Chapter 3

The next day, I woke up with dark circles under my eyes.

After dinner with Harry last night, it was quite a struggle to get away from him.

I couldn't understand his strange insistence on staying longer with me.

"Let me take you home. It’s too late. I'm worried about you," Harry said, looking down as he stood by the roadside.

Listening to this unreasonable request, I clenched my left hand into a fist and punched him hard on the shoulder.

"No need! My motorcycle is still parked over there. I'll ride it home quickly while there are fewer people around at night."

Harry winced from the punch and rubbed his shoulder, which secretly pleased me a bit.

However, I didn't really ride a motorcycle, and it was nearly midnight by the time I got home by taxi.

In the morning, I rushed to the office without even time for breakfast.

Earning less than three thousand dollars a month, I was living a dog's life.

Damn. The elevator today was incredibly slow.

I looked around casually to make sure no one was around.

Deciding to take a risk, I slipped into the nearby elevator labeled "CEO Only."

But this taught me a lesson. People should never look for shortcuts.

Suddenly, the elevator stopped on the fourth floor.

The moment the doors opened, I was stunned.

Harry unexpectedly appeared before my eyes.

I widened my eyes, trying to think of a way to escape.

Harry, seeing me, paused, evidently surprised to find a woman in the elevator.

I internally chanted, "Don't recognize me!"

"Are you..."

Clearly, prayers didn’t work. I'd never trust in God again!

I feared the words "Jessica" would come out of his mouth, so I interrupted him.

Pretending to be ignorant, I blinked at him. "Sorry, sir. I'm new here to clean. Could you direct me to the restroom on this floor?"

"Over there." Harry pointed without suspicion.

Just as I was about to flee, I heard Harry's voice behind me. "Don’t use this elevator in the future."

My legs went weak. "Understood."

By the time I reached the twelfth floor, I was already late.

"Damn. Ava, what were you doing last night? Why such heavy dark circles?" Natalie noticed as soon as I arrived at the office.

"You won’t believe it. I went on a blind date yesterday."

"A blind date?! You're just 23. How did you end up going on blind dates?" Natalie looked at me sympathetically.

"Let’s not talk about it."

Just as I settled at my desk, a commotion stirred in the hallway.

The sound of high heels clicking on the floor unnerved me for some reason.

"The new CEO is here to inspect the work today. Get ready!" Julia announced as she ran into the room.

The new CEO? The man from this morning?

Oh no, it couldn't be!

Denying my suspicions, I looked through the glass door and saw the approaching figure.

Harry!

"Good morning, Mr. President!" The four other people in my office stood up to greet him.

"Yeah, as if you're always this energetic," I muttered under my breath from under my desk.

"Is everyone here?"

I recognized Harry’s voice immediately. It was distinctively crisp, unlike those of men clearing their throats.

If I didn't know him, his voice would have been a pleasure to listen to.

But at that moment, it was pure torture.

"Everyone is present! Five people, count off!"

"One."

“Two.”

“Three.”

“Four.”

Everyone was silent. I didn’t dare make a sound, and no one waited for the fifth voice.

"Eh? Where's Ava? Wasn't she just here?"

“Please don't look for me.” I prayed fervently, hands together.

"Leaving the post without permission. Deduct five hundred from this month's salary. In half an hour, everyone gathers in the meeting room."

"Understood!"

Fortunately, Harry didn't pursue further.

Having lost merely $500 was no bother. The real risk was being recognized as the one who went on a blind date with him. In the worst case scenario, I could lose my job.

As I listened to Harry's departing footsteps, I slowly crawled out from under the desk.

"Ava, why were you under the desk?" Natalie asked me.

I straightened my twisted clothes. "It's nothing. Let's get ready for the meeting."

Once inside the conference room, I deliberately chose a seat far from the president.

Struggling, I arranged strands of hair to cover my face, keeping my head down throughout, trying to be inconspicuous.

But some disasters couldn't be avoided by mere hiding.

"So handsome."

"Yeah, imagine being the president's wife…"

As Harry stepped into the meeting room, whispers began.

Quite a few fan girls.

Like this type of man?

They really should go play with motorcycles. He liked someone with personality.

"Let's quiet down. I want to introduce you to our new president."

"The president is so handsome!"

Cheers erupted below, and I clapped along symbolically, unexcited.

Then, Harry began his speech.

The random inspection today must have been a spur-of-the-moment idea.

When would this end? His speech was so verbose.

The meeting was excruciating for me.

Fearing Harry's notice, I felt like burying my head into my lap.

"Ava, are you feeling alright? You've been looking down, and the president has been watching you," Natalie whispered to me.

What?

I jerked in shock.

Looking up, I accidentally met Harry's gaze.

I awkwardly twisted a smile, more grotesque than crying.

Harry glanced at me with an unexplained smirk, then looked away.

I thought he was probably shocked by my grimace.

"Meeting adjourned."

Just as I was about to grab my notebook and flee, Harry spoke again.

"Someone from Planning Group Two in the black shirt. Stay behind."

Couldn't this guy finish his words all at once?

Planning Group Two?

That was my group.

Black shirt?

I looked down at my own black shirt, my gaze suddenly resolute.

I looked at Harry, hoping for a denial.

Instead, he pursed his lips and nodded slowly at me.

I was finished.

Before leaving, Natalie solemnly patted my shoulder, looking as if I were headed for doom.

After everyone left, I ventured, "Mr. President, did you need something from me?"

Harry stared straight at me.

I'd had this problem since childhood, irrationally fearing those in authority.

Harry leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, slightly raising his eyebrows. "You look familiar."

"Mr. President, that pickup line is a bit cliché," I joked with a laugh, hoping to lighten the mood.

Harry just looked on, expressionless.

Right, I was funnier than my jokes.

I felt a sudden urge to dash out and get run over by a car.

Steeling my heart, I bowed deeply at ninety degrees and began, "I'm sorry. I got up late this morning. Afraid of being late, I had no choice but to take your elevator."

"And I lied about being new and here to clean. I shouldn’t have done that. Handle me as you see fit. But please, don't fire me!"

I was truly frightened, afraid of being recognized as the one from the blind date the day before and of him firing me on a whim.

After all, rich kids were moody.

It seemed he was somewhat satisfied with my apology, as Harry didn't make it hard for me.

Harry waved his hand dismissively. "I’ll let you off the hook this time, but your salary will be docked $1000 this month. Now go back to work."

Leaving the conference room, my legs felt wobbly.

I patted my chest to reassure myself.

"It's just that half of the salary was deducted. No worries. There's still the other half!"