Luke slid the salad I had ordered closer to me. "Overthinking during meals isn't good for your health," he said."You're sure your mother will come looking for me?" I asked.Luke saw right through my thoughts again. Suddenly, the flavor of the steak in my mouth vanished. When I mentioned "your mother," Luke's eyes turned cold.What kind of complicated history did this mother and son have?"Whatever she asks, just agree to it," Luke advised."Yes, Mr. Walker!" I replied.With Luke supporting me, I felt a bit more at ease....Sure enough, that afternoon after work, just as I was packing up, Mrs. Walker called.I answered respectfully, "Mrs. Walker.""I happened to be near Greenfield Building this afternoon and wanted to see you, Ms. Middleton. Do you have time now?""I've just finished work."Mrs. Walker wasn't just in the neighborhood; she clearly came specifically to ask about today's blind date."My car is parked on the street. Come down.""Please give me five minutes,
"I..." I didn't have that kind of ability!I was about to tell Mrs. Walker I couldn't do it, but then I remembered Luke's words. I put on a troubled expression and stammered for a moment before saying, "I... I'll try my best.""I'm not trying to make things difficult for you, Ms. Middleton. It's just that these potential matches come from prominent families. If we make too many enemies, it could affect his future career. And as his assistant, if his career doesn't go well, your job would be affected too. We need to minimize the negative impact.""I understand, Mrs. Walker."After giving her instructions, Mrs. Walker asked her driver, "David, what time is it?""It's 6:30 PM, ma'am.""Already 6:30? I've enjoyed chatting with Ms. Middleton so much, I lost track of time," Mrs. Walker said with a warm smile. "Ms. Middleton, shall we have dinner together?""I've already eaten. If you have no other instructions, I'll head home now."Mrs. Walker was clearly trying to wrap things up. Wi
"Yes, Mr. Walker. Mrs. Walker informed me that your behavior has offended the Watson family," I reported honestly."What else?""She wants me to help create a lively atmosphere during future blind dates, so you don't have the chance to criticize your dates.""That's quite a challenging task she's given you. You'll have to work hard.""If you could just tone down the criticism a bit, Mr. Walker, enough for me to report back positively, that would be enough."I was well aware of Luke's sharp tongue. Asking him not to criticize at all was impossible. I looked at him hopefully, but my expectations were low."Don't criticize them? Then how about I criticize you instead?" Luke suggested.Luke was wearing black silk loungewear that accentuated his tall, lean figure. I couldn't help but glance at his long legs, secretly hoping he was joking. "Please, Mr. Walker, criticize them instead!"Luke chuckled softly."Actually, criticizing me wouldn't be so bad," I reconsidered. If Luke critic
Julius looked up, wiping cold sweat from his forehead. It was obvious from his expression that he was lying.I handed him a tissue.He mumbled a quiet "Thank you.""If the company head is so busy, it seems like you, as his assistant, have a lot of free time. Your position seems unnecessary," Luke said sharply.Luke's words scared Julius. He quickly replied, "I... I'm usually busy too, I...""Tell me about your usual tasks.""I... I usually... usually..."Julius was so nervous that he forgot what he usually did. Since I had shown him kindness earlier, he looked to me for help."Julius, there's no need to be nervous. Mr. Walker is just asking about Mr. Thornton's typical work hours," I said gently, maintaining a soft smile. "Although Mr. Walker rarely comes to Hanque, he's quite familiar with its operations. If you want to keep working here, it's best to tell the truth.""Mr... Mr. Thornton went out for a business dinner last night and had quite a few drinks. Based on his usual
Luke finished reviewing the receipts and casually handed them to me.I took them, quickly skimmed through, and put them away.A bottle of wine for 23,000? Neil's audacity was astounding!By now, Neil had arrived at the company. Learning from staff that Luke was here, he rushed to the office. "Mr. Walker, why didn't you notify me of your visit?""If I had, would you have been late this morning?"Luke walked to the file cabinet and picked up a Fabergé egg displayed there.The Fabergé egg was in pristine condition and incredibly valuable.Luke held the egg delicately between two fingers, as if it might slip at any moment. Neil's heart leapt to his throat.He reached out to take it, but Luke looked up, and Neil awkwardly withdrew his hand. "I received an important call on my way to work, which delayed me a bit."Neil showed no remorse for being late, as if it were a trivial matter."What important call could demand so much of your attention, Mr. Thornton?""With our new product
Neil didn't believe Luke's claims. He looked at the financial director and tried to shift blame, saying, "Mr. Henderson made several errors in the last financial report. I reprimanded him severely. He must have forged these receipts to frame me out of revenge.""Mr. Thornton, lies can't become truth, and truth can't become lies. If you think I'm framing you, we can have the police come and investigate," Henderson replied calmly.Upon Luke's silent signal, I took out my phone, prepared to call the police.Witnessing Luke's determination to thoroughly investigate, Neil finally grasped the seriousness of the situation. He hurriedly said, "Mr. Walker, Felfast just launched a new car model, and their stock price is soaring. If negative news about Hanque comes out now, it will surely affect our company."While Felfast was being praised, Hanque, their competitor, was being ridiculed. Many online users were claiming that Hanque was on its last legs, lacking the capital to compete against F
"Thank you for your hard work these past six months," Luke said, expressing his satisfaction with William Henderson's performance."I've simply been following your instructions, Mr. Walker," William replied respectfully. "As you predicted, Mr. Thornton's appetite became insatiable once I loosened the reins a bit."Luke had intentionally given Neil Thornton the opportunity to make mistakes and expose his weaknesses. He took a sip of coffee from the cup on his desk. "He thought his ties with the Walkers meant I couldn't touch him.""He was wrong. You're the real decision-maker at Hanque, Mr. Walker!" William's insight far surpassed Neil's."I have no patience for disloyalty," Luke stated."Rest assured, Mr. Walker, my loyalty to you is unwavering.""I trust you. You may go now."William acknowledged and left.Only Luke and I remained in the office. I informed the company's PR department that Neil had been taken by the police and instructed them to prepare a response.After hangi
"Are they experts at turning the tables?" I asked.Many parents believe that younger generations must unquestioningly obey their elders, or risk being labeled as disrespectful and unfilial.This thought made me miss my own parents. To me, they were the best in the world, never forcing or pressuring me.Feeling a pang of sadness, I blinked rapidly to hold back the tears that threatened to form."They're skilled, and so am I. Would you like to test me?" Luke replied.I quickly shook my head. "Mr. Walker, you've always been logical and well-reasoned. I'm sure you could hold your own in any debate."I guessed this was how Luke had honed his sharp tongue.With this new understanding of Luke's parents, I felt even less inclined to interact with Mrs. Walker.Luke worked efficiently. He had the legal department send formal notices to the employees who were on the payroll but did no actual work. Those who showed up late, left early, and accomplished nothing were fired.Some protested,