Chapter 173

I chuckled and nodded. "Just trying to catch up on all the company stuff as fast as I can."

"I get it, but you're coming in way too early. You know we don't do overtime, right?" Ron joked.

I smiled a little. "Yeah, it's voluntary."

"That's why you're a department head. If everyone was as dedicated as you, OceanixCorp would be unstoppable." His flattery was almost laughable, but with Ron, it was hard to tell if he was joking or serious, so I never really took it to heart.

"But seriously," he added, his tone shifting, "the company can't run on your back alone. I've noticed how hard you've been working, and I've already let the higher-ups know. The boss said no more of this early morning routine. If you burn out, it'd be a real loss for the company."

So, just like that, Ron had made sure I couldn't sneak in those early hours anymore.

But that was fine. I didn't feel the need to dodge Hayden anymore. He hadn't left breakfast at my door for the past few days, so I figured he'd finally