Still, she knew she couldn’t let the misunderstanding continue forever.
If she didn’t inform Apollo soon, he would definitely begin to worry. And beyond that, she was technically occupying soone else’s position.
Yet...
This mistake had also unexpectedly handed her an opportunity.
Besides, it was almost lunchti anyway, so Ashley figured she could simply find an excuse to slip away later and head to Apollo’s office then.
anwhile, on the top floor inside the CEO’s office—
"Ophelia? What are you doing here?" Apollo asked, visibly caught off guard.
Even as he spoke, his gaze subtly drifted past her shoulder, discreetly searching behind her. He was careful not to make it obvious. The last thing he wanted was for Ophelia to notice that part of him had expected, or perhaps hoped, to see Ashley instead.
Especially now, when Ophelia had beco unusually sensitive ever since Ashley’s return. If he showed even the slightest impatience or hint that her appearance was unwelco, she would undoubtedly overthink it again.
And Apollo didn’t want to worsen the hostility already growing inside her toward Ashley.
He wasn’t blind. He could clearly sense Ophelia’s jealousy, almost predict the thoughts running through her mind. But for now, he could still tolerate this level of possessiveness and insecurity, so long as she didn’t cross the line.
After all, he still carried the promise he owed her late father.
So he carefully masked his true reaction, pretending not to search beyond her as he quietly wondered why she had suddenly co to the company, a place he had never once allowed her to casually enter before.
"Brother!" Ophelia called out brightly the mont she saw Apollo, her face instantly lighting up with excitent. For a split second, she nearly blurted out that she had successfully secured a position within his company, but the thought stopped her midway, leaving a flicker of guilt in its place.
Her gaze turned slightly evasive, and because of that, she completely missed Apollo’s subtle glance past her shoulder earlier.
"Um... I just wanted to visit you," she added quickly.
Truthfully, she was just as confused about why she had been brought all the way to the CEO’s office. She distinctly rembered emphasizing to the head of the HR departnt that her internship should remain low-profile, especially from Apollo. Yet sohow, she had still ended up here.
Surely they hadn’t assigned her as Apollo’s secretary or assistant.
That thought alone felt absurd even to her.
With the scale of Apollo’s business empire, there was no way the company would handle those positions carelessly. Secretaries and executive assistants dealt with the company’s most confidential docunts, major contracts, schedules, and internal plans.
The hiring standards for those roles were far stricter than ordinary positions, requiring capability, trustworthiness, and years of training.
And Ophelia herself knew very well she had neither the intention nor the patience for that kind of work.
She only ca here to maintain appearances, keep an eye on things, and quietly secure her own position, not to actually bury herself under endless responsibilities.
Hearing Ophelia’s explanation, Apollo didn’t find anything particularly strange about it on the surface. In truth, only half of his attention was focused on her at the mont, while the other half remained occupied with thoughts of Ashley.
She had clearly texted him earlier saying she had arrived.
And because of that, he had specifically sent soone down to fetch her.
So why was Ophelia the one standing here instead?
Apollo was certain he had never been inford that Ophelia was coming to the company today. Which only made the situation more confusing.
Then... where was Ashley?
A faint unease crept into his chest. Though he knew it was unlikely anything serious had happened inside his own company building, he still couldn’t help worrying slightly. Without wasting another mont, Apollo pulled out his phone again, intending to send Ashley a ssage personally.
"Ash, where are you? You said you arrived already. Are you still in the lobby?"
Apollo quickly sent the ssage as he rose from his seat, already intending to go find Ashley personally this ti to avoid any further misunderstandings. After all, his younger sister was still suffering from amnesia. It was only natural for him to worry about her.
Not long after, his phone vibrated with a reply.
"Brother, there was a small issue, but it’s almost lunch break anyway. Let’s et then."
Reading her response eased so of the tension in his chest, though he still frowned slightly at the ntion of an "issue."
"Alright," Apollo typed back imdiately. "You can either co directly to my office or send your location. Either way, let know. I’ll personally co pick you up."
On Ashley’s side, just as the thought of ssaging Apollo crossed her mind, she felt a faint vibration coming from inside her bag. Thankfully, while tinkering with her new phone earlier in the car, she had instinctively adjusted the settings, placing it on silent mode and allowing only vibrations for calls and ssages.
It was an old habit of hers.
Back then, whether she was attending business etings, undergoing combat training, or handling other important matters, she always kept her phone silent so nothing would disrupt her concentration.
Because of that ingrained routine, even after ending up in the wrong departnt by mistake, she still hadn’t missed Apollo’s ssage without causing the others around her discomfort or losing their concentration.
Though honestly, with how noisy the office was around her, the endless chatter, ringing phones, and clattering keyboards, it should have been impossible to notice such a subtle vibration.
Luckily, Ashley’s senses were far sharper than ordinary people’s, allowing her to catch it imdiately.
anwhile, when Lily saw Ashley pulling a phone out of her bag, her curiosity was instantly piqued. She glanced at the device for a mont, only to realize she didn’t recognize the model at all.
Since Lily herself was using the latest iPhone 17 Pro Max, and most people around her also chased after the newest popular models, she subconsciously assud Ashley’s phone must be so obscure no-brand device.
Combined with Ashley’s understated clothing and handbag, and the large, homade-looking bento box she had been carrying around earlier like so old-fashioned grandmother bringing lunch from ho, Lily unknowingly drew the completely wrong conclusion.
In her mind, Ashley probably ca from a middle-class family... or perhaps even a poor one trying hard to blend in.
And instead of looking down on her, Lily actually felt even more sympathetic toward Ashley because of it. Thinking Ashley might feel inferior surrounded by people working in such a high-end corporate environnt, Lily instinctively beca gentler and gave her more personal space, wanting to make sure Ashley wouldn’t feel uncomfortable or pressured around everyone else.
After giving Ashley so space, Lily returned not long afterward once she assud Ashley had finished using her phone and had enough ti to settle into her new workstation.
"Ashley, have you gotten familiar with your desk already?" Lily asked gently as she approached again. "Do you have any questions? Just let know, okay?"
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before continuing apologetically, "I checked earlier, and the team leader is still busy, so he probably won’t be assigning you any work yet. The regular employees are also swamped right now, so the only people who can really help you around are us, interns."
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