The day after Benjamin Harris approved Grace Li's resignation, he privately informed her that Mike would be stepping into her position.
This was completely expected by Grace Li. In the competitive U.S. job market, promoting someone from within who is already familiar with the business is a standard move. Mike had proven himself capable in many areas, and promoting him would help maintain team stability while also allowing Benjamin and Scarlet Harris to consolidate their influence.
Grace Li and Mike were preparing to hand over the work, but she didn't want to make it too obvious just yet, so she asked Mike to keep it quiet.
The office was bustling as usual. A new colleague had recently joined, a bright and cheerful person with an overseas education background. She had already caught the attention of several male coworkers due to her good looks.
Her name was Ava, and she was taking over Aiden Thompson's role.
Aside from Grace Li, no one else in the office knew that Aiden Thompson had already submitted his resignation. They all assumed that Aiden would be mentoring the new hire.
Ava was 23, recently graduated, and had previously worked as an analyst at a well-known investment bank on Wall Street.
Ava was very pleased with Aiden Thompson as her mentor. She would prefer to ask him questions in person rather than through messages, and she often found excuses to stop by his desk.
"Aiden, could you quickly glance at this spreadsheet and see if there's anything that needs tweaking?" Ava walked over to Aiden Thompson's desk, leaning in to hand him the document. As she did so, her wavy hair brushed his shoulder.
Aiden Thompson took the spreadsheet and replied, "Sure, I'll take a look and let you know if I see any issues."
"I still need to keep working on this, so can you just take a quick glance?" she asked, her tone casual and friendly.
At that moment, Grace Li returned to the office and noticed the interaction. She quickly looked away, feeling like she was intruding, and returned to her desk to focus on her tasks.
Aiden Thompson gave Grace Li a brief glance, then turned to Ava and said, "You can give me some space, no need to be so close."
His tone was polite, but it clearly indicated he was setting boundaries.
Ava pouted slightly and stepped back. Aiden Thompson quickly scanned the spreadsheet and said, "Looks good overall. Just keep going with this."
Ava smiled brightly, "Great, thanks, Aiden!"
After returning to her desk, Olivia, who had already noticed Ava's interest in Aiden Thompson, decided it was time to step in. Olivia had once been interested in Aiden Thompson, but when she learned he had a girlfriend, she dropped the idea.
Olivia felt it was necessary to address the situation, so she said casually, "Hey, there's a jewelry store running a special deal for Chinese Valentine's Day. Spend over $3000, and you get a free $500 piece of jewelry. It's a great deal, and the gifts are really stunning. For those of you with significant others, it might be worth checking out."
Peter responded, "I'd rather spend that money on a nice dinner. At least we can enjoy it together."
"I figured you'd say that," Olivia laughed, then turned to Aiden Thompson, teasing him lightly, "Aiden, are you going to surprise your girlfriend with something?"
Aiden Thompson wasn't particularly interested in the conversation, but he took the opportunity to confirm his relationship. "Send me the details. Let's see what they've got."
Olivia quickly sent him the store's promotion information, then asked, "Got it. Need help picking out something?"
"Let me take a look first," Aiden Thompson responded.
Ryan chimed in, joking, "A 10-carat diamond ring would be perfect for your girlfriend, Aiden!"
Aiden Thompson replied, "She's not into that flashy stuff."
"Flashy? What's wrong with a nice diamond ring?" Ryan turned to Grace Li, teasing her, "Boss, you'd love a 10-carat diamond, right?"
Grace Li, caught off guard, answered seriously, "Well, if it's free, who wouldn't?"
Ryan laughed, "See, I knew it!"
Ryan then joked, "But we're talking about Aiden's girlfriend, not the boss. Why are you asking her?"
Ryan, always eager to stir things up, added with a grin, "Come on, the boss is a woman too. Women have similar tastes, right, Olivia?"
Olivia shook her head, laughing, "You're out of your mind. Stop talking nonsense!"
The conversation continued as everyone chimed in, but Aiden Thompson stayed focused on the jewelry promotion.
Since it was Chinese Valentine's Day, he did need to get something for his girlfriend.
At that moment, Grace Li sent him a message with a meme of a small character holding a lotus flower with a peaceful smile. The caption read: "Save and be frugal."
Aiden Thompson smiled. He and Grace Li had already agreed to keep their spending in check, especially with their plans to start a business together.
Aiden Thompson replied, "You're the boss. I'll stick to our plan."
Grace Li responded, "I didn't say a word."
Aiden Thompson laughed, "But that emoji says it all."
Aiden Thompson then asked, "What time are you getting off today?"
Grace Li replied, "Might be a bit late. I need to hand over the N-Perspective project to Mike."
Aiden Thompson answered, "Okay, I'll head home and start dinner."
Grace Li said, "Sounds good."
Since they had decided to leave the company, they had been working less overtime, going home to cook dinner together and discuss their startup plans.
After work, Aiden Thompson was the first to leave, and Ava immediately followed.
Grace Li watched them leave and felt a slight pang of unease. She understood that she couldn't expect Aiden Thompson to be cold to every woman; that wouldn't be realistic.
Ava followed Aiden Thompson to the elevator, where they entered together.
Ava, carrying a Chanel handbag, secretly admired Aiden Thompson, who was dressed in a white shirt with his hands in his pockets. She thought he was both handsome and charismatic, exuding a kind of effortless charm.
Ava had seen her fair share of attractive men during her time at the investment bank, but none of them had affected her the way Aiden Thompson did.
Ava spoke up, "Aiden, I really appreciate all your help these days. I know I'm still learning, and I've probably asked you a lot of questions."
Aiden Thompson responded politely, "Don't mention it. That's what I'm here for."
Ava took a deep breath and said, "To show my appreciation, I'd love to take you out for dinner. There's this amazing Italian place I know. Are you free tonight?"
Without hesitation, Aiden Thompson declined, "Sorry, I'm tied up. I promised my girlfriend I'd cook dinner for her."
Hearing "cook dinner for my girlfriend" caught Ava off guard. She hadn't expected Aiden Thompson to be so down-to-earth.
His words not only confirmed he had a girlfriend but also suggested that he cared deeply for her, and they might even be living together.
Ava smiled, hiding her disappointment. "Oh well, maybe some other time."