Chapter 5

Xavier offered to drive me home since the subway was down. I could tell he wasn't in the best mood, so I didn't have the nerve to say no.

Before I got out, he saw me filing for leave, told me, "Get some rest," and then hit the gas and sped off.

I was totally clueless about why he was suddenly so upset, so I decided to just forget about it and enjoy my precious half-day off. I slept in until the sun was high in the sky.

When I got to the office that afternoon, I could tell something was off the moment I walked in.

Charles looked like he'd just swallowed a lemon, and everyone else was dead silent, but there was this weird, almost festive vibe in the air.

I shot a look at my neighbor, silently asking what was going on.

She leaned in and whispered, "You really missed out this morning. There was a huge drama."

Turned out, at the morning meeting, Charles was talking up my report like it was a masterpiece.

After he finished, Xavier asked, "Charles, you mentioned partnering with top beauty influencers on TikTok to sell our products, but as far as I know, those influencers are booked solid.

"Which influencers have you actually locked in? Can you break down the details, like when the live streams are happening, how the product showcase will work, and how the profits are divided?"

Charles started sweating bullets. He had no clue about any of that. He always left the grunt work to us and just swooped in to take the glory.

Xavier looked around the room. "So, can anyone fill me in?"

No one said a word. Then, Xavier had someone shut the conference room door.

My colleague was practically bouncing with excitement. "Mr. Sterling grilled Charles for a whole hour. You should've seen it. Charles looked like he was about to drop to his knees and beg for mercy."

I almost burst out laughing. Xavier used to be on the debate team. He probably had a thousand ways to make Charles's life a living hell.

Just thinking about all the crap we've had to put up with from Charles made me feel absolutely delighted. My good mood lasted all the way until I went to Xavier's office to get a document signed.

He caught me grinning and asked, "What's got you so happy?"

"Just thinking about how awesome you were this morning, Mr. Sterling," I replied.

Xavier smirked. "I just stood up for you. Aren't you going to thank me?"

I blinked, a bit confused. 'Weren't you just doing it for the company?"

I thought that since Xavier was the new guy in charge, he had to do something to show his muscles.

Xavier's face froze for a moment, and he shot me a look I couldn't quite read.

Suddenly realizing I'd probably put my foot in my mouth, I blurted out, "I really appreciate it. How about I buy you dinner tonight?"

He gave me a sideways glance, signed the paper, and after what felt like forever, finally said, "Alright."

But instead of letting me treat him, Xavier took me to a famous private kitchen called Miss Emerald's.

Staring at the fancy brass doors, I asked, "Isn't this place reservation-only?"

"Have you been here before?" he asked.

"I tried to come here with my ex once, but we couldn't get a reservation. They said it was booked up for three months," I replied.

Xavier opened the car door and tossed out coolly, "He just wasn't up to standard."

The doorman respectfully opened the door for us.

The manager spotted Xavier and immediately came over, wearing a familiar, eager smile. "Mr. Sterling, welcome. Right this way."

He gave me a nod, not even bothering to ask if we had a reservation.

I couldn't help but think that some people just didn't have to play by the rules.

At Miss Emerald's, the chef picked the menu for the day, so we didn't have to order anything. Xavier and I just started chatting, nothing too formal.

After a few questions about work, he brought it up almost like it was no big deal. "Yvette, I've checked out some of your previous projects. They're really impressive. You've been here quite a while. Ever thought about aiming for something bigger?"

I was a little surprised and quickly waved it off. "Most of my coworkers either graduated from elite schools or have tons of experience. Honestly, just getting in here was already a stroke of luck for me."

Xavier gave me a serious look. "Do you know how many people the company plans to hire this year?"

I shook my head.

"Four thousand," he said. "But do you know how many resumes we actually got?"

I shook my head again.

"Four hundred thousand," he said, each word hitting me like a punch. "Yvette, you're one in a million."

My throat tightened up.

"Stop slapping the 'ordinary' label on yourself," he said. "With your experience and skills, you deserve way better opportunities. Don't sell yourself short."

I opened my mouth, but no sound came out.