The person across wiped the sweat from their forehead and looked up at him in shock, "That's what they said, saying that the new deputy general manager, Noah, parachuted in from Stellart, and was very supportive of their design director, Summer Lowell, at the meeting. Rumor has it that there might be something going on between them, anyway, they seem very close."
Maxim Sinclair's face showed a sinister smile, and he let out a cold snort, forcefully tossing the pen in his hand aside, "I really underestimated her. It took only a year in Leonia for her to get involved with a Stellart partner. She's really got some skills now."
"What do we do next..."
The person at the desk looked at him cautiously, tentatively asking.
"Next, of course, we'll keep an eye on them. Remember to send me any updates immediately. You can go now."
Maxim threw everything in his hand onto the desk, stood up, and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the logo of the Stellart building in the distance. His eyes were filled with turbulent anger, "Summer Lowell, you really like to challenge my limits."
Stellart, inside the design director's office.
As Summer Lowell was revising design drafts, she couldn't help but sneeze several times in a row.
The assistant next to her quickly handed over tissues, "Director Lowell, is the air conditioning too cold? Do you want to turn up the temperature?"
"No need," Summer rubbed her nose, "I have experience, sneezing like this usually means someone is cursing at me behind my back."
The assistant thought about the recent gossip in the company, guiltily turning her head away, not daring to reply.
Summer gave her a knowing look and smiled silently.
No need to guess, she already knew how people were talking about her behind her back.
Especially since, when she arrived at the company this morning, she happened to bump into Noah, and they went into the elevator together, which, in others' eyes, meant they went in and out together.
Feeling exhausted, Summer sighed and tossed the design drafts to the side.
At that moment, the secretary opened the door and came in, "Director Lowell, President Joyce wants you to go to his office, and President Norris is also there."
"Alright, I'll go now."
President's office.
"President Joyce, President Norris." Summer nodded in greeting, "May I ask why you called me here..."
Elias Joyce pointed to Noah sitting on the other side, "Deputy General Manager Noah is new here and needs someone to guide him for social engagements. Since you used to be in Stellarion, he wants you to accompany him."
Summer forced a smile, "Did you get that the other way around? It should be Deputy General Manager Noah taking me to socialize."
"Either way works, we just need to socialize together," Noah decided, "I'll send you the time and place later, it's settled."
So, over the next few days, Summer was led by Noah to various social events and banquets.
That night, after work, Summer followed Noah to a nearby club to drink with a jeweler.
Seeing the man raise his glass again, Summer cursed silently, then smiled as she raised her own glass, blocking Noah, "Sorry, our deputy general manager is allergic to alcohol, I'll drink on his behalf."
The potbellied middle-aged man across chuckled, teasing Noah, "President Norris is fortunate to find such a beautiful woman to shield him, but... are you really willing to let the beauty take your place?"
Before Noah could answer, Summer downed her drink in one go and showed her empty glass to him, "I've finished mine, you take it as you like."
The people in the box laughed, and Summer endured her nausea as she returned to her seat.
Two hours later.
The drinking session finally ended, and Summer accompanied Noah to see the guests off. At the door, the man who had teased Noah earlier looked at Summer, "Director Lowell, you seem drunk, do you need my driver to take you home?"
Before Summer could respond, Noah quickly declined, "No need to trouble President Trent, I'll take her home."
The few people who hadn't gone far chuckled in an ambiguous manner, and someone even patted President Trent on the shoulder, "The handsome man and beautiful woman are spending a wonderful night together, so don't interfere."
President Trent chuckled, "I was just asking casually, didn't say I was competing with President Norris."
Summer expressionlessly watched them play their act. After seeing them off, she immediately turned back to the restroom of the club to vomit violently.
When she came back out, she found Noah, who had been standing at the door, still waiting for her.
Summer flicked off the water on her hands; her voice was cold, "It's late, so I'll be heading back first, President Norris."
As soon as she finished speaking, Noah grabbed her wrist, "You've drunk too much tonight. I'm not comfortable letting you go back alone. I'll drive you."
Summer gently shook off his hand, "I can call a car or find a designated driver. I don't want to trouble you, President Norris."
Noah shook his head with a laugh, suddenly leaning closer to Summer, "So, you show your spikes when you're drunk?"
"President Norris, you're standing too close," Summer backed up two steps, watching him warily, "If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving. See you later at the company."
"Wait," Noah clasped her shoulder, pushing her towards his car, "Why such a temper? I'm just giving you a ride home, not eating you."
Summer remained silent and got into the car obediently.
From under a distant tree, in a black Maybach, the driver nervously looked through the rearview mirror at the person in the back seat.
And in the back seat, Maxim Sinclair was glaring ominously at the beautiful figure in someone else's arms, reeking of alcohol.
The driver in the car could feel the suffocating pressure.
Summer was helped by Noah into the passenger seat, and Noah quickly got in. The car then drove away.
Maxim Sinclair's eyes flickered with uncontrollable fury, like a raging beast watching the car until it disappeared at the intersection, only then looking away and pulling out his phone to call his secretary, "The document I requested this morning, send it over."
The secretary quickly agreed, "Got it, I'll send it right away."
In just a few seconds, Maxim received the file sent by the secretary.
He picked up his phone and scrolled through it. He originally planned to deliver a lawyer's letter to Joyce Company that day, but then changed his mind.
But he knew Summer too well. To get her to come back willingly, ordinary methods wouldn't work.
So he switched to issuing a challenge through a showdown of new projects.
Now it seems...
Outside the central apartment.
Noah escorted Summer to her door and left like a gentleman.
Intoxicated, Summer barely managed to remove her makeup and didn't even change into sleepwear before she collapsed onto the bed, falling into a deep sleep.
In a daze between sleep and wakefulness, she vaguely felt something pressing on her.
Feeling suffocated, Summer jolted awake, only to find herself alone and disheveled in the room.
"Whew, seems like I've been drinking too much these past few days, ended up having a nightmare."
Summer patted her forehead and got out of bed.
She just opened the door when the sight of the living room made her stop in her tracks.