The office had never been this lively before.
Ever since the collaboration with Euphoria Maison was confirmed, Olivia had practically transformed into a lightning bolt of enthusiasm. The entire design department was buzzing with her energy — people running around with sketch pads, fabrics, prototypes, and presentation boards.
And in the center of it all was Olivia Bennett, their newly reinstated executive assistant, who had somehow become the unofficial project commander.
She had the designers sketching late into the night, the stylists reworking color palettes, and the logistics team double-checking every sample shipment. Everyone in the company could feel it — the Ashford Co. x Euphoria Maison project was huge, and Olivia was determined to make it perfect.
But the one person who bore the brunt of her unstoppable enthusiasm… was, of course, Aiden Ashford.
The cold, calculating CEO who used to make others tremble with a single look now found himself jolting every time Olivia flung his office door open without knocking — something she had apparently decided was optional.
It started the day after the meeting. Olivia had come running into his office, waving new fabric samples like a flag.
"Aiden! What do you think of this texture? Too heavy or just right for spring?"
He blinked, still processing the fact that she had just barged in. "You could've knocked."
She smiled brightly, ignoring his tone. "Right, but the fabric's amazing, right?"
He sighed, rubbing his temples. "It's… fine."
And that was how it began — a pattern he hadn't managed to stop since.
Every day, without fail, she showed up — morning, afternoon, or even late evening — holding sketches, reports, or new ideas.
Sometimes it was to ask about design concepts.
Sometimes it was to double-check marketing angles.
And sometimes… it was just to talk.
Two weeks after the big meeting, Aiden had learned two critical facts about Olivia Bennett.
First: she spoke more words in an hour than most people did in an entire day.
Second: she didn't seem to need sleep to function.
He discovered this particular detail one night when he was getting ready for bed. It was around 1 AM, and he had just set his phone on the nightstand when it buzzed.
A message.
From Olivia.
Olivia: "Mr. Ashford, do you think this presentation layout looks better with a black background or off-white? The black looks classy, but off-white gives warmth. What do you think?"
Aiden stared at the screen, utterly stunned. It took him a full thirty seconds before he typed back:
Aiden: "It's one in the morning, Olivia. Go to sleep. We'll discuss it at the office."
He thought that would be the end of it.
He was wrong.
The next night, another message came. Then another. And another.
Olivia: "Sorry to bother you again, but what if we add a soft floral motif to the slide transition?"
Aiden: "No floral transitions. Go to bed."
Olivia: "Right, right. Just checking! Good night, Mr. Ashford!"
He sighed, setting the phone aside, wondering how she managed to stay so energetic after working all day and staying up to brainstorm half the night.
But despite his irritation, he found himself smiling faintly at the messages — just a small twitch of amusement he would never admit to anyone.
Now, two weeks after the meeting, their collaboration preparations were nearly complete. Half of their staff had already flown to Euphoria Maison's headquarters to begin coordination. The second group was scheduled to leave tomorrow. Aiden and Olivia would follow the day after that.
At least, that was the plan.
Right now, Aiden was seated in his office, reviewing a set of contracts, when he realized something unusual — his morning had been… quiet.
Too quiet.
No door bursting open.
No voice calling, "Mr. Ashford, look at this!"
No random files are spread across his desk without permission.
He frowned slightly. Strange.
He was almost… concerned.
He had just started turning the page of a file when it happened — the loud bang of his office door flying open.
Aiden jumped. The file slipped from his hand and fell to the floor.
He looked up sharply — and of course, there she was.
Olivia stood at the doorway, beaming as if she hadn't just given him a minor heart attack. "Good morning, Mr. Ashford!"
Aiden closed his eyes briefly, inhaling through his nose before exhaling slowly. "Do you have something against knocking, Olivia?"
She ignored the question completely, walking toward his desk. "I made a new presentation draft!"
He bent down to pick up his file, muttering, "Wonderful."
By the time he straightened, she had already seated herself in front of him, spreading colorful charts and graphs across his table.
"This version focuses more on brand synergy," she said, tapping on a slide printout enthusiastically. "I also added more emphasis on sustainability since Euphoria Maison's CEO mentioned eco-friendly textiles last time. Oh, and—"
Aiden held up a hand before she could launch into a twenty-minute explanation. "It's good," he said firmly. "We'll use this one."
She blinked. "Just like that?"
"Yes."
"No feedback? No corrections?"
"No."
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "You didn't even read it."
"I trust you," he said simply, turning back to his laptop.
Olivia blinked again — momentarily thrown off. He trusted her?
The warmth that bloomed in her chest caught her off guard. She looked down at the presentation, smiling softly before she cleared her throat. "Well… fine then."
Aiden typed a few notes on his screen. "Are the other teams ready for their flight tomorrow?"
"Actually," Olivia said, clasping her hands together, "there's been a slight change in plan."
Aiden's fingers paused mid-typing. "What kind of change?"
"The second team will leave today instead."
He looked up immediately. "Why?"
She waved her hand dismissively. "Nothing's wrong! They just wanted to go earlier to help the first team set up before we arrive. It's a good thing — they'll get a head start."
He studied her for a moment, as if assessing her tone for hidden trouble. Then he nodded slowly. "Fine. As long as logistics are covered."
"They are," she said quickly. "I already confirmed with the travel department. Everything's settled."
"Good."
"What about us? When are we leaving?"
"The day after tomorrow," Olivia said. "At three in the afternoon."
Aiden nodded, already turning back to his files.
"Then I'll get back to work!"