“Come on, we’ve still got a meeting back at the office.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah, just laid in bed for three hours.
My arms and legs are a bit numb.”
As soon as Sophia said that, I stepped closer and held her up gently.
Bit by bit, I helped her over to her BMW.
“Do you know how to drive?” she asked, fishing out her keys and heading to unlock the car.
“Ms.
Smith, let me drive.
You can just sit and relax.
I’ll be the best chauffeur you ever had.”
“Andrew, lucky you’re here.
My arms and legs are so dead right now, I honestly don’t know how I’d manage on my own.” She smiled softly.
I opened the door and helped her into the passenger seat like she was made of glass.
It was my first time behind the wheel of a BMW, with a stunning woman riding shotgun.
Definitely felt cool, like something out of a movie.
Too bad the drive was short — we were back at the office in just thirty minutes.
I hopped out and opened the door for Sophia.
Just then, two female coworkers passed by and saw us.
They started whispering right away.
“Who’s the cutie with Ms.
Smith?
I’ve never seen him before.”
“Beats me.
You think they’re friends or something?”
“Sure looks like it.
Otherwise, why would they be together?”
“I mean, not just regular friends — like, boyfriend-girlfriend type.”
“Keep your voice down!
If Ms.
Smith hears you, you’ll be roasted alive.”
“I took a good look.
He’s pretty hot, definitely better-looking than that Carl guy from our department.”
The two of them kept stealing glances as they walked into the building.
I couldn’t help sneaking a look at Sophia to see if she caught any of that.
Anyael Corporation is in a building full of different companies.
Every time the elevator stops, there’s a good chance you’ll run into some ridiculously attractive woman.
But for now, in this 23-floor tower, Sophia is the only one I actually know.
Everyone greeted her warmly when she came in.
“Ms.
Smith!” Full of energy and smiles everywhere she went.
As we passed the lounge, I noticed a few young men and women sitting there.
Sophia walked over to them and asked, “Are you the new hires?”
They clearly didn’t realize this gorgeous woman in front of them was the big boss.
Lucky me — already ahead of the game.
One of the young women replied quickly.
“Yes, Mr.
Adams told us to wait here until you got back — said once the meeting starts, we’d get our work assignments.”
“Alright then, sit tight.
The meeting will begin soon.”After Sophia finished speaking, she walked out of the reception room.
As I passed by the PR department, I noticed a few of them spotted me.
One of the girls inside was the same one I bumped into downstairs not long ago.
Not surprisingly, some chatter started up from their office.
It was all about me.
That girl?
She went full gossip mode, exaggerating the whole situation she witnessed just now.
She was like, “Did you see that guy who just walked by?
I bet he’s some relative of Ms.
Smith.”
Another girl chimed in, “No way.
Ms.
Smith never hires her relatives at Anyael Corporation.”
“Well, that’s weird then,” the first one added.
“They looked pretty close just now.”
I couldn’t help but smile to myself—kind of sweet—but then reality hit me.
If everyone starts thinking I only got this job because I’m connected to Sophia, like I’m riding on her coattails, what’s going to happen?
How will the team even take me seriously?
How do I prove myself here?
The company decided to host a welcome meeting for the newcomers.
The big, well-lit conference room was packed—about fifty folks from all over the company were seated.
Most of the team here is young, average age probably around twenty-seven.
The second I walked into that room, a wave of curious stares met me.
I knew exactly what was going through their minds.
There was even some hushed whispering going on.
Just like that, I became the center of attention.
The low murmurs continued right until Sophia entered the room.
Her presence instantly brought order.
Calm, composed, she took her seat at the head of the table.
To her right sat Henry Adams, the manager from Admin.
Sophia set down the papers in her hands, then leaned over and quietly said something to Henry.
That kicked off the welcome meeting, with Henry leading the intro.
After a few typical welcoming lines, Sophia jumped in with her speech as the team lead.
“I’m really happy we’re gathered here today,” she said.
“We’ve got several bright young faces joining our Anyael family.
You’ll be working side by side with everyone here to help shape our future.
Let’s give them a big warm welcome.”
Right after she finished, the room broke into applause.
Sophia in work mode was just magnetic—she spoke with class, confidence, and charm.
Sitting there and listening, I found myself a bit mesmerized.
Once the applause died down, Sophia asked us new hires to introduce ourselves.
First up was a young woman, fresh out of college, cute and wearing glasses.
She looked a bit nervous—probably not used to settings like this.
Then it was my turn.
As I stood up, another wave of hushed voices rippled through the room.
People clearly weren’t done speculating.
I gave a small cough—half out of habit, half as a subtle signal: hey, quiet down, okay?