Ulyana returned to the office the following morning.
Despite her age, she held an executive position overseeing the public relations division for Nivasa Technology. Her grandfather, Nikolai Vasily, remained Chairman of the Board while Vadim served as CEO and Ivan as Vice President.
All three of them were exceptionally capable.
Nikolai had made certain of that.
No matter how spoiled the public believed the Vasily heirs to be, the truth was that none of them were allowed to remain incompetent.
Ulyana sat at her desk reviewing reports before eventually standing and walking toward the floor to ceiling windows overlooking Silvercrown.
Far below, the city bustled endlessly with movement. Tiny figures crossed streets, traffic flowed through intersections, and morning life unfolded beneath the towering Nivasa headquarters.
Absentmindedly, her gaze caught sight of a florist truck pulling up outside the building.
Then another.
Then a third.
Ulyana frowned slightly.
Several delivery workers hopped out and immediately began assembling what appeared to be an enormous floral arrangement near the entrance plaza.
"What are they doing…" she muttered quietly.
Eventually she returned to her desk and became lost in work again for another ten minutes before her assistant buzzed through the office intercom.
"Madam."
"Go ahead."
"You have a delivery."
Ulyana barely looked up from her tablet. "Okay?"
A hesitant pause followed.
"The courier says the delivery can only be signed for by you personally."
Ulyana sighed softly. "Tell security to screen it first."
Another pause. "Madam…"
Something in her assistant's tone made her finally give in. "Give me a minute."
About twenty minutes later, Ulyana stepped out of her office.
Her assistant immediately stood from her desk looking deeply apologetic.
"What happened?"
"Madam…" the assistant started carefully. "It's from Rowan Volkov."
Ulyana blinked.
Then her assistant silently handed her a card.
The thick black stationery carried the elegant silver Volkov crest embossed into the corner.
Inside, written in Rowan's clean handwriting, read:
My dear Ulyana,
I miss you already.
— Rowan x
Ulyana stared at the card speechlessly for several seconds.
Then slowly looked past the lobby windows toward the absurd amount of flowers now filling the front entrance of Nivasa Tower.
Her assistant coughed awkwardly.
"Madam… there are more arrangements still arriving."
"Thank you, Lisa," Ulyana said softly to her assistant.
Lisa nodded politely, though her eyes briefly flickered toward Ulyana's phone the moment it started ringing.
ROWAN 💓
Ulyana froze.
Then immediately realised two things at once.
First, she had apparently changed his contact name sometime during their late night phone call.
Second, Lisa had absolutely seen it.
A faint blush crept across Ulyana's face as she quickly answered the call and stepped slightly aside.
"Okay," she started quietly, "when you said you were making up for lost time, I didn't think you meant this."
On the other end, Rowan sounded thoroughly amused.
"It's the bare minimum."
Ulyana looked out toward the ridiculous sea of flowers overtaking the lobby.
"There are literally hundreds of them."
"Correct."
"You're insane."
"I'm strategic," Rowan corrected smoothly. "And I need the gossip to spread."
Ulyana laughed softly despite herself.
"Well congratulations. Half the company is probably planning my wedding already."
"Good," Rowan replied calmly. "That saves us time."
She shook her head smiling. "You really enjoy this, don't you?"
"I enjoy making you smile."
The answer caught her off guard enough to briefly silence her.
Unfortunately for her, Rowan noticed immediately.
"There it is again."
"What?"
"That pause you do whenever I flirt successfully."
Ulyana lowered her voice slightly. "You're very smug for someone terrorising my office with flowers before noon."
"You liked them."
"…I did."
A quiet sound of satisfaction left him.
Then Rowan asked casually, "How many arrangements have arrived so far?"
Ulyana glanced toward the lobby again. "I stopped counting after forty."
"Perfect."
"Rowan."
"Yes, Princess?"
"The hundreds of flowers are sufficient," she informed him firmly. "You can stop now."
"No promises."
She laughed again, drawing several curious looks from nearby staff members who had likely never heard their intimidating executive sound this soft before.
Eventually, Ulyana sighed dramatically. "As much as I'd love to continue feeding your ego, I do actually need to work."
Rowan hummed lightly. "Fine. I'll allow it."
"How generous of you."
"I know."
Ulyana smiled helplessly before ending the call.
The second she lowered her phone, Lisa appeared beside her again with frightening speed.
"…Madam," Lisa whispered carefully, "should I start arranging space for the rest of the flowers?"
Ulyana closed her eyes briefly. "There's more?"
Ulyana genuinely adored Lisa, but she always maintained professionalism while they were on the clock.
"Lisa," she said calmly as she slipped her phone back onto her desk, "please organise these for me."
"Yes, Madam."
By midday, the number of floral arrangements delivered to Nivasa Tower had become genuinely absurd.
Roses.
Peonies.
Lilies.
Orchids.
Entire sections of the lobby looked more like a luxury botanical event than a corporate headquarters.
