Aveline returned to Orion’s office and found his desk, as always, piled high with thick stacks of documents. Compared to him, she felt like she had nothing to do-a mere bystander.
Although she understood that Orion didn’t want her to overwork herself, her intention in coming here wasn’t just to help him. She wanted to challenge herself, to grow. But Orion’s constant pampering only left her stagnant, unable to break through her limits.
“Orion.” It wasn’t her habit to interrupt him during work hours, but today she could no longer hold back.
“What’s wrong? Who bullied my little Aveline?” Orion, noticing her displeased expression as she entered, quickly set down his pen.
“Orion, I’ve been here for days, and you haven’t let me do anything. I didn’t come here for a vacation,” she said, her frustration spilling out.
She hadn’t mentioned the minor issues at the company to him, not wanting to add to his burdens.
Orion pulled her into his arms. “I just can’t bear to let you get tired. I told you-I’ll take care of everything.”
“But I want to grow, Orion. You’re being selfish,” Aveline replied, her tone tinged with dissatisfaction.
Before Orion could respond, Amy entered the room with a file in her hands. “President, here’s the new project proposal I just completed. You-” She stopped mid-sentence, stunned to see Aveline sitting on Orion’s lap, her arms wrapped around his neck.
Orion’s expression darkened as he glanced at Amy. “Do you not know how to knock before coming in?”
Amy looked visibly hurt. She used to knock, but there were times when Orion was so immersed in work that he didn’t hear it. Over time, she’d stopped knocking altogether-it had become an unspoken understanding. Orion had never complained before. But now, with Aveline here, he was scolding her harshly.
“My apologies, President. It won’t happen again. Here’s the proposal for your review,” Amy said, handing over the file.
“A new proposal? Let me take a look,” Aveline said, seizing the chance to involve herself.
Amy hesitated, her displeasure evident as she held onto the file. “Vice President, this is a confidential proposal for an upcoming bid. It’s best for the President to review it.”
“Confidential? What, do you think I’d leak company secrets to someone else?” Aveline asked, her tone sharp.
“That’s not what I meant,” Amy replied quickly.
“Then what do you mean?” Aveline pressed, her gaze unwavering. She hadn’t addressed the rumors Amy had been spreading about her, but now, this woman dared to show her attitude openly.
“I heard that the Vice President only recently graduated high school and has never dealt with anything like this before. I’m afraid it might be difficult for you to understand the proposal. The President values efficiency.”
Her words implied that Aveline was a burden, incapable of grasping the intricacies of the document.
Before Aveline could respond, Orion’s face darkened further. “Amy, you’re out of line. She’s the Vice President. There’s nothing in this company she can’t see.”
“But, President-”
“No buts. Hand it over to the Vice President.”
Amy’s expression shifted. Once, her work had been Orion’s top priority, but now, everything seemed to revolve around this woman. Aveline truly was a disruptive force.
Aveline took the proposal and began reading. The idea that she wouldn’t understand was laughable. She came from a family of two CEOs.
When she was a child, Julian would often sit her on his lap at home while he worked on documents. From an early age, she had been exposed to business matters. Sometimes, she’d even ask Julian questions, and he’d patiently explain everything.
How else would she have made money on her first foray into the stock market? She knew when to pull out before the bubble burst. To the outside world, she might seem like a mere high school graduate, but in reality, she was well-versed in finance.
Julian had even entrusted her with reviewing billion-dollar projects as a test when she was younger. A few hundred thousand? That was nothing.
After quickly scanning the proposal, Aveline gave her assessment. “This proposal looks flawless on the surface, but there are some issues.”
Amy’s face darkened. How dare she criticize the proposal? “Vice President, you’ve never even attended college. Are you sure you’re qualified to make such a judgment?”
“This has nothing to do with college education. If you think I’m wrong, I’ll redo the proposal myself. I’ll take charge of this project,” Aveline said firmly.
She had been growing restless with nothing to do around the office. This was the perfect opportunity to prove herself.
Amy’s first reaction was disbelief. If Orion weren’t present, she would’ve openly mocked Aveline. But with him here, she dared not say much. Instead, she thought, If Aveline wants to dig her own grave, I’ll gladly hand her the shovel.
“Vice President, have you ever done anything like this before?” Amy asked, her tone heavy with skepticism.
“Just because I haven’t done it doesn’t mean I can’t. If you’re so confident that I’ll fail, why don’t we make a bet?” Aveline said, her lips curling into a sly smile.
“What kind of bet?”
“If I succeed with this project, it’ll prove you underestimated me. In that case, you’ll leave the company. If I fail, it’ll prove you were right-I’m unfit for this position. I’ll resign. How about it?”
Aveline’s proposal was music to Amy’s ears. She couldn’t wait to see Aveline out of the company. Money didn’t equate to competence, and Amy was certain she’d win.
“Fine. You said it yourself, Vice President. Let’s have the President be our witness,” Amy said, barely hiding her glee.
Orion could feel the tension in the air. Since when had things become so hostile between Aveline and Amy?
“Aveline, there’s no need for this bet. You’re the Vice President-no one can take that away from you,” Orion tried to reason with her.
“Orion, I’ve made up my mind. Please, be our witness,” Aveline said firmly.
“You…” Orion sighed helplessly. He could never say no to her.
Once the bet was set, Orion immediately gave his orders. “Amy, bring all the project materials to the Vice President.”
“Yes, President. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave,” Amy said, her mood visibly lifted. She was certain of her victory.
“I’ll start reviewing the materials now,” Aveline said, knowing that time was of the essence. Understanding the process was one thing, but executing the project was a whole different challenge.
“Alright,” Orion said. Seeing her determination, he chose not to say anything that might dampen her spirits. He believed in her wholeheartedly.
As they left the office, Amy turned to Aveline. “Vice President, managing a project isn’t just theory. This is a multimillion-dollar deal. You’d better think twice before making any mistakes. It won’t look good on you.”
“Thanks for the reminder. All you need to do is prepare your resignation letter. And Amy, don’t think I’m unaware of the little tricks you’ve been playing behind the scenes,” Aveline said coldly.