Chapter 6

"Finish the financial analysis for the Silveroak Partners report before lunch." Felicia returned to her workstation. Despite being demoted to a junior role in the secretarial department, Sandy continued to assign her additional tasks that weren't even meant for her. She accepted everything without protesting. Perhaps she was only trying to persuade herself that Max would notice her again if she put in enough effort. He didn't. After completing the analysis, Felicia gave Sandy the printed copy and the digital file before placing an order for takeaway. 

She always packed her own lunch, even though the firm had a cafeteria. She simply didn't want to eat in public, have others stare at her, or engage in small talk. She just needed a little peaceful time. Takeout would have to do since she hadn't made lunch that morning. A few coworkers returned from lunch while she waited, chatting animatedly as they entered. You do realize how young Mr. Hawthorne's girlfriend is? She appears to be a college student. Yes, and she's very beautiful. She truly is a celebrity. 

Have you seen his gaze on her? He treats her so tenderly. I had no idea our CEO could be that sensitive. It resembles a true love tale. The strong CEO and his adorable young lover. When they saw Felicia sitting at her desk, still and silent—almost like a statue—their words trailed off. Felicia hardly talked to anyone since her transfer, except when it was about work. She was more reclusive than ever, hiding behind a mask and acting as though she was attempting to vanish. She was constantly in the spotlight, and it was difficult to think she had been the CEO's assistant not too long ago.

 It buzzed on her phone. The delivery man had come. Felicia stood up to get her breakfast. She saw two hotel employees asking the receptionist for instructions while bringing covered trays down in the lobby. They were swiped into the CEO's personal elevator by the receptionist. Felicia saw that one of them had a bottle of wine that must have cost two million dollars. That level of money meant nothing to Max; it was just one more minute of labor. She went back upstairs after grabbing her basic takeaway, which was just chicken and rice. Sandy arrived at two o'clock.

 "Mr. Hawthorne wants to see you. "Felicia's heart fell. She couldn't get rid of the uneasy sense that something negative was about to happen. She was correct. She could sense the tension in the air when she entered Max's office. She came up to his desk and silently said hello. "Mr. Hawthorne." Max raised his head, his eyes unreadable and his face icy. He picked up the file from his desk and threw it at her without saying anything. "Is this what you call an analysis report?" Her cheek was abruptly and sharply cut by the paper's edge. On the ground at her feet was the report she had worked on that morning. 

Felicia knelt down and struggled to collect the papers, pressing one hand to her tummy. Max simply stared at her, his eyes cold and unwavering. Felicia skimmed the report. She quickly recognized the errors. All of the numbers were incorrect. She raised her gaze. "Mr. Hawthorne, this isn't the report I submitted." Your justifications don't interest me. Felicia gripped the papers hard. No one was more familiar with her work than Max. He wasn't disregarding her justifications. 

All he wanted was someone to point the finger at. Felicia felt tiny and foolish as she stood there, realizing how far she had fallen in his eyes. Nevertheless, she inhaled deeply, briefly closed her eyes, and then raised her voice in a steady tone. "A backup copy is with me. I'm able to send it to you immediately. You can verify it for yourself and choose whether I should receive a reprimand. Max's displeasure was evident as his eyes narrowed.