Chapter 5

As Stephanie looked at the way Tyler spoke with such conviction, her rage suddenly cooled off.

Didn't she already see through his true colors? What was there to feel disappointed about? Since he wanted to give the project to Kiara that badly, he could go ahead and do that.

But who said anything about Kiara being able to stomach what she was fed?

As he sensed Stephanie's sudden calmness, Tyler's expression softened considerably as well. He rose from his seat before approaching her, his hand soon grasping her icy one.

"Steph, as Kiara's brother and sister-in-law, it's normal for us to help our younger sister out. Don't you think so?"

Stephanie drew her hand out of Tyler's grasp, her expression still glacial.

"Whatever you say."

Tyler frowned slightly in return. Clearly, he was displeased by Stephanie's attitude. Then again, since she was no longer hung up on losing the project, he didn't chastise her anymore.

"Kiki has just taken charge of this project, so there's a lot that she has yet to learn. Please help her out for the time being, okay?"

Not long ago, Tyler had righteously told Stephanie that he was worried about her overworking herself and her health overall. Yet now, he wanted her to help Kiara out.

The hint of mockery in Stephanie's eyes was far too strong for Tyler to ignore, resulting in him coughing awkwardly.

"Anyway, what did the doctor say to you at the hospital? Your health shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Tyler's belated concern for her health didn't rouse any feelings within Stephanie at all. She just thought that he seemed even more ridiculous now.

"It was nothing," she replied perfunctorily. "I'm taking my leave, then."

Tyler watched Stephanie leave, feeling his uneasiness wash over him once again. But it quickly dissipated the moment he saw Kiara entering the office.

"Did Ms. Ford get mad at you, Ty?" she asked tentatively while walking toward Tyler.

"Nope." Tyler flashed her a comforting smile. "You don't have to worry about anything. Steph has always been thoughtful."

"Oh. That's great, then."

Despite what she said, Kiara still felt immensely displeased on the inside.

She had already snatched Stephanie's project from her, and yet the latter didn't kick up a fuss in front of Tyler.

What she wanted was to see Stephanie getting into a huge fight with Tyler and piss him off. That way, the tension between them would intensify.

But Stephanie's reaction… Hmph! That woman sure was a good actress!

Kiara was quick to come up with a plan on the spot.

"Ty, since today is my first day at work, why don't we host a team dinner tonight? Let's invite everyone who works in the Executive Office. That way, it's easier for me to befriend them."

"Alright," Tyler agreed to the idea without hesitation. "I'll get someone to book a private room for us right away."

Soon, everyone in the Executive Office found out about the team dinner that would be hosted that night.

"Why is a team dinner being hosted all of a sudden?"

"Isn't that obvious? Mr. Grover wants to welcome Ms. Grover to the company!"

"Who on earth is Ms. Grover, anyway? She shares the same surname as Mr. Grover… Does this mean she's family to him?"

"That can't be, right? The way they look at each other is so steamy that even I can feel the heat from here. Maybe their sharing a surname is just a coincidence."

"That makes her Mr. Grover's girlfriend, right? I used to think that Mr. Grover and Ms. Ford were an actual couple…"

"That can't be it, right? If they were truly dating, they'd have announced it a long time ago."

Everyone kept chatting in a gossip chat group on their phones.

Meanwhile, Stephanie scanned around the office with a stony expression.

Kiara was only here for less than a day, and yet the colleagues in the Executive Office were able to pick up on the suggestive relationship she shared with Tyler.

Those two really loved each other a lot, eh?

Stephanie remembered the time when she intended to announce her relationship with Tyler to the rest of the company. But Tyler had told her, "Steph, the company is a workplace at the end of the day. Let's not drag our private affairs into this space."

Initially, Stephanie thought that Tyler wanted to keep his private life locked away from his subordinates, so she agreed to keep their relationship a secret.

Now that she thought about it, Tyler just wanted to save the position of his wife for Kiara.

Stephanie didn't want to attend the team dinner at first, but she couldn't stop her colleagues from dragging her there. Left without a choice, she could only head toward the hotel with her colleagues.

Everyone knew that this dinner was hosted in favor of welcoming Kiara to the company. That was why people began toasting to Kiara the moment the dinner started.

But Tyler was quick to block those glasses. "Kiki can't drink because of her poor health. I'll drink on her behalf."

Then, he picked up the glass in front of him before downing everything on the spot. He even ordered a glass of juice for Kiara after that.

Everyone began cheering on Tyler in the private room. Since they were no longer in the company, the employees, who were usually afraid of Tyler, grew bolder around him.

"Mr. Grover cares about Ms. Grover a lot!"

"Mr. Grover really is a wonderful man!"

Their words got Kiara blushing like mad. "N-Nonsense! Mr. Grover just took pity on me for having poor health…"

"Oh my! Ms. Grover, there's no need to downplay it! Mr. Grover clearly cares about you!"

"Does this mean you'll receive all of our toasts on Ms. Grover's behalf, Mr. Grover?"

Tyler smiled faintly while glancing at Kiara, who sat next to him. "I'll drink everything no matter how many times you keep toasting to her."

"Wow!"

Everyone gasped in surprise. They never would've thought that Tyler, who was known to be cold and aloof, would show such a tender side when he was in love.

Meanwhile, Stephanie just sat in a corner all by herself, her gaze pinned on the glass of wine before her.

Once upon a time, she had attended business gatherings with Tyler. She remembered downing glasses of hard liquor in those gatherings. And yet, Tyler never blocked any of those drinks meant for her.

Then again, she was also pretty stupid back then. Whenever Tyler showed concern for her and had someone prepare a hangover meal after she'd finished drinking, she thought he cared a lot about her.

Now, Stephanie got to see for herself what Tyler was actually like when he truly cared about someone. He didn't have the heart to let Kiara drink at all, even when she was presented with beer, which had a low alcohol rating.

"Ms. Ford," Kiara suddenly called out to Stephanie, her voice dripping with fakeness.

Stephanie raised her head to see Kiara standing before her with a glass of beer in hand.

"I heard that you've been guiding everyone over the past few years. Everyone respects you greatly, Ms. Ford. Since it's my first day here, I should toast to you."

Then, she handed the beer glass over to Stephanie.

Stephanie remained calm. "Sorry, my stomach has been feeling off lately, so I can't drink alcohol at all."

"Ms. Ford…" Kiara looked upset. "Did I somehow piss you off? I just wanted to toast to you, that's all…"

Stephanie was rendered speechless by Kiara's act. All she did was speak the truth.

But Kiara soon turned to look at Tyler in an aggrieved manner, making the latter frown instantly.

"Ms. Ford," he said coldly. "Kiki is your new colleague. You should drink the alcohol she offered to you."