Then her expression brightened slightly.
"But it’s almost lunchti," she added warmly. "How about we eat together?"
As Lily spoke, her eyes naturally drifted toward Ashley’s face again. The more she looked at her, the more she felt protective of the beautiful newcor. She simply didn’t want Ashley to feel isolated or unwelco in such a hectic environnt.
And Ashley, seeing the genuine kindness reflected in Lily’s expression and deanor, also found herself warming up to the girl a little.
But the mont Ashley rembered Apollo waiting for her, a trace of regret appeared on her face as she gently declined Lily’s invitation.
"Lily, I can’t eat with you today," Ashley explained apologetically. "I already promised my brother that I’d et up with him and share the lunch I brought."
Hearing that, Lily’s earlier assumptions about Ashley only beca even more firmly rooted in her mind. She imdiately imagined Ashley carefully trying to save money by bringing homade lunch and sharing it with her older brother, who she assud probably worked sowhere nearby.
And honestly, Lily could understand it.
Their company was located in one of the busiest and most expensive business districts in the city, surrounded by towering corporations and high-end restaurants where even a simple al could cost a small fortune.
If Ashley ca from an ordinary family background, then bringing her own lunch from ho was probably the most practical choice.
Far from looking down on her, Lily instead felt even more sympathetic and protective toward Ashley, admiring how hardworking and grounded she seed despite her circumstances.
Lily nodded sympathetically. Though she genuinely wanted to be kind to Ashley, she herself wasn’t particularly wealthy either.
She was rely surviving on her monthly salary while juggling countless expenses of her own, so even if she wanted to offer to treat Ashley to lunch, the reality was that she simply couldn’t afford to do so casually.
"Oh, I see," Lily replied with a bright smile. "Then let’s have lunch together so other ti instead!"
Not once did her enthusiasm toward Ashley lessen. Lily wasn’t the type to feel superior over soone else’s financial situation, nor did she enjoy looking down on others. If anything, she found Ashley even more likable the more she interacted with her.
There was sothing naturally graceful and soft-spoken about Ashley, the kind of elegance that felt deeply ingrained rather than deliberately practiced. In fact, if not for her understated clothes and seemingly ordinary lifestyle, Lily might have genuinely mistaken her for a young lady from an influential family.
Without Ashley realizing it, she had sohow already earned the image of being the "poor colleague" in the office. Of course, she wouldn’t discover that amusing misunderstanding until much later.
anwhile, Lily continued enthusiastically guiding her around.
After giving Ashley more detailed introductions about the company and explaining the kinds of tasks interns were usually expected to handle, Lily even brought her along while delivering freshly printed docunts for so of the busiest employees rushing to process urgent reports and contracts before the deadline.
As they moved through the floor together, Lily patiently showed Ashley around the different departnts sharing the sa level.
She pointed out the printing room, the break room, the comfort rooms, the ergency exits, and several restricted office sections, making sure Ashley would know her way around and wouldn’t accidentally wander into unauthorized areas later on.
The entire ti, Ashley quietly observed everything around her while listening attentively, morizing the company layout, workflow, and interactions between departnts far more carefully than any ordinary intern would.
And just like that, an entire hour slipped by.
One by one, employees began standing from their desks as lunchti finally approached. Ashley rose as well, gathering her bag and carefully lifting the large bento box. By now, she was starting to worry that the food inside might have beco soggy, the texture and taste ruined after sitting for too long.
Still, she couldn’t exactly slip away unnoticed.
Lily had been subtly keeping an eye on her the entire ti, as though worried Ashley might feel lost or struggle to adapt to the environnt.
She reminded Ashley of an overly attentive older sister, or perhaps even a nagging mother, constantly fussing over small things yet doing so out of genuine concern and kindness. It was the kind of personality Ashley unexpectedly found herself growing fond of.
At the sa ti, the past hour within the office had opened Ashley’s eyes far more than she anticipated.
The more she observed the company’s operations, workflow, target markets, and the sheer volu of transactions flowing through the Sales departnt, the more stunned she beca internally. Though her expression remained composed and restrained, inwardly she was completely blown away.
This company was at least a hundred tis larger than the one she used to manage within the Black Mountain Pack.
And unlike before, this corporation didn’t rely operate within one territory; it had branches extending across multiple countries, connected through an enormous network involving endless logistics, partnerships, and financial systems.
Managing such a massive enterprise should have been unimaginably complicated, filled with countless risks and challenges.
Yet despite all that, the company functioned with remarkable order and efficiency.
The realization made Ashley look at Apollo with even greater respect than before. Only now was she beginning to truly understand just how powerful and unimaginably wealthy the Gildenvale family really was.
Since Ashley had no intention of letting others discover her connection to the company’s CEO, she used the opportunity to gently send Lily away. Pretending that she needed to text her brother to confirm their eting place, she encouraged Lily and the other interns to head out first after overhearing them discussing lunch plans at a nearby restaurant.
Considering the travel ti, the expected queue, and their limited lunch break, Ashley knew they wouldn’t have much ti to spare. It beca the perfect excuse not to keep them waiting around for her.
And so, once most of the office had emptied and the floor grew quieter, Ashley calmly made her way toward the elevators.
Standing before them, she subtly glanced around first to ensure no one nearby was paying attention. Only then did she step toward the private executive elevator reserved exclusively for the CEO, an elevator capable of reaching the top floor directly without interruption.
Her eyes lifted briefly toward the discreet golden plaque above it, confirming its restricted use before she stepped inside and pressed the button for the highest floor.
anwhile, on Apollo’s side, he had already managed to send Ophelia away first.
The mont he received Ashley’s ssage informing him she was coming up, Apollo discreetly signaled his assistant with a look. Understanding imdiately, the assistant quickly offered to accompany Ophelia out for lunch at a nearby restaurant.
Apollo had already guessed that Ashley likely only brought enough food for the two of them, and more importantly, he didn’t want Ophelia and Ashley to unexpectedly et inside his office and create unnecessary tension between them.
So, taking advantage of the lunch hour, he smoothly arranged for Ophelia to leave first before Ashley arrived.
"Brother, aren’t you eating with ?" Ophelia finally asked before being gently escorted out of the CEO’s office.
User Comments
0 comments from readers