Meave’s POV I woke up the next morning to the loud sound of my phone alarm ringing beside my bed.
For a few seconds, I just stared at the ceiling, trying to convince my mind that getting out of bed was actually possible.
Yesterday had drained me completely.
After returning from work, I had only managed to take a one-hour nap before forcing myself to get up again.
I barely ate anything while revising my report, knowing I had to present it to my boss again in the morning.
I never thought a single day as an intern could leave me this exhausted.
But then again, what did I know about working?
Before this, my biggest worries had been college assignments, exams, and deadlines.
I had never experienced the pressure of working in an actual corporate environment—especially not one like Westbridge.
I finally dragged myself out of bed and got ready for the day.
After freshening up, I went downstairs and prepared myself a cup of coffee.
The warmth and bitterness instantly helped wake me up.
Along with it, I had a simple bowl of oats and cornflakes.
It was my usual breakfast.
Nothing fancy, but it was quick, easy, and exactly what I needed on busy mornings.
With my coffee in one hand and my bag prepared beside me, I took a deep breath.
Today was another day at Westbridge.
I entered my department exactly at 9 a.m.
But unlike yesterday, the office was already occupied.
All four of my bosses were seated at their workstations, completely absorbed in their tasks.
Alexander was focused on his computer, Damian was going through a stack of documents, and even Julian—who I had expected to be the first person to greet me considering his personality—was unusually quiet and busy with his own work.
Not that I minded.
I just found it a little unexpected.
After yesterday’s interactions, I had assumed Julian would be the type of person who would make it a habit to annoy me every morning with some playful comment.
Maybe I overthink things too much.
I walked toward my desk beside Adrian’s and quietly placed my bag down.
Usually, Adrian was the person who made the environment feel less intimidating, but even he seemed completely occupied today.
He was reviewing a thick stack of papers, his brows slightly furrowed as he carefully went through each page.
He didn’t even notice me sitting down beside him.
I looked around the office.
The atmosphere felt different from yesterday.
Everyone seemed unusually focused, almost as if they were preparing for something important.
There was a quiet intensity in the room that I couldn’t explain.
Whatever they were working on, it seemed serious.
I picked up my revised report and walked directly toward Alexander’s desk.
Unlike yesterday, he noticed my presence immediately.
I placed the file in front of him, and without saying anything, he took it from my hands and began reading.
I stood there quietly, waiting for his response.
For some reason, watching him work from this close felt different.
Even though Alexander always appeared strict and intimidating, there was something strangely calming about his working presence.
He was focused, precise, and completely in control of everything around him.
My eyes unconsciously moved toward his face.
The sharp lines of his features were more noticeable up close—the defined jawline, the perfectly composed expression, and the way his eyes carefully scanned through every detail of the report.
I had to admit it.
He was undeniably handsome.
My thoughts came to an abrupt stop when he suddenly looked up and met my eyes.
For a second, I forgot what I was even thinking about.
“Good work.” Just two words.
That was all he said.
But somehow, those two words created a strange feeling inside my chest.
I wasn’t sure what it was.
Pride?
Relief?
Happiness?
Maybe a mixture of everything.
I had spent hours rewriting that report, wondering if it would still be considered insufficient.
And hearing those simple words from someone like Alexander—someone who seemed impossible to impress—felt unexpectedly meaningful.
I quickly composed myself and nodded.
“Thank you, sir.” Alexander had already returned his attention to the report by then, as if he hadn’t just made my entire morning better with two words.
I was about to return to my desk when Alexander’s voice stopped me.
“Everyone, join me in the meeting room.” The moment he said it, everyone immediately paused whatever they were doing.
No questions.
No hesitation.
The atmosphere of the office shifted instantly as the four of them gathered their files and moved toward the meeting room.
I followed behind them, still trying to understand what was happening.
The meeting room was a medium-sized space compared to the rest of the office.
A large table occupied the centre, surrounded by neatly arranged chairs.
At the front of the room was a wide monitor mounted against the wall, ready for presentations.
I quietly took a seat at the end of the table, choosing a position where I could observe without interrupting.
The others settled into their places.
The seriousness on their faces immediately told me this wasn’t an ordinary discussion.
