Chapter 216: Chapter 216: Coaxing

“I just had a sudden, urgent matter that required me to step out for a short while to handle some crucial documents. The boss is most likely already on his way back to his private office as we speak. Since Julian is here visiting today, he will undoubtedly have his own special way of coaxing the boss and soothing his raging temper. Right now, I need you to go and give Colin a heads-up. He has always possessed the necessary experience to smoothly handle these kinds of sudden, unforeseen situations for the boss. You should wait patiently until Colin has properly arranged for those managers to leave the premises, and once they are gone, head inside to meticulously clean up the conference room. We will wait to consult the boss for his final opinion so we can appropriately reschedule the meeting for another day.”

“Yes, I understand completely.”

Very soon after that prompt acknowledgment, the person on the other end of the line proactively disconnected the call. Helen swiftly let her fingers fly across the screen, sending a few more lines of concise instructions directly to Colin. Following that, she shifted her gaze, looking toward Julian with an expression full of deep, lingering scrutiny. Right at this precise moment, out in the wide corridor, the distinct sound of steady, heavy footsteps began to echo. The footfalls were profoundly composed yet carried a noticeable trace of hurried urgency, strongly suggesting that Ethan had finally returned to this floor.

After all, the grand executive office and the main conference room were separated by the mere distance of a single floor, and the exclusive elevator specifically designated for top-tier leadership always operated at an exceptionally rapid speed.

However, Julian did not seem to pay much attention to the impending arrival of the man. The young man merely lowered his voice and softly asked Helen a verifying question: “Is Colin truly one of our highly reliable people as well?”

The specific concept of “our people” in Julian’s personal dictionary referred exclusively to individuals who were exactly like Helen, those who took direct orders and maintained an absolute, unwavering loyalty solely to Ethan. These also had to be the rare individuals whose backgrounds had been exhaustively scrutinized by the stringent internal security system, guaranteeing beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were not inside moles or hidden spies working for any rival factions. Naturally, this strict exclusion heavily applied to the numerous other members within the Caldwell family, an institution notoriously fraught with endless, treacherous schemes.

Helen gave a subtle, firm nod to provide her silent confirmation. Right at that exact instant, seamlessly synchronizing with her motion, the heavy door of the executive office was forcefully pushed open from the outside.

Ethan strode assertively into the spacious room. The sharp line of his thick eyebrows was still knitted tightly together in an expression laden with palpable tension. It was highly probable that the deeply furious, storming-out demeanor he had exhibited just moments prior was not entirely a mere theatrical charade meant to deceive the observant eyes of everyone present. Upon seeing Julian still sitting there with an air of complete leisure, unapologetically occupying his designated chairman’s seat, Ethan did not express a single word of objection. The imposing man merely raised his hand in a slow motion to slightly loosen the knot of his silk tie, pulling it down just a fraction to allow himself to breathe a little easier, before turning his piercing gaze toward Helen: “What incredibly urgent matter occurred that necessitated you calling me back here so immediately?”

In all honest truth, even up until this current moment, Helen herself did not possess a clear understanding of the actual situation unfolding. The capable secretary could only offer a gentle, helpless shake of her head, immediately followed by casting a profoundly meaningful, suggestive glance directly toward Julian. Witnessing this silent exchange, Ethan naturally followed suit, narrowing his dark eyes to focus his intense gaze upon the beautiful young man. Perfectly on cue, Julian took the proactive initiative to gracefully stand up from the leather confines of the large chair. He raised his hand and offered a gentle, beckoning wave, visually instructing Ethan to walk over and close the distance between them.

When the tall, imposing man had finally drawn near enough, Julian acted with an incredibly smooth, fluid naturalness. He utilized his relatively smaller, delicate hands to firmly but gently push Ethan downward, guiding the powerful man to sit comfortably upon the large chair. As for Julian himself, he moved with remarkable agility, practically climbing directly into the broad, inviting lap of the older man. While sitting firmly and securely upon Ethan’s muscular thighs, Julian carefully employed the soft tips of his slender fingers to begin gently, rhythmically massaging the sides of Ethan’s tense temples, applying just the right amount of pressure to help the stressed CEO finally unwind.

“Is your head hurting you terribly today?” Julian murmured softly: “I have distinctly noticed that you have been continuously frowning and deeply furrowing your brow ever since the very moment you first stepped foot into this room.”

Helen, who was still standing rigidly off to the side: “…” Had the surrounding atmosphere not been exceedingly tense, overwhelmingly oppressive, and incredibly dangerous just a few fleeting moments ago? Why on earth did she suddenly feel as though her continued presence standing right here was entirely superfluous, making her feel strikingly akin to a glaringly bright, high-wattage third wheel intruding upon an intimately private moment?

As for Ethan, it appeared as though he had completely and utterly ceased to notice the physical presence of any other living soul in the room. The deeply exhausted man willingly buried his heavy head into the comforting, delicate crook of Julian’s slender shoulder, breathing in greedily to inhale the pure, clean, and refreshing scent of cool mint that continuously radiated softly from the young man’s body. Ordinarily, Julian harbored a very particular, much-loved habit. He thoroughly enjoyed taking freshly picked mint leaves, carefully pressing them tightly between incredibly thin layers of breathable fabric, and then hanging these small aromatic bundles comprehensively throughout the interior of his wardrobe. This meticulous, entirely handcrafted method effectively helped to strip his clothing of any harsh, unpleasantly pungent odors that usually lingered from mass-produced industrial detergents, reliably imparting a delightfully cool and uniquely exhilarating sensation that was vastly superior to the norm.

He truly did not know the exact reason why, but merely by being able to catch a faint, lingering whiff of this soothing, gentle mint fragrance right now, Ethan suddenly felt as if the previously overwhelming sensations of bitter hostility and the completely irrational waves of deep frustration festering inside of him seemed to diminish to a highly significant degree. Even that persistent, dull, and throbbing sensation of hidden pain that had been endlessly pounding away at both sides of his weary temples miraculously felt as though it had been noticeably reduced in its severity.

Julian rhythmically and softly patted the broad, solid back of the older man, acting much like a patient caregiver tenderly coaxing a troubled soul. Following this affectionate gesture, he turned his head back around to directly address Helen:”I want you to please go ahead and arrange for someone to brew a very light, delicately flavored batch of tea. Make absolutely sure that they add a remarkably generous amount of fresh mint leaves into the brew, and then proceed to serve it to every single individual who is currently present and waiting inside of the conference room today. However, you must explicitly remember to be exceptionally tactful and perfectly subtle in ensuring that you deliberately skip and avoid serving that particular person.”

As to exactly who the specific identity of “that particular person” actually was in this sensitive context, at this precise moment in time, both Helen and Julian possessed a crystal clear, entirely mutual understanding deep within the unspoken confines of their own knowledgeable hearts.

Helen immediately nodded her head in rapid succession, showing her immediate compliance. Without wasting another precious second, she swiftly began to utilize her phone in order to issue strict, detailed instructions to her most highly trusted subordinate staff members, directing them to flawlessly execute this specialized assignment. Meanwhile, at this very same time, Julian leaned his weight entirely and comfortably back against the remarkably solid frame of Ethan, and finally began the slow, measured process of meticulously explaining the comprehensive roots and the absolute entirety of the complicated matter at hand.

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