Melissa’s smile stretched until her eyes were squinting.
Growing up, Lola had often made her feel inferior. Not just Lola, but everyone who knew the two of them often criticized Melissa for being the daughter of a mistress. Everyone knew that the rich parent was Lola’s mother, not her father. And because of that, no matter what Melissa did, Lola would still be the real heiress of her mother’s fortune.
That was going to change now.
Because now, Melissa not only had her father’s support, but also the Lancasters’. With the Summit Partners in the picture, her future was brighter than the sun.
Though I wonder why the Summit Partners are suddenly giving me attention. Was it really because I went to their office to follow up on Derek’s proposal?
Melissa tilted her head to the side, only to snap out of her thoughts when one of the ladies spoke.
"By the way, Melissa, are you sure you haven’t met the mysterious big boss of the Summit Partners?" One of her friends cupped her face, intrigue flickering in her eyes.
"Huh?"
The ladies smirked as they narrowed their eyes. "We heard some rumors that you caught the eye of the big boss of the Summit Partners. Although no one knew who really bought it, there were many guesses about who it could be."
"Some others said that the big boss of Summit Partners is actually a man from Anteca," one of the ladies smirked, eyes glinting. "There weren’t many young successful businessmen from that place, and not many are single."
"Who cares if they’re single or married?" Another woman mused. "Men are men. They always have a taste of other dishes when the wife is not looking."
"Don’t forget there’s also rumors that the big boss of Summit Partners is an old man," another lady rolled her eyes.
A look of disgust quickly shone on the ladies’ faces, while a few didn’t seem to care much. Well, it wasn’t the face or age at this point. This was Summit Partners, which was well-known for working and partnering with all the biggest businesses across the globe.
So, the face was a mere bonus.
The big boss of the Summit Partners? Was he there when I went there?
Melissa thought about it for a second before she chuckled. She studied them for a moment, having mixed emotions about this. If the big boss of the Summit Partners was as good-looking as Derek, then she wouldn’t mind weighing her options. However, everyone knew that the mysterious big boss of the Summit Partners was an old rich man.
"That’s impossible," she said, shrugging off the thought. "How about enjoying our cakes first before going shopping?"
"You’re just changing the topic," one teased. "Goodness. I’m so jealous of you."
"Not only the Lancasters, but now even the Summit Partners."
Melissa chuckled, denying all of it while blushing. Even when she had no interest in seeing an old rich man, Summit Partners and her in the same sentence truly had a nice ring to it.
****
[Summit Partners]
Men and women from different departments lined up at the entrance of their headquarters as a black sedan pulled up in front of it. Harvey stood in the front, jogging to the car that had just pulled over.
Opening the door, he lowered his head as a man stepped out.
"Welcome back, Sir Allen," Harvey greeted with a bow.
Allen gazed at the grand welcome before shooting Harvey a look. "Told you not to do this." He sighed as he glanced at everyone and shook his head.
"Come with me," he said as he started walking in, and Harvey followed closely behind.
As they entered the building, Allen glanced over his shoulder. "Did you do what I asked you to do?"
"I’ve personally delivered the congratulatory flowers to the young couple, sir," Harvey explained.
"I see." Allen nodded in satisfaction. "Did you tell them who to thank for it?"
"Yes. I told Manager Derek Lancaster to thank Miss Young for it."
Allen’s steps slowed as he turned to the man in charge of this branch. "Just Miss Young?"
"Yes." Harvey also stopped, his brows rising. "Why, sir? Is there a problem?"
"There are two Miss Youngs," Allen clarified. "Did you mention Miss Lola Young specifically?"
"..." Harvey blinked.
For the next few seconds, the two of them stared at one another in pure silence. After a beat, Harvey’s face twisted a bit as he lowered his head, whispering to his boss.
"Sir Allen, am I in trouble?"
Allen held his breath, looking at Harvey with slight pity. Aside from the executives of Summit Partners, Harvey was the only one who had seen the big boss behind the success of this once-dying company. The rest? They only knew Allen.
In other words, Harvey was aware of how difficult it was to work with the big boss since the big boss was very specific.
"Harvey... you know he never makes a mistake, right?" Allen whispered back. "And your mistake could be seen as his, too."
Harvey gulped as he paled in horror. Without thinking, he clutched Allen’s arm while the latter tried to snatch it from him.
"Sir, please save me," Harvey begged under his breath, clutching Allen’s arm like his life depended on it. "I just bought my wife’s parents their new home. She’s gonna kick me out if I get fired."
"Get kicked out then —" Allen struggled as he pulled his arm, but Harvey clung to him like it was superglued. After a brief struggle, he sighed heavily as he gazed at the pitiful Harvey.
"Sir, please..." Harvey shook his head, his grip crumpling Allen’s sleeve. "I’ll work double time. Save me just this once."
"Fine," Allen hissed, snatching his arm from him. "Just don’t tell him about it, alright?"
Harvey’s brows rose as he leaned close. "Are we going to keep this a secret?"
"Do you want him to kill me?" Allen clicked his tongue. "I’ll tell him once he arrives in the country. He’s boarding in a few hours. For now, I need to see every paper in here to make sure he doesn’t set anyone ablaze."
He raised a hand at him. "Also, don’t make another mistake, and when he comes, don’t even dare breathe. He might notice you if you do."
Harvey nodded profusely, listening to Allen as if the latter’s words were his current bible. After all, Harvey knew that a mistake as simple as this could ruin his entire life and career. So, Allen was the only person who could save him from this disaster.
As they resumed their steps, Derek, who had just arrived in the building, perked up. On his way, he caught a car pulling up, and a man was welcomed by the important people of Summit Partners.
"Is that... is that the big boss?" Derek gasped, his eyes wide. Hiding on the side, he watched Allen and Harvey talk until the former turned around to face Harvey.
By the looks of it, Allen was scolding Harvey. The latter was the person in charge of Summit Partners, so only the big boss would be able to scold him.
Derek’s eyes widened even more, etching Allen’s face in his head. "The big boss is younger than I expected." Then, his mouth stretched into a cunning smirk. "Now that I know the Summit Partners big boss’ face, that’s another plus for me."
After all, rumors that the big boss of the Summit Partners would occasionally join the meeting, but not as a representative, but as an assistant or server. If Derek knew his face, then he knew whom to impress.