In total, nearly two hundred arrangements had arrived throughout the morning.
Several employees passing through the lobby had begun slowing down just to stare at them.
At one point, Ulyana considered having staff members take some home rather than letting the flowers go to waste.
But when she approached one of the arrangements more closely, she noticed something.
Every single bouquet had been individually wrapped in elegant black tissue paper embossed with one word in silver lettering:
Ulyana.
Her assistant noticed the look on her face.
"…Madam?"
Ulyana sighed softly, equal parts amused and overwhelmed.
"He's ridiculous," she muttered under her breath.
Still, despite the personalised wrapping, she ultimately decided not to let them go unused.
"Have the employees each take one arrangement home before they leave tonight," she instructed calmly. "No point wasting them."
Lisa blinked in surprise.
"That's very generous, Madam."
Ulyana smiled faintly as she looked over the endless sea of flowers filling the lobby.
"It's not generosity," she replied quietly. "It's survival. I physically cannot fit two hundred bouquets into my office."
The flowers unexpectedly changed the atmosphere throughout the entire office tower.
The scent of fresh roses and lilies drifted through the departments, softening the usually sterile corporate environment. Employees smiled more, conversations seemed lighter, and overall morale noticeably lifted.
Even staff from unrelated departments found excuses to walk through the lobby just to admire the arrangements.
Meanwhile, Ulyana returned to work appearing somewhat happier herself.
Though outwardly, she remained perfectly composed.
Professional.
Stoic even.
No matter how flustered Rowan's actions secretly made her, she refused to let it affect her authority within the company.
Later that afternoon, her department gathered for an important meeting regarding upcoming promotional campaigns for new Nivasa Technology developments.
Before Ulyana arrived, however, the conference room buzzed with gossip.
Several younger employees sat whispering amongst themselves while waiting for the meeting to begin.
"I'm telling you," one woman whispered, "those flowers were definitely from the Volkov company."
"No way."
"They literally had the Volkov crest on the cards."
Another employee leaned forward immediately. "Do you think they're actually seeing each other?"
"I heard Rowan Volkov personally arranged the deliveries."
"That's insane…"
"And kind of romantic."
A quiet scoff came from someone else. "The Vasily and Volkov families hate each other."
"Historically, yes," another corrected. "But rich people are weird."
Soft laughter spread around the table.
Then suddenly, the conference room doors opened.
Ulyana entered.
Instantly, the atmosphere turned ice cold. Every conversation died immediately.
Several employees straightened in their seats so quickly it almost looked painful.
Ulyana calmly walked toward the head of the table carrying her tablet and meeting files, her heels echoing sharply against the marble flooring.
Her expression revealed absolutely nothing.
Not embarrassment.
Not amusement.
Nothing.
She placed her documents down neatly before finally looking up at the room.
"Good afternoon."
The entire department greeted her almost in unison. "Madam Vasily," the department greeted almost immediately.
Ulyana acknowledged them with a small nod before taking her seat at the head of the conference table.
She glanced over the room calmly from behind her glasses.
The silence was almost painfully formal now.
Then, to everyone's surprise, Ulyana spoke first.
"Before we commence," she said professionally, "I would like to formally apologise for any disturbance my personal matters may have caused throughout the office today."
Several employees looked visibly startled.
Ulyana continued smoothly. "You are all welcome to take a bouquet home at the end of the day."
A few people blinked in disbelief.
"And," she added while opening her files, "I will be dismissing everyone early after this meeting concludes."
The room immediately brightened despite everyone trying desperately to remain professional.
One employee nearly smiled too quickly before forcing their expression back under control.
Ulyana noticed.
And pretended not to.
"Now then," she said coolly, tapping her tablet screen, "let's discuss the upcoming launch campaign for the Nivasa Neural Interface system."
Almost instantly, the room shifted gears.
Slides illuminated the presentation screen while Ulyana effortlessly took command of the discussion.
Her department quickly fell into rhythm around her.
Despite the gossip surrounding her personal life, Ulyana's reputation within Nivasa existed for a reason.
She was intelligent, concise, sharp and most of all precise.
Every marketing strategy, partnership proposal, and public image concern was dissected carefully under her direction.
At one point, a senior team member cautiously suggested: "We could lean heavier into influencer promotion for younger demographics—"
"No," Ulyana interrupted immediately.
The room stilled.
"It would cheapen the product image," she explained calmly. "This launch needs authority and exclusivity, not internet trends."
The employee immediately nodded. "Understood, Madam."
As the meeting continued, several staff members quietly exchanged looks amongst themselves. Because somehow, watching Ulyana professionally command an entire executive department only made the flower situation feel even more surreal.
Their terrifyingly elegant executive apparently had a secret admirer capable of sending two hundred bouquets without hesitation.
And judging by the faint softness lingering beneath her otherwise stoic demeanor today...
The feelings might actually be mutual.
