In the underground garage, the secretary waited in the back seat. After reporting the work, Kieran stopped by the roadside. Nelson, with his eyes closed, looked extremely tired.
Before getting out of the car, the secretary cautiously spoke, “Mr. Oconnor, Mrs. Oconnor called me today. She seems to be looking for you.”
Almost instantly, Nelson opened his eyes, filled with a cold glint. “When?”
“In the evening.”
Nelson picked up his suit jacket from the side, found his personal phone, and saw several unread messages.
He frowned, “How did the Scott Group bid turn out?”
“As expected, we won.”
Nelson instructed Kieran to go to Reuben’s place.
It was too late; the lights were already off. Nelson waited downstairs, not going up. Under the streetlight, he appeared dignified yet lonely.
Kieran couldn’t help but ask, “Why don’t you explain to her?”
“Missed is missed. An explanation is just an excuse.” Nelson rubbed his forehead and let out a barely audible sigh.
Callie sat on the last subway train. Her phone vibrated; it was a reply from Nelson: Too busy with work, didn’t check my phone.
After a while, she received another message: Have a good night’s sleep.
She turned off the screen. She knew Nelson was really busy and genuinely hadn’t checked his phone. She could understand, but for some reason, the gap in her heart grew larger, even though they were both trying hard to get closer to each other.
The next day, Callie received a call from Litzy. “Callie, I heard from security that you went to Oconnor Group last night but couldn’t go up. Why didn’t you call me? I could have helped you.”
Callie paused, feeling a bitter taste in her heart. “It wasn’t anything important, thank you.”
“Don’t mention it between us,” Litzy sighed. “We haven’t seen each other for a long time. How about dinner tonight?”
“… Alright.”
In the evening, Callie arrived at the destination, only to find that it wasn’t just Litzy waiting for her; most of the design department was there.
She was somewhat surprised by the scene before her.
“What’s this? A few days without seeing us and you don’t recognize us?” someone joked first. “Or are you putting on airs after winning the Gold Award?”
The familiar atmosphere made Callie laugh, and suddenly feel a bit emotional. “I’d recognize you even if you turned to ashes.”
Everyone laughed.
It was still at the hotpot restaurant, steaming hot and perfect for summer.
Litzy pulled Callie aside and said, “The position of design director is vacant now. No one is in charge. Everyone misses you. I asked who wanted to come with me, and everyone came.”
Having worked together for so many years, even conflicts had forged bonds.
Callie felt emotional, opened a can of beer, and raised it to everyone. “Thank you all for remembering me. I was immature before and might have been reckless. I hope you don’t hold any grudges.”
Someone quickly responded, “No way. We were the ones who were too much before, always targeting you. You shouldn’t hold it against us.”
“Yeah, yeah, don’t say that.”
“Come on, let’s drink this cup and forget about the past.”
“…”
After a few bottles of beer, someone suggested, “Callie, why don’t you plead with the higher-ups to return to Oconnor Group? The design department can’t be without a director.”
Callie’s cheeks were flushed, but her mind was clear. She knew she couldn’t go back to Oconnor Group.
“Yeah, how did you offend the higher-ups to get suddenly fired?”