“Avery!” A baby-faced head popped through the doorway of the finance department, exclaiming in exaggerated surprise. “Why are you still in the office?”
Avery Bennett was in the middle of printing out a stack of receipts. She lifted her head, looking up at her friend Ivy Black with confusion. “Ivy, is it already time to leave?”
She glanced at her wristwatch—10:30 AM. It was still the middle of the workday.
“Oh, come on!” Ivy stomped her foot, looking exasperated. “Stop being such a bookworm, will you? Look around—is there anyone else in your office?”
“Huh?” Only then did Avery notice that the office was eerily empty. “What’s going on?” she asked, even more puzzled. She also took in Ivy’s appearance: her makeup was meticulously done, with thin, arched eyebrows and thick, dark eyeliner that made her naturally small eyes appear brighter. Though the makeup was a bit over the top, it did give her a polished, professional look.
And then there was her outfit—she was wearing her one and only Chanel suit, which she usually reserved for special occasions. Dressed like this, Ivy could easily pass as a sophisticated career woman.
“Are you… going on a date?” Avery hesitated before asking. She couldn’t understand why Ivy’s parents were so eager to marry her off, even though she was still in the prime of her youth. Every Saturday, they practically forced her into blind dates.
Ivy rushed into the office, her high heels clicking loudly. She nearly tripped but managed to steady herself by grabbing the edge of Avery’s desk.
“Avery!” Ivy’s voice boomed, startling Avery so much that she thought she must have committed some unforgivable sin.
“You… you… you…” Ivy pointed at her, so worked up she could barely get the words out.
Avery quickly stood up from her pile of receipts, patting Ivy’s back to calm her down. “What did I do wrong?”
“Do you even know what day it is today?”
“Today…” Avery racked her brain, stealing a glance at Ivy’s serious expression. She mentally ran through a list of important dates—Lu Xun’s birthday, Fu Lei’s memorial day—but nothing came to mind. She shook her head sheepishly.
Ivy looked like she was about to explode. She put her hands on her hips and glared at Avery. “Today is the day Dylan Scott, the new CEO of Apex Global, officially takes over our company!”
“Oh… but isn’t Apex Global our company?” Avery still didn’t get the point.
“Yes, and do you know who our CEO is?”
Avery nodded. “Of course, it’s Tom Scott. His name is on every annual report.”
Whether or not he personally signed them, his name was always on the official documents.
Ivy was clearly annoyed by Avery’s cluelessness. “All you care about are reports and numbers! Don’t you know our CEO has changed recently?”
“It has?” Avery looked completely blank.
Ivy sighed, as if she were dealing with a lost cause. “The new CEO is Dylan Scott, got it? Tom Scott’s son! Dylan is the ultimate eligible bachelor—no, scratch that, he’s the diamond bachelor! He’s handsome, young, wealthy… Ugh, just trust me, he’s the whole package!”