However, it didn't matter. It was better than making mistakes over and over again.
Jacob exhaled a smoke ring, which swirled around him. Indeed, smoking helped him calm down and
think better.
The hospital was terribly quiet. Only the howling of the wind outside disturbed the peace and silence of
the night. Shivering, Jacob surveyed the pale and old walls of the building with a sigh.
Something seemed to be just beginning, but in fact, it was all over. Jacob didn't know this before, but
now, he could finally grasp the essence of the matter.
And as a moment of epiphany hit him, he realized that his life was very much like the waters in the
lake––calmer and more serene the longer he lived. Although several small waves would surface from
time to time, it didn't affect him.
After puffing the last hit of smoke, Jacob rose from his seat and patted his clothes, shaking off the
ashes that might have clung onto him.
Then he looked around to make sure there was no one else. He stretched his gaze until at the endless
void of the silent hall before turning back to the ward.
He sat on a chair for the whole night and watched after Cindy. Jacob should have warned her from the
beginning, but because he knew how stubborn Cindy was, she wouldn't listen to him.
So, he chose not to tell her the truth.
However, he knew it would come to light sooner or later. He could only hope that everyone who
deserved to be punished would be sentenced. After all, there were a lot of people involved.
It was not that Jacob wanted to let the matter slide, but that he was afraid that Cindy would get hurt in
the process. When he saw her jump into the river, a lot of thoughts surged into his head all at once.
Even a kite with a broken string floated into his mind, certainly a metaphorical symbol of what Cindy's
fate could have been. At that time, all he wanted to do was to stop her. But he knew it was an
opportunity to mold her into a stronger and more confident woman.
That was why Jacob had the heart to let her jump into the surging water. But, it was all yesterday now.
Tomorrow would be a new day, a better one to look forward to. And hopefully, Cindy would wake up
feeling prouder and more confident of herself.
Jacob fell asleep on the chair wishing for this. Comforted by a thick down jacket, he didn't mind the
cold. The next morning, Cindy opened her eyes and saw Jacob crouched on the chair, fast asleep.
Slowly, she took her quilt and tried to cover him with it when he suddenly winced and woke up.
"Oh, how did I fall asleep?" Jacob rubbed his eyes and looked at Cindy.
"Mr. Jacob, you will catch a cold if you stay here like this all night. I'll be nothing but guilty if that
happens," Cindy said in a self-condemned voice, but there was a ghost of a smile in the corner of her
eyes.
Deep down, she was very happy to have such an amazing boss. No ordinary employer would do what
he did for her. So, at this point, she couldn't help but appreciate him.
"Well, I'm fine. By the way, how are you feeling now?" Although Jacob was concerned and wanted to
check her temperature, he chose to maintain a proper distance. After all, it was inappropriate for a man
to make physical contact with a woman he barely knew.
"I'm fine, Mr. Jacob. I'll leave the hospital and go back to the company with you. The company's affairs
are most important right now. You can't just set aside the issues because of me."
As Cindy spoke, she stood up and put on her shoes.
"Are you really okay? You could have caught a cold from yesterday. You can take the day off and have
a rest. There's no need to worry about the company's affairs." Jacob narrowed his eyes slightly,
carefully watching her every movement. It seemed she had recovered a lot.
"Yes, Mr. Jacob. I'm really fine. Don't worry," Cindy explained hurriedly and even walked around the
ward to prove that she was indeed alright.
After making sure that she had really recovered, Jacob nodded accordingly and stood up. "Let's go.
The company is still in chaos. I guess there has been a lot of rumors about it, although it still remains
confidential,"
Jacob said before he reached for the doorknob. Then, he glanced at his wristwatch. It was still early,
but today would be the beginning of the real showdown.
And Jacob wouldn't let go of anyone who tried to plot against him.
Of course, he knew that the other party would not let him go too, so the best tactic, for now, was to stay
vigilant and careful.
More than that, he didn't want to lose anyone of his men. They were his warriors in this battle. Although
Cindy made a grave mistake that could've cost him his company, it was still forgivable in Jacob's eyes.
What he feared most was losing everyone important and valuable to him as it would render him alone.
Therefore, Jacob recognized the need to know the strength of his team.
And since Cindy was a big asset as his assistant, he naturally didn't want to lose her, especially since
they were in the middle of a war.
After all, it was in any human to commit mistakes. No one was perfect. But more than that, Jacob knew
that Cindy deserved another chance.
And he cared about her.
But she also had to look after herself.
If she managed to emerge from this trial as a stronger woman, then Jacob couldn't be any happier and
prouder of her. But judging from Cindy's behavior this morning, she was still prioritizing the company
matters more than herself.
Jacob immediately boarded his car as soon as he got out of the hospital. Meanwhile, Cindy sat on the
passenger seat, focusing her gaze on the scenery outside.
People flocked the streets, but there were no traffic jams.
Jacob glanced at her from the corner of his eye before roaring the engine to life and stepping on the
gas pedal.
Life was indeed a roller coaster ride. And Jacob was not going to lie––his was much more than a hell of
a ride.
But even then, everyone lived a unique and different path. Jacob knew that Cindy probably had a
different course of life than him.
And there was no one she could depend on aside from herself.
After having breakfast with her, Jacob received a call from James as soon as he got in the car.
"How is it going, Jacob? Is Cindy better?" James asked from the other end of the line while holding a
cup of tea. Recently, the company matters had been stressing him out, and he knew they had to solve
it as soon as possible.
"She's much better. We are on our way to the company." Jacob turned his head to take a look at Cindy,
making sure that she was indeed alright.
"Alright. The situation had gotten much worse. Let's talk about it once you're back," James said in a low
voice, feeling helpless. The news had been leaked out, and they both knew the situation needed to be
mitigated for it not to get worse.
"How complicated is it? Tell me first. Uncle, I told you, I have a solution. So, you don't have to worry."
Jacob paused and found that Cindy was staring at him in surprise.
"Yes, I know, I know. It's okay. I'm not worried. But now that news was leaked to the public, our
employees and shareholders are in a panic. Kim didn't show up. It seemed that he had really
disappeared."
James rubbed his eyes. These problems could only be solved once Jacob's back.
"Well, it's okay. Don't worry, Uncle. Let's talk about it when I get there." Jacob hung up the phone.
Then, he tapped on the screen and called Sara. "Sara, are you in the company or
hospital?"
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