"Hello. I’m here to pick you up. Please follow ."
The voice ca abruptly, and Ashley looked up to find a woman standing before her, composed and sharp in appearance. She wore a crisp, tailored suit with a knee-length skirt, her posture straight, her movents precise.
Four-inch heels clicked softly against the floor, her hair pulled into a neat, low bun, and black-rimd glasses frad a pair of focused, no-nonsense eyes.
She carried herself with the unmistakable air of soone accustod to efficiency, likely a senior secretary.
Without offering further explanation, the woman turned and began walking.
Ashley didn’t question it. She simply fell into step behind her, noticing the brisk pace and the sense of urgency in her movents. It was enough for Ashley to understand that this woman was busy, and she was likely squeezing this task between others.
So she kept quiet, following along without a word.
What Ashley didn’t realize was that the woman wasn’t leading her to the CEO’s office at all. Instead, she was led straight into the bustling Sales and Marketing departnt. Before Ashley could even make sense of it, the woman turned to her and spoke in a brisk and businesslike tone.
"New intern, right? You’re already late," she said sharply. "I don’t have ti to babysit you. There’s a seat prepared for you in the corner over there. If you have questions, ask the other interns; they’ll brief you on what you need to know."
"And your team leader will assign your tasks and let you know who you’ll be working under." She adjusted her glasses slightly, her expression unreadable. "That’s all from the HR departnt. Now move along, I have a lot on my plate."
And just like that, she was gone, walking off so quickly that Ashley didn’t even get the chance to correct her or explain.
Ashley stood there, montarily stunned, her expression completely out of place amid the relentless pace of the office. Around her, the Sales and Marketing departnt was in full swing, the atmosphere thick with urgency as everyone pushed toward their quarterly targets.
It was the final stretch before closing the period, and every employee seed driven by the sa goal and that is to hit the quota, secure the bonuses, and prove their worth.
Only then did everything start to click.
No wonder the woman earlier had been in such a rush. And from what Ashley had pieced together, she hadn’t been a secretary to Apollo, or anyone close to him, at all.
She was from the HR departnt, likely handling new hires and onboarding. Sowhere along the way, Ashley had been mistaken for a new intern... and just like that, she had been dropped into the departnt without question.
Now, in their eyes, she was the intern.
Which only left one question lingering in her mind...
Then... where was the real intern supposed to be?
While Ashley stood there, still trying to process what had just happened, the real mix-up had already taken shape elsewhere. The person who was supposed to pick her up had never even reached her.
With the quarter drawing to a close, the entire company was in overdrive, Apollo included.
His trusted secretaries and assistants were all tied up with pressing matters, leaving the task of receiving Ashley to soone far less experienced: a newly hired assistant who had little on his plate compared to the others.
Eager to make a good impression, especially in front of the head secretary, he had volunteered for the job without hesitation.
But curiosity had played a part, too.
Apollo was not soone who entertained visitors lightly. Anyone seeking an audience with him typically needed to schedule at least a month in advance, his calendar packed with etings and obligations.
Yet now, a visitor had appeared out of nowhere, soone important enough to be personally received despite not being on the schedule. It was only natural that it stirred interest throughout the office.
And for that assistant... it would have been a lie to say he didn’t have his own motives in wanting to see who this mysterious guest was.
The mont he stepped into the lobby, his gaze locked onto a woman who stood out effortlessly from the crowd. She was strikingly beautiful with long blonde hair cascading neatly over her shoulders, aquamarine eyes catching the light, and dressed head to toe in what he could only recognize as high-end designer pieces.
Even with his limited knowledge of won’s luxury fashion, he knew enough to tell that she wasn’t ordinary. The handbag she carried alone was a Himalayan Crocodile Birkin, which was sothing he had only ever seen online, rumored to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
His eyes lingered a mont longer, taking in the details.
The heels she was wearing caught his attention next, Cesare Paciotti, if he rembered correctly, the sa distinctive dagger-like design along the back of the heels his sister once proudly showed him from her own prized collection.
Those alone were worth more than most people’s monthly salary. And if he wasn’t mistaken, there were hints of Saint Laurent in her outfit as well.
All of it pointed to one conclusion.
This had to be the CEO’s guest.
Straightening himself, he approached her with a polite, almost eager smile. "Hello there," he greeted, his tone careful but curious. "Are you here as our CEO’s guest?"
Ophelia hadn’t missed Ashley’s plan as she accidentally heard about her visit to Apollo today, and the mont she did, she acted.
Refusing to be overshadowed, she hurried out as well, a quiet determination hardening in her chest. If Ashley was getting closer to Apollo, then she would do the sa; no, she would stay even closer.
The thought of losing her place beside him, of being pushed aside to make room for Ashley, was sothing she simply would not allow.
So she made her move.
Applying as a new intern in the company was, for her, surprisingly easy. Having lived with the Gildenvale family for years, she had already been seen at various events, and with a few carefully planted rumors, many employees had long co to believe she was part of the family, especially those in leadership positions.
Using that familiarity and a bit of subtle manipulation, she approached the head of the HR departnt and secured herself a position without ever needing to go through Apollo directly.
Normally, such arrangents would require the CEO’s approval, but that only applied to higher positions like directors, managers, and departnt leads. For sothing as minor as an internship, the signature of the HR head was more than enough.
And that was exactly why she wasn’t worried.
Even if Apollo found out, she could simply claim she earned the position legitimately. By then, it wouldn’t be so easy for him to dismiss her outright.
As for the head of the HR departnt, he had indeed seen Ophelia accompanying Apollo at several high-profile events before. So when Ophelia approached him personally, claiming that she wanted to gain "real-life experience" instead of relying solely on her brothers, her words carried an unspoken implication that imdiately clicked into place for him.
She never directly announced her identity, yet at the sa ti, she practically confird the long-standing suspicions many employees already held, that Apollo was truly her brother.
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