With a certain helplessness, he lowered his eyes and shook his head in a self-deprecating manner.
"Miss Thompson, I seem to be at a loss for words to your remark."
He paused, then continued, "You can change anything in this office to your liking, come to work at any time, and if there’s nothing else, I’ll be leaving."
Before Charlotte could reply, Justin Battleson turned and strode out of the office, his retreating figure carrying a hint of untraceable disarray.
Charlotte sat on the sofa, her eyes slightly clouded, a hint of mockery on the corner of her lips.
She didn’t understand why Justin was so fixated on Sophie, nor did she understand the ambiguous interest he was now displaying towards her.
After all, the person who had resented Sophie most five years ago was indeed Justin.
This change was truly hard for her to guess.
Is it because she resembles Sophie or because she is Charlotte Thompson?
With a face similar to Sophie’s, but a different personality, did she unknowingly attