Lena breathed deeply, her heart racing, her mind a mess of thoughts that suddenly went blank. Despite her late-night effort to study the sales department's materials in the past few days, it all seemed to vanish from her memory.Jade Neale walked by the front desk and ushered Lena into her office with a smile.Lena followed with a blank expression. As she moved from the front desk to the office, she seemed to be the subject of whispers and pointing."Pay no attention to them," Jade chuckled, handing Lena a cup of coffee.She then lowered the blinds in the office. "The sales department is as big as the marketing department, both being the company's largest departments. With so many people, there's always talk. Just ignore whatever they're saying about you."Lena nodded, looking up to assess Jade.Jade, the sales team leader, was a friendly middle-aged woman. She had a confident presence that wasn't overpowering and an easygoing personality.Lina had asked Jade to bring Lena in di
"There's none!" The one who disclosed the information smiled. "Said she's a distant niece of a friend of a friend of Ms. Thompson's. Well, you can barely call that a connection, basically!"Lena stood at the doorway, and her lips pursed lightly.She knew Lina had said that to protect her, to keep her low-key so she would not become a target the moment she stepped into the workplace. Staying discreet would also give her more time to focus on studying and learning so she could make a remarkable debut in the future.It was just that people often tended to put those in power on a pedestal or belittle ones deemed to have no value, especially the hypocritical individuals in the sales department.If one had a background, they would be respectful and polite but also backstab them—just like Jacquelin.Rumor had it that she was the trusted aide of a high-ranking executive on the board. Although she seemed arrogant and people were nice to her superficially, she was the go-to source for a few
Lena softly chuckled and nodded, then shook her head. Chris did not quite understand what she meant. Lena did not explain but simply continued walking along the street, with Chris following behind.The evening breeze carried a gentle chill, and the moon shone in the night sky, resembling a silver plate. Its soft light covered them and filled the city with a peaceful feeling.The feeling of having someone by her side felt really nice. Lena had been missing this feeling for too long."Lena, you're not planning to walk all the way back, are you?"She stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him.Mr. Special Forces looked anxious, but his eyes were filled with anticipation."Well..." Lena's voice was soft. "Are you going to take me back?""I won't take you back." Chris chuckled. "I want to treat you to a late-night snack.""Huh?"Without waiting for further explanation, Chris took Lena's hand and ran.Lena's heart jolted. Her rational mind wanted to pull away, but her finger
Lena looked at him and met his warm gaze. She did not say anything but subconsciously looked at the pizza. Her heart was chaotic.Chris tried to reach for her hand, but she evaded him again.In the moment of his distraction, she reached over, picked a slice of pizza from his plate, and then took a bite of the heart-shaped egg."Lena... Lena, this...""It's pretty good," she said softly.Chris was anxious. "I wasn't talking about the egg!""You were talking about the pizza?""Lena…"Chris had never blushed because of a woman before.He let out a deep sigh while Lena remained steady as a rock.Just then, the owner, Julius Sparks, came over. His booming voice broke the awkward silence."Are you both enjoying your meal? Would you like another serving of pizza?"Chris glanced at the middle-aged man with his elbows on the table. He covered his face with a helpless expression."I have to say, this doesn't look like your usual appetite!" Julius chuckled, patting Chris on the shoul
Lena's heart jolted as she whispered, "I don't understand what you're talking about.""Oh, you don't understand?"Lena remained polite. "Ms. Renee, it's quite late now. You should rest early.""Stop right there!" Renee blocked Lena's path, her intense gaze fixed on her. "You haven't answered my question! W-Why has everything been different since you appeared?""Ms. Renee...""Why did you always keep an eye on my mother?" Renee trembled, tears streaming down her face. "From the first day she came to the Thompsons', you said she wandered around the study with ulterior motives...""I didn't say anything wrong." Lena's expression was cold. "She did indeed steal Lina's design after that!""That wasn't my mother! That person... That person was..."Lena spoke deliberately. "Ms. Renee, I just want to protect the safety of everyone in the Thompsons, including you. If anyone intends harm to the Thompsons, no matter who it is, I won't let them go.""Stop talking!" Renee covered her ears
Lina finally finished the last document of the morning and stretched as she glanced at the calendar on her desk. It was covered with circles and notes, all added by Zuko. He wanted to ask for more "allowance" on those days. Hopefully, there might be unexpected gains aside from pocket money.Lina smiled, turned off her computer, and prepared to leave for home at noon. Just then, her secretary knocked on the door and entered."Ms. Thompson, look who's here!"Lina looked up and was delightfully surprised to see Linda and Melissa coming together.Abandoning the thought of Zuko's request for "allowance", she rushed over and linked arms with her mothers.-The three women sat at a hotel restaurant near the company. Lina ordered dishes that Linda and Melissa loved and happily watched the two mothers interact like old best friends.In fact, they had indeed become like long-time best friends. Melissa had learned how to appreciate reading, tea tasting, and flower cultivation from Linda, w
Renee nodded slightly and greeted her.Jacquelin was sharp at observing people's expressions and could tell Renee had something on her mind. Following Renee's gaze, she noticed her looking in the direction of Jade and Lena.Renee did not have many interactions with Jade, so the only possible reason for her attention was the person dressed in black.Jacquelin chuckled softly. "Ms. Thompson, it's been a while since you've been to the company. Did you notice some significant changes when you came today?"Renee hesitated, pretending not to understand.Jacquelin persistently continued, raising her chin slightly. "Are you looking at her?"Renee did not say anything, but Jacquelin noticed her fists clenching even tighter."Oh, Ms. Thompson, there's nothing special about Granny Harding! How about I treat you to coffee instead? Come on. Let's go upstairs now. There are a few new items...""What did you just say?" Renee was puzzled. "You called her...""Oh, Granny Harding? That's what w
Renee hesitated for a moment and answered the call.The voice on the other end introduced themselves directly, "Is this Renee Thompson? This is Centrolis Suburban Prison."Renee's heart raced, and her legs suddenly felt weak."We need to confirm with you." The voice continued. "Your father is Melvin Thompson, is that correct?""Yes...""Melvin Thompson's execution date is the 14th of this month."Renee took a sharp breath, staggering and leaning against a nearby tree."Ms. Renee Thompson, are you there?"Renee took deep breaths, trying to remain calm. "Yes, I'm listening...""As per usual practice, a death row inmate is allowed to meet with family members before the execution. Melvin has expressed his desire to see you. The specific time is..."It was as if millions of insects were buzzing loudly in Renee's ears. She hung up and started running along the street, hoping she could escape the mockery of fate by doing so.However...Renee ran all the way to the seaside, her min