Template placeholder with Chapter 59

Chapter 59:

Sally waited until Davin had left before reaching for a thick file. “Take a look at the Stewart Group employee handbook. You’ll want to read it,” she said to Amelia.

Amelia reached out to take it, but Sally dropped the manual onto her desk with a thud. Feeling displeased but careful to hide it, Amelia managed a polite thank you.

Settling into her chair, she became aware of sidelong glances from the other employees. Each time she looked up to meet their eyes, they turned away quickly. Still, she caught a few unfriendly looks—some mocking, some dismissive. Drawing a steady breath, she reminded herself to stay composed, then opened the handbook and began to read.

Sally offered nothing beyond the manual for the rest of the morning. Even when Amelia tried to ask about her duties, Sally brushed her off with vague answers and little patience. By the third attempt, Sally’s irritation was plain. “I have too much on my plate to be interrupted unless it’s urgent. I—and the other employees here—have no connections in the company. If we don’t do our jobs well, we’ll be fired p>

Those words explained a lot. Suddenly, the cold shoulders around the office made sense. She had indeed gotten in through her connection to Wyatt, so it wasn’t entirely wrong for Sally and the others to dislike her for that.

Amelia said nothing more. Noticing her silence, Sally and her colleagues let their disdain show even more clearly. Getting hired at the Stewart Group required top-tier talent and determination. Each of them had fought for their spot. None of them felt any urge to cozy up to someone who got in through connections.

Amelia spent the day in silence, loneliness settling in as the hours crawled by. After work, when the office emptied, she lingered, slumping over her desk, weighed down by disappointment. Just then, her phone vibrated, snapping her out of her gloom.

M𝗼s𝗍 𝗿𝘦аd 𝗍hiѕ 𝗐𝗲𝖾𝗸 𝗈𝗻 𝗴𝗮𝘭𝘯𝗼𝘃е𝘭𝘀.с𝗈𝗺

It was a message from Wyatt: “Come downstairs p>

Composing herself first, Amelia made sure not to look upset before getting inside Wyatt’s car.

“So, how was your day?” Wyatt asked.

“Things went smoothly. Everyone was quite welcoming,” Amelia replied. Keeping her struggles hidden, she saw no reason to trouble Wyatt with office politics after everything he had already done for her.

Not wanting Wyatt to delve further into work matters, Amelia deliberately changed the subject. “Mr. Stewart, did you need something from me p>

“We’re not at work right now. You don’t have to call me Mr. Stewart p>

He knitted his brows while he spoke, and his expression only softened when Amelia used his first name.

Plans for a dinner out vanished when Wyatt saw how drained Amelia looked, so he just drove her home. After watching her enter her apartment, he immediately called Davin.

Back at the office, Davin was still buried in paperwork. When Wyatt’s name popped up on his phone screen, he braced himself for more tasks, only to hear a very different request. Wyatt wanted a full update on Amelia’s first day.

“Mr. Stewart, is something wrong with Miss Flynn’s work situation?” he asked.

“You have ten minutes. Find out how her day was today at work,” Wyatt instructed before abruptly ending the call.

Even though Amelia had said nothing, Wyatt’s intuition told him she felt down. A few minutes later, Davin called Wyatt back, detailing Amelia’s current situation in the office. After finishing his report, Davin rushed to take responsibility. “I should’ve noticed this sooner. Let me take care of it, boss p>

“That won’t be necessary. Act as if you were not aware of this p>

“But Miss Flynn would p>

“She won’t fold just because things get tough,” Wyatt interjected.

And he was right. Amelia proved her resilience the following morning by showing up at work early, her energy renewed. Sally and the others looked at the spirited Amelia with complicated expressions. Sally, in particular, felt shocked, considering she had thought Amelia wouldn’t come to work today.

Instead of hunting for tasks like she had yesterday, Amelia kept to herself, writing quietly at her desk. The change unsettled Sally, who couldn’t keep her focus.

When lunchtime neared, Sally put a document on Amelia’s desk. Spotting the file, Amelia let out a quiet sigh of relief. Still, she gave Sally a confused look on purpose. “What’s this p>

“It’s our endorsement contract with the celebrity Patton Carman. I’ve got it mostly wrapped up, and we’ve planned the signing for three o’clock. Something’s come up, though, so I can’t make it. Could you handle it for me p>

“Absolutely. Just send me the details,” Amelia replied.

As she picked up the document and began reading it carefully, she failed to notice the fleeting shadow in Sally’s eyes.