Damian was the first to begin.
He opened his laptop and connected it to the monitor.
A few seconds later, the screen came alive.
Large bold letters appeared across it.
EXECUTIVE RESOLUTION DIVISION “We are going to open a new division under our department,” Damian began, his voice steady and serious.
“This division will consist only of trusted members.” The room remained silent as everyone focused on him.
“For the past few months, confidential company information has been secretly transferred to our competitors,” he continued.
“The drastic measures taken to solve the issue have not been successful.
The person responsible has still not been identified.” I felt my expression change.
Someone inside the company was leaking information?
Damian continued without pause.
“So, we are going to investigate this matter from the beginning.
We will look into every possible angle—both inside and outside the company.
Nothing will be ignored.” He clicked to the next slide, but I was still processing his words.
A company as powerful as Westbridge had someone betraying it from within.
The thought itself was unsettling.
I looked around the room.
Unlike me, none of them seemed surprised.
Of course they weren’t.
They had probably known about this long before I did.
But for me, this was completely unexpected.
Just yesterday, I had walked into this department thinking my biggest challenge would be completing reports under Alexander’s strict expectations.
Now I was sitting in a meeting where my new bosses were discussing a confidential corporate investigation.
My internship had changed direction before I had even properly settled in.
“We have decided to create teams consisting of different people from each department to carry out this investigation,” Alexander explained after Damian finished.
I listened carefully.
So, this division wouldn’t only involve ESSPU.
Members from different departments would be selected and would work together under this new division.
The responsibility suddenly seemed much bigger.
“So, from our department—” Before Adrian could finish his sentence, Julian immediately interrupted.
“Of course, nobody is as suitable as me for this job.” I looked at him.
Naturally.
He said it with the confidence of someone who had already assigned himself the position.
Damian didn’t even look surprised.
He probably expected it.
Julian leaned back in his chair with a proud expression.
“I have the best outside connections, excellent communication skills, and an unmatched ability to gather information.” “Your ability to talk too much is not a qualification,” Alexander commented.
Julian ignored him.
Then his eyes shifted toward me.
“Does someone want to volunteer?” The moment his gaze landed on me, I immediately understood what he was doing.
Absolutely not.
There was no way in heaven I was going to work alone with this man and his endless teasing.
I was already struggling to understand his personality.
Before I could come up with an excuse, Adrian spoke.
“Meave, I think you would be suitable for it.” I turned toward him.
His warm hazel eyes looked at me with genuine encouragement.
And somehow, that made it harder to refuse.
“Me?” I asked, slightly surprised.
Adrian nodded.
“Yes.
You have a fresh perspective.
Since you haven’t been involved in the company before, you might notice things that others overlook.” adrian said.
“Come on, Meave,” Julian said, leaning slightly forward with an encouraging smile.
“Instead of spending your entire internship collecting and reviewing boring reports, you’ll get to do something much more interesting.” I looked at him.
Somehow, he had a way of making everything sound like an adventure.
Or a problem.
Sometimes both.
Before I could answer, Adrian spoke.
“We won’t force you, Meave.
It’s completely your decision.” His words immediately made me feel less pressured.
I looked down at my hands, thinking.
There were definitely risks.
This wasn’t just another assignment.
I would be involved in a confidential investigation that could affect the entire company.
I would have to work with people from different departments and handle responsibilities far beyond what I expected from an internship.
And then there was Julian.
I glanced at him.
He gave me a confident smile, as if he already knew I would agree.
Working with him might be exhausting.
But on the other hand… How many interns got an opportunity like this?
Instead of spending a year only analyzing old reports and doing regular office work, I would get a chance to experience something completely different.
I could learn more, understand how the company actually worked, and gain knowledge that most people never got access to.
The opportunity was too valuable to ignore.
Even if it meant tolerating Julian a little more.
I took a breath.
“Okay,” I said.
The room went quiet for a moment.
“I’ll do it.” Julian immediately smiled in victory.
“I knew you would make the right choice.” Damian glanced at him.
“You mean you knew she wouldn’t be able to resist a challenge.” Julian shrugged.
“Same thing.” I couldn’t help but smile slightly.
Maybe this decision was risky.
But something told me it was going to change my internship completely.