I couldn’t tell if Sophia was joking or serious with that comment.
I started the car and shot her a side-eye from the driver’s seat.
“Hey, if you’re that curious, you go meet her.
I’m not interested.”
“Why not?
What if she turns out to be some kind of stunner?
You’d be hitting the jackpot.”
“Even if she was prettier than a goddess, I still wouldn’t care.”
“If she’s really that gorgeous, won’t you regret not going?”
“What’s there to regret?
There are plenty of beautiful women out there.
If I had to regret them all, I’d be miserable 24/7.
Plus, I’ve already got someone in my heart.
No one else even stands a chance.”
“Someone that serious, huh?
Must be pretty special to be locked in Andrew’s heart like that.”
“You already know who, don’t pretend like you don’t.”
“I honestly don’t.
But I trust your taste.
If you’re into her, she can’t be bad.”
“In my eyes, she’s the best.
No one else compares.”
“Well, in that case, I’m happy for you.”
“Sophia, actually…”
“What?
Say it.”
“Well…
I just want to work hard alongside you at Anyael Corporation, build something meaningful with you.”
“Andrew, with you around, that’s all the support I need.
By the way, I’ve got a business trip to Newlyn next month.
Come with me?”
“Can’t someone else go instead?”
“This is one of our long-term partners.
But word is, another company is trying to swoop in.
If we don’t secure next year’s deal soon, we could lose them.”
“I get it.
I’ll go with you.
Wherever you need me, I’ll be there.”
“Thanks, Andrew.
You were supposed to be the assistant to the planning director, but now you’re just a regular staffer, no fancy title, lower pay.
Don’t you feel even a little frustrated?”
Sophia looked at me, still probably not getting that I gave up the assistant role on purpose.
I didn’t want people gossiping that I got my spot thanks to connections.
I’m not Sophia’s relative or anything like that.
I came to Anyael to prove myself, to earn respect based on what I can actually do.
When the time’s right and people know what I bring to the table, I’ll compete fair and square for any position in this company.
I placed my hand gently on Sophia’s, trying to ease her worry.
“I chose to step down from that role.
I’m not bitter about it at all.
Whether it’s with a title or not, I’m still working my butt off for the company.
That extra couple hundred bucks?
I just cut back on some daily expenses and it evens out.
So don’t stress over me.”
“As long as you’re genuinely happy coming to work, that’s all I care about.”
“I am.
The vibe at Anyael is great—everyone gets along, it’s chill.”
“Exactly.
That’s the culture we’re going for.
We work hard, but once the job’s done, people can relax and just enjoy themselves.
We’re professionals in this city, not just working for cash, but also trying to live a good life.
At Anyael, we believe in working with passion and keeping our workdays happy.””Having someone like you leading Anyael Corporation is honestly a blessing for everyone here.”
“I’m not just their boss, you know.
Once we’re off the clock, I’m their friend too.
They both respect me and genuinely like me.”
“Yeah, that’s pretty obvious.
People at the company really admire and respect you.”
“Even on the most exhausting days, I walk into the office and see all these bright, energetic faces, and it just gives me a boost.
Outside of work, I’m their friend, and honestly, these young folks bring a lot of joy into my life.”
“Then from now on, I’ll be your source of joy.”
“I know, Andrew.
I know you just want me to be happy.”
“No matter what, I’ll keep trying.
As long as there’s a little place for me in your heart, nothing else matters to me.”
“Andrew…
things aren’t always that simple.
We’re not just living for ourselves — there are our parents, family, and others around us who care.
Stuff like…
well, what’s between us, it’s not something people can easily accept.”
“I don’t care what people think.
All I know is, I can’t picture my world without you in it.”
“I’m telling you this for your sake.
If you ever do fall for me, it’s going to complicate your life — trust me.
Even your friends won’t be on your side.”
“If the love is real, no obstacle is big enough to stop two people from being together.”
Sophia went quiet.
She leaned back in the passenger seat, eyes kind of blank, staring out the window like she was lost in thought.
We pulled up in front of the company.
I got out of the car, and she walked around to me.
“Go ahead and head up first, Andrew.”
“Alright.” I didn’t push it.
I understood exactly what that meant.
Sophia didn’t want colleagues seeing us show up together and getting the wrong idea.
I was new — if people saw me that close with the boss, it would’ve made things weird for both of us.
I didn’t want to cause Sophia any trouble either.
If there’s something she didn’t feel comfortable with, I’d back off without hesitation.
After we split up, I headed in early, got into the office.
A few coworkers looked up from their desks, giving me this look like they were trying to figure something out.
“What’s up with you all?
Why’re you staring at me like that?
I got something on my face?”
“Andrew, was Ms.
Smith really drunk last night?”
“Pretty close.
When I took her home, I had to help her upstairs.”
“Wait, why were you the one taking her home?
People are saying you’re related to her or something.
That true?”
“Where’d you hear that?”
“Just some whispers around the office.
Is it real?”
“Me, related to Ms.
Smith?
Come on, she’s my boss.
The boss gets drunk, I help her get home.
That’s normal, right?
Doesn’t mean we’re family or something.”
“Still, it’s odd.
You’ve only just started here.
She barely knows you.
Why you?”
“I’ve got no idea.
You all saw it — Henry picked me to help.
What was I supposed to do, say no?”
“Yeah, maybe.
But still feels off.”
“Believe whatever you want.
I’m just the laid-back type, easy to get along with.
I guess Ms.
Smith likes that I’m outgoing and easy to talk to.”
“Ms.
Smith treats you real well.”Chloe casually made a comment, and suddenly a few colleagues from the Planning Department glanced at me with those “you’re-so-lucky” eyes.
After all, I’d only been in the company for a few days, and it already looked like Sophia was fond of me.
In their eyes, I was probably the luckiest guy in the whole office.
Let’s face it—if your boss genuinely appreciates you, that usually means real opportunities are coming your way.
Everyone wants to be that person at work.
Since people had seen Sophia and me acting quite close outside of the office, it wasn’t surprising that speculation started flying.
They probably thought I was the one she trusted most.
A male colleague chuckled and joked, “Andrew, I bet it won’t be long before Sophia bumps you right back up to assistant director.”
“Totally.
You left that position on your own.
Picking it back up wouldn’t be a problem at all.”
Honestly, they weren’t wrong.
Given how things were between me and Sophia now, if I wanted to return to the assistant director role, I could probably just ask.
She’d say yes—no questions.
But of course, I had to act modest in front of everyone, so I smiled and said, “You guys are overthinking it.
Anyael Corporation has strict rules.
Every position here requires real qualifications and internal competition, it’s not something that can be handled with just a word.”
“Eh, I’m not so sure,” the guy replied.
“Sophia really seems to trust you.
I mean, you’ve been here less than a week and already she treats you like an old friend.”
I said, “Sophia’s fair to everyone.
I haven’t gotten any special treatment or anything like that.”
Chloe piped up and added with a giggle, “Andrew’s just got this likable vibe.
I’m a fan too.
He’s such a sweet little man.”
Wow.
“Little man”?
That was actually Sophia’s pet name for me.
Didn’t expect Chloe to pick that up too.
But I had to admit, I preferred hearing it from Sophia—it always had that subtle tenderness in her voice that gave her feelings away.
Anyael Corporation had its own cafeteria, and lunch was served in a big shared dining hall—just like back at school.
Sophia usually ate there too unless she had clients or something business-related at noon.
Otherwise, she liked eating with the rest of us.
People from the same departments mostly sat together.
I guess it was just natural, since we worked together a lot and were more familiar.
Lunchtime was honestly my favorite part of the day.
It was the one time when people from every department gathered in the same space.
The PR girls, especially, always caught everyone’s eye—they made the lunchroom look like a runway.
A lot of them were tall, beautiful, fashionable.
I’d already learned from gossip over the past few days that several of them also doubled as the company’s fashion models.
Anyway, I’d just grabbed my tray and was about to join the rest of the Planning Department when Nana—yeah, the girl I’d danced with that one time—waved me over.
“Hey Andrew, come sit with us today.
Why always hang with the Planning team?
So boring.
We’ve got a whole table full of pretty girls.
You can eat and feast your eyes at the same time!”