Chapter 143

143 Noble Man for a Noble Cause

That was something that he wouldn’t be getting. I’m keeping my little passionate tryst with EROS to myself.

“I don’t think I have more time on my hands to offer to him, though,” I replied truthfully.

I was already juggling three very demanding clients. These three ultra-rich men were also more than a handful to handle. I yawned before stretching my arms to the side of my body.

“He’s requesting that you accompany him on some of his upcoming tours,” Jason stated before he sighed loudly.

“He’s going on tours? As in concert tours?” I asked, his words had caught my attention.

“Yes. I haven’t made any commitments, though,” Jason replied.

“Won’t that affect the other clients if I’m gone for too long?” I asked with worry.

“Well, the thing is...” Jason said before he seemed to hesitate.

Great, there’s more and Jason hasn’t told me everything yet.

.....

“What is it?” I asked impatiently.

“Well, it’s not just EROS. The other two are asking to take you on trips of their own...so maybe it will somehow balance out...” Jason explained thoughtfully.

“Huh? I’ve never heard anything about this from them before...” I murmured in confusion.

Why didn’t they tell me before reaching out to Jason?

“Maybe they didn’t want to invite you if it wasn’t allowed? How am I supposed to know?” Jason replied in a snappy voice.

“So, what should I do?” I asked for his opinion.

“If the time roughly balances out then it should be fine. You can hear the rest from the men themselves and you can decide whether or not you want to go along. It’s not like they can force you...” Jason said casually.

“Alright. I get it. I’ll let you know...” I mumbled.

“Thank you, Sweetie,” Jason thanked me gleefully.

“Sure. We should have dinner or some drinks soon,” I told him.

“Of course!” Jason shouted quite excitedly through the phone.

I stared at my phone in slight confusion after the line had disconnected. After enjoying a day of rest after reuniting with EROS, I was ready to keep the promise that I made with Adrian. What should I cook for him?

...

“As you all know we are focusing more of our efforts this year on CSR as part of building a positive brand image for our hospital chain. Our past CSR efforts have been well received by the public and has greatly helped us form relationships with the public sector as well as build trust with our patients,” a middle-aged man presented formally as he stood in front of the projection screen.

He was one of the senior managers that worked for Adrian. I sat next to Adrian like I always did when I attended meetings with him. The other managers have gotten used to seeing me around now. After Adrian had so proudly announced that we are thinking of getting married, the managers have all treated me with respect and were helpful in providing me additional information about the hospital and its other associated businesses. It was fun for me to imagine what role I would play if I married Adrian for real. Needless to say, that wasn’t going to happen in this lifetime...or the next...

I glanced over at Adrian as he watched the presentation with keen interest. I got the feeling that unlike other CEOs who worked on charitable work and CSR purely for creating a positive image for their companies, Adrian truly cared about bringing help to the people in need.

“As requested by our CEO, the target for our CSR projects this year will be orphanages and we have already shortlisted a handful of orphanages from every country that we operate in. We will work to support these orphanages to improve the lives and well-being of the children living there. Of course, that includes ensuring proper healthcare, food and nutrition along with educational opportunities,” the man continued with his presentation.

Orphanages...

“What do you think?” Adrian brought his head closer to mine and whispered to me.

“I think it’s wonderful...” I replied without hesitation.

As a girl who grew up in an orphanage that was extremely underfunded, I could say that I truly understood what it meant to suffer and to go hungry. It would help the children in those orphanages so much if they had the support of such a large corporation as this one. I smiled sweetly at Adrian as I continued to admire his goodwill. He’s such a noble and honest person.

The meeting came to an end and the time had arrived for me to live up to the promise that I made with Adrian earlier to cook dinner at his house. Adrian took my hand in his after everyone else had left the meeting room before pulling me up to my feet. He beamed a smile at me, and I could tell that he couldn’t wait for us to spend the evening together.

“Thankfully that was the last meeting. I can’t wait to enjoy our date,” Adrian admitted brightly.

“I’m just hoping that my cooking doesn’t disappoint you...” I mumbled before returning his smile.

Adrian led me out of the meeting room and after he got changed in his office, we were on our way to his house. I could tell that Adrian was in a very good mood and I found myself sharing his joy.

“This CSR project sounds like a big deal,” I said once we were alone in the car together.

“It is. We devote a lot of money on CSR as a way to really return something good to the communities where we run our businesses,” Adrian explained casually.

“Why did you choose the work with the orphanages?” I asked curiously.

“Hmm...I thought that it would be nice to help children. I feel like when you’re that young, you really need all the help that you can get. Those children don’t have parents to love them and take care of them, so the least that we can do is to provide them with good food, good shelter, good healthcare...you know...” Adrian replied before turning to smile warmly at me.

“You’re a very kind person,” I complimented him openly.

Adrian laughed a little before he started shaking his head from side to side.

“Not at all. I’m just doing what I can to help...” Adrian replied softly.

–To be continued...