-
The meeting continued smoothly afterward.
"Sarah," Ulyana said as she glanced down at her tablet, "can you bring up the report I asked you to prepare?"
Immediately, the room's attention shifted toward the far corner of the conference table.
Sarah, one of the newer employees in the department, looked slightly startled at being addressed so directly.
She had been mostly silent throughout the meeting, quietly taking notes while the more senior staff spoke over one another.
Still, she quickly composed herself and stood. "Yes, Madam."
Sarah connected her tablet to the presentation screen before bringing up a detailed market analysis report regarding Nivasa's newest technology launch.
As she began explaining the data, the room slowly fell quieter and quieter. The report was exceptional, with clear projections, strong demographic analysis and accurate risk assessments.
Even Ulyana's senior staff members looked visibly impressed.
Especially considering Sarah had only joined the department a few months earlier.
One executive subtly straightened in their chair while reviewing the presentation more carefully. Another quietly exchanged surprised looks with a colleague.
Sarah herself remained composed despite the growing attention.
Though the slight tremble in her hands revealed she was nervous.
When she finally finished speaking, silence briefly filled the room.
Then Ulyana nodded. "Thank you, Sarah."
This is not a huge achievement but coming from Ulyana Vasily, the acknowledgment carried weight.
Sarah visibly relaxed almost immediately.
"You'll forward the finalized version to legal and executive review after this meeting," Ulyana continued calmly.
"Yes, Madam."
As Sarah sat back down, several employees looked at her differently now; as someone worth paying attention to.
As the meeting began winding down, the conference room doors quietly opened once again.
Lisa stepped inside and approached Ulyana discreetly.
She leaned down and whispered something into her ear.
A long pause followed.
"…Okay," Ulyana replied calmly.
The room watched curiously as Lisa stepped back toward the wall.
Ulyana removed her glasses briefly before returning her attention to the department.
"There are two additional matters I need to address before dismissal."
Immediately, the room straightened again.
"Firstly," she began professionally, "there has been a feature failure involving the latest device update. It has resulted in more than half of our active users temporarily losing access to their devices."
Several employees immediately looked alarmed.
Ulyana remained perfectly composed.
"To compensate for the inconvenience," she continued, "every existing customer, regardless of membership tier, will receive one year of premium membership free of charge."
A few executives quickly began typing notes down.
"Public relations will release the official statement within the hour," Ulyana added.
Then after a brief pause, her expression softened slightly. "Secondly…"
The room quieted again.
"Your efforts throughout the planning of this launch have been noticed."
Several employees looked genuinely surprised by the statement.
"The late nights," she continued calmly, "the early mornings, the workload, and the pressure you have all handled these past months have not gone unseen."
The atmosphere in the room shifted noticeably.
"You will each receive the newest Nivasa device model for yourselves," she said, "as well as one additional device for a family member or loved one."
The room went silent. Even the senior staff looked stunned.
Ulyana glanced down briefly at her files before adding: "I paid for this personally as a gesture of appreciation."
That finally broke the room's composure.
Several employees looked completely speechless.
One younger staff member nearly teared up.
Another quietly whispered, "Oh my God…"
Ulyana simply closed her folder calmly.
"You've all worked hard," she said matter of factly. "That effort deserves acknowledgment."
And for the first time that morning, the intimidatingly stoic executive sitting at the head of the table no longer felt untouchable to her staff.
Just respected.
"Alright," Ulyana continued as she closed her tablet, "a light lunch has been arranged for everyone in the executive lounge before you head out for the day."
The room remained unusually attentive.
"You will sign for your new devices tomorrow morning through administration," she added professionally.
Then, after the briefest pause, "And please do not forget to take a bouquet of flowers with you as well."
That finally earned a few small laughs throughout the room.
The atmosphere had completely transformed from the tense silence that greeted her earlier.
Now, the staff looked relaxed.
Happy.
Appreciative.
Several employees thanked her sincerely as they began gathering their laptops, files, and notebooks.
"Thank you, Madam Vasily."
"We really appreciate this."
"The flowers are beautiful."
One younger employee carefully asked, "Are we really allowed to take the larger bouquets too?"
Ulyana glanced up from her files. "If you can physically carry it," she answered dryly.
That earned another round of laughter.
Soon afterward, the department slowly filtered out of the conference room toward the executive lounge.
Conversations buzzed excitedly through the hallways almost immediately.
About the gifts.
About the launch.
And of course
About Rowan Volkov.
Meanwhile, Ulyana remained seated at the head of the now quiet conference table for a moment longer.
Lisa approached carefully afterward. "You handled that very well, Madam."
Ulyana exhaled softly and leaned back slightly in her chair. "I think the flowers handled most of the morale boosting themselves," she admitted quietly.
Lisa smiled faintly.
Then after a small pause, "Madam… there is one more delivery downstairs."
Ulyana slowly closed her eyes. "…How many more flowers?"
"…Not flowers this time."