CHAPTER SIX
The office felt heavier than usual for a Monday morning. The usual buzz of printers, hushed conversations, and ringing phones was replaced with an eerie calm. It was the kind of quiet that made Olivia's nerves louder.
She clutched a stack of reports to her chest as she headed toward Hayes' office, her heels echoing softly on the tiled floor.
She knocked once-nothing.
The door creaked as she pushed it open.
Empty.
She stepped inside, careful not to touch anything, and gently placed the reports on the edge of his desk. Just as she turned to leave, something caught her eye.
A crisp envelope, slightly ajar, lay beside his laptop. The words at the top read:
Solvex Peak Initiative.
Her eyes drifted down.
"We expect a full roster of 200 confirmed sponsors by end of week to secure partnership status..."
She blinked. Two hundred? Before the end of the week?
"What's the view like from there, Rose?"
Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest.
Hayes stood in the doorway, coffee in hand, expression unreadable as always. Olivia froze.
"Huh?" she breathed, flustered.
"Having a nice little read?" he said, stepping inside with slow, deliberate steps. "Or were you just drawn in by the giant, bold letters that said 'confidential'?"
"I-I wasn't trying to snoop," she said, straightening. "I just came to drop off the reports."
He stared at her, unimpressed. "Right. And then your curiosity just accidentally knocked over the envelope?"
"I just took a look. That's all," she muttered.
"A look?"
She hesitated. "...Just a little."
He gave a dry laugh, tossed the envelope onto the reports she had placed earlier. "Then you know what needs to be done."
Her brows lifted. "What?"
"Two hundred sponsors. Five days," he said, moving past her to his desk. "I want a confirmed list by Friday."
She blinked. "Wait... you want me to get all of them?"
Hayes finally looked at her. "You peeked. You read. Now it's yours."
"But that's impossible," she blurted.
"Not if you start now," he replied coolly, sitting down and already clicking through his emails. "You've got the charm. The drive. Don't disappoint me, Rose."
"Sir?"
"You heard me," Hayes said, his voice even but firm. "You already took the liberty of reading the damn thing, so you're in. You'll coordinate the outreach, confirm all sponsorships, and ensure everything's in place before Friday."
Her mouth opened, then closed. She tried again. "But I have the Benton file to finish, and the conference itinerary-"
"Delegate it," Hayes cut in, sharp. "This comes first. We don't get those sponsors, we don't get Solvex Peak. And if we don't get Solvex Peak, this company falls."
Hayes leaned forward, eyes locking onto hers. "And, Rose?"
She paused in the doorway. "Yes?"
"You get this done," he said, voice low, "you won't be just another assistant playing catch-up. You'll be someone I can count on."
For a second, all the noise in her head stopped.
"I'd hate to regret trusting you with this," he added, without looking up. "Really hate it."
That did it.
Olivia nodded stiffly. "Yes, sir."
And Olivia? She was scared enough of letting him down to try anyway.
She left the office feeling like the walls were closing in. Two hundred sponsors? She didn't even know where to begin. It was unrealistic. It was madness.
It was... exactly the kind of thing Hayes expected.
Responsibility. Expectation. Pressure.
And maybe, just maybe, possibility.
Olivia had barely stepped into the hallway when her phone buzzed with yet another meeting reschedule. She sighed and tucked it into her pocket. Her head was still spinning from the conversation with Hayes. 200 sponsors by the end of the week? That wasn't just pressure-it was war.
Without really thinking about it, she turned down the corridor and headed straight to Jasmine's desk.
Jasmine was bent over her laptop, headphones in, nodding slightly to whatever music she was listening to. Olivia stopped beside her, arms crossed tightly across her chest.
"I just accidentally gave myself a death sentence," Olivia said flatly.
Jasmine pulled out one earbud. "That sounds dramatic. Even for you."
Olivia exhaled sharply. "I peeked at something on Hayes' desk."
Jasmine raised her brows but didn't say anything yet.
"And now," Olivia continued, "he's making me find 200 sponsors before the week ends. Because apparently, if we don't, a major partnership falls through."
"Did he really say that?" Jasmine asked, skeptical.
"No. But the letter did. And then Hayes just said, 'You know what to do.' Like I'm some kind of mind-reading magician."
Jasmine blinked. "Wait. Back up. Why were you even snooping?"
"I wasn't snooping," Olivia said, then paused. "Okay maybe I was. I was curious."
Jasmine stared at her. Then smirked. "Curiosity didn't just kill the cat. It made it wish it had never ventured out of the house."
Olivia groaned and dropped her head in her hands. "I'm doomed."
Jasmine spun her chair slightly toward her. "Okay, let's get this straight. You're not doomed, you're just in over your head. Big difference."
Olivia lifted her head. "I don't even know where to start."
"Well," Jasmine said, adjusting her chair. "Start with people we've worked with before-brands that almost collaborated last year but didn't follow through. Go back to them with better offers, show them what we've improved."
Olivia blinked. "Okay..."
"Then go to graphics. You need strong visuals. Like-really sharp posters, digital banners, something eye-catching. You can't convince anyone with those dull Google-slide vibes you used for the last campaign."
"That was one time."
"One time too many," Jasmine deadpanned. "Get the graphic team working on an updated look. Sleek, bold, startup energy."
Olivia nodded quickly, already mentally filing that.
"Then hit social media. Hard. And I mean everywhere. LinkedIn, X, Instagram, Threads, even TikTok if you can fake confidence. Use different hooks, different captions-make each post feel like its own pitch."
Olivia tilted her head. "Okay, who are you and what have you done with Jasmine?"
Jasmine shrugged. "Apparently I absorb strategy through caffeine and chaos."
"No, seriously-how are you this smart?"
Jasmine grinned. "you'll never know.I might run for president next."
They both laughed, and for a moment Olivia felt like she could breathe again.
"Anyway," Jasmine continued, "don't just post-follow up with direct emails. Personalized ones. None of that 'Dear Sir/Madam' nonsense. You know half these people. Reach out like you're inviting them to join something big. Then start calling. You're charming on the phone when you're not mid-panic attack."
"Wow," Olivia said. "Just-wow."
"And don't forget to breathe," Jasmine added, tapping her pen against the desk.
"I can't believe I'm saying this but-thank you."
"Don't thank me yet," Jasmine said, handing her the pen like she was passing her a sword. "You've got 200 to go."
Olivia stared at her. "You literally came up with everything. You should just do it."
Jasmine grinned. "And rob you of the glory? Never.By the way,who would watch you panick if I do all the work?hmm?"
She stood, raised her coffee like a goblet, and declared in an overly dramatic voice, "Now go, brave soul, into the cruel, chaotic world of sponsors. May the Wi-Fi be ever in your favor!"
Olivia blinked. "I instantly regret asking you for help."
Jasmine winked. "You're welcome."
As Jasmine turned back to her desk with a satisfied grin, Olivia's heart sank. The weight of 200 sponsors was on her shoulders now. She wasn't sure if she'd survive this week, but one thing was certain-there was no going back.
With a deep breath, she set her phone to work, mentally preparing herself to face the chaos ahead. Time to dive in.