The question lightened the atmosphere of the office, and Leyna paused, before, relaxing a little, she allowed a light smile on her lips and replied:
"'K World' is indeed like a world unto itself with its size, the number of shops it holds, and their diversity. Though I didn't get to tour the whole place, I think that the only thing that cannot be done there is residing, and maybe working, if one does not belong to a shop or a store inside. The traffic is also good enough, and its decor has rendered the atmosphere inside comfortable enough to make leaving synonymous with reluctance. I really like it, and if I was younger and less strapped with responsibilities, I would have liked to spend my moments of idleness there."
Grace smiled slightly:
"You seem to like that place very much. Your evaluation has gone beyond simple professionalism."
Leyna didn't deny it. Instead, her smile widened. She didn't comment, and Grace said no more either. She returned to the subject:
"It is only semi-opened?"
Leyna restrained her smile and confirmed the question that was more like a statement with a nod:
"That is what is officially said, and I believe so, but it doesn't actually seem like that."
Grace leaned back in her seat, and turned her gaze to the view beyond the window, a thoughtful, faraway gleam making the green of her eyes deepen.
"That just means K Group has done a good job till now."
"Yes, it has. So we can expect an explosive growth in the data after the mall really opens, and even more competition later. After all, the main attraction has yet to be brought out. Everyone is looking forward to the technology they have announced."
Leyna's smile came back for a fleeting moment before it immediately went away and she linked their conversation to the previous matter:
"Maybe, that is why Director Marten…"
Grace didn't wait for her to finish her words before waving her hand to interrupt her:
"Marten has overstepped."
The words came out flat, their tone definitive, and they were followed by an impassive glance that fell on Leyna for a few seconds, before melting back into a calm that preceded a change in subject:
"Tell me, did you meet my wayward third son at the mall?"
Leyna exhaled a light breath. With the topic moving away from professional matters, she subtly relaxed, and she smiled when she recalled the encounter from this morning:
"Yes, I met Alex. He was at the gym with a friend."
Grace raised an eyebrow:
"The one he gave you a lifetime membership for?"
Leyna's smile grew, a little calm, but happy:
"Yes, that one. I think it belongs to the mall, thus to K Group."
"I see."
Grace nodded, and Leyna continued:
"He ran away when I brought up his trip from this weekend. But I don't think he will be leaving the mall before the afternoon at least."
The last sentence was added while looking into Grace's eyes to try peeking at her intentions. And indeed, she looked at the time on the monitor of her desktop and ordered as she moved the mouse to bring out other documents she had to go through:
"Get the car. We will be having lunch with him."
Leyna's lips curled up, before she restrained herself and nodded, looking professional:
"I understand, chairwoman. I will see to it."
With that, she bowed slightly, then spun on her heels and walked back the way she came, opening the door and letting it close behind her over the silence that returned. A dozen minutes later, Grace put her computer to sleep and stood up to leave the office. She met up with Leyna, who was calmly waiting for her outside, and together, they took the elevator.
The black-haired younger woman pressed the button of their destination, and stood beside her superior.
"What is that little girl Jenny up to right now?"
The question was somewhat abrupt, and it stunned Leyna for a second, before she smiled with a hint of indulgent softness:
"She is creating a company."
Grace raised her eyebrows, wordlessly making Leyna elaborate:
"It seems that she wanted to build something pertaining to fashion at first, but then she changed her mind, or maybe she lost interest. Now she is focusing on cosmetics."
Grace's eyes flickered with a deep look. Leyna glanced at her, then she continued:
"Given that she asked us to help her hide her return, this may be what she is preparing, to surprise Alex."
Seeing Grace not interrupt, Leyna's smile softened further, like an affectionate elder sister talking about a beloved younger sister:
"You know better than me, chairwoman, that Alex is the favorite big brother who has always stood before her. I doubt there is anyone she likes more in the family. She is twenty now. She might want to show her big brother that she has indeed grown up."
Grace stopped pondering. Her face softened with a hint of something akin to heartache and she let out a light sigh charged with emotions:
"It hasn't been easy for her, losing her mother so early in her life."
Leyna's happy look faded and she nodded with a sad smile:
"Yes. Fortunately, she had Alex to take care of her and pull her up every time she stumbled. Even when she fell. But it has been more than a decade already and she has become a lady. It is no wonder she wants to show it. Actually, it would have been a wonder if she did not try to show it."
A short laughter rippled through the elevator as it reached the ground floor. As the door opened, Grace shook her head with bittersweet helplessness:
"Indeed, Jenny has grown up, and she is an adult now. We are not lacking that bit of money, so let her play to her heart's content. No Lenner is trash, so I trust her intelligence. And I trust Alex to look after her."
*Ding*
Grace's words made Leyna's smile come back, and she followed behind her as she nodded, then laughed softly:
"You are right, chairwoman. There is no need to worry about her. But Alex is really a weird blend of responsibility and recklessness."
The comment about her son made Grace exhale a light smile. Leyna stepped up to hold the door of the sedan that had been brought forward. Going around after Grace went inside, she looked back at the high-rise that housed the multinational economic powerhouse Arland Group, and let out with a light breath, just before getting into the car:
"Jenny is back. I wonder when Helly will return."