, and I won't stop you."
Gloria bit her lip. She looked at the man opposite her. She wanted to read his intentions from his face, but Patrick never showed his emotions. She really couldn't understand him.
She kept her head low and carefully scanned the surroundings from the corner of her eyes. People were carefully peeping at her out of curiosity. To her, those curious gazes were terrifying. Then Gloria turned to look at Patrick tentatively.
She pricked up her ears to hear the people whispering about her. Within their curious gaze, there was also disdain.
"Who is this woman? Why is she so timid?"
"How could Mr. Hammond know this kind of woman?"
"Look at the clothes she is wearing. They are from famous brands. Yet she still looks poor and shabby."
Gloria couldn't hear everything they said. She could mostly get their meanings.
Her face was deathly pale. She lowered her head and bit her lips. Then, she tasted a trace of sweet blood.
Patrick's gaze fell on Gloria. Since Gloria could hear those people, Patrick could hear them too. However, he didn't scold them.
He only focused on Gloria.
Back then, Gloria was never afraid of others' comments. She had arrogantly said to him, "Why should I care about the comments from people who aren't comparable to me?"
And today, those gazes and words were like monsters to Gloria, terrifying her.
Those pairs of disdainful eyes and those mocking words were unbearable to Gloria.
She turned around to leave. She ran to the curb, reaching out for a taxi.
Patrick didn't stop her. He quietly watched Gloria take a taxi and leave.
He crooked his finger behind him. Leonard leaned over and Patrick whispered in Leonard's ear. "Follow her. Also, pay for her taxi. She doesn't have any money on her,"
"Yes, Alpha Patrick," Leonard replied.
Patrick glanced in the direction that Gloria had escaped. He turned around and walked in. As he walked, he thought, 'She escaped today. There's still tomorrow.'
Once the meeting was over, Patrick immediately left the company.
He drove to Gloria's neighborhood again. He followed the address and found Gloria's dormitory.
After he knocked on the door, he heard an inquiry coming from the room.
Patrick didn't speak. He raised his finger and knocked on the door twice.
"Why are you here?" Gloria asked in shock when she saw Patrick at the door.
"Why can't it be me?" He asked with his eyebrows raised.
Gloria wanted to say something, but she did not say it in the end. She asked awkwardly, "Mr. Hammond, is there anything you want?"
"Aren't you going to invite me in for a cup of coffee?" Patrick asked.
"I don't have any coffee at home," Gloria replied.
"Water is fine too," Patrick said again.
"In that case, please come in." Gloria had no choice but to invite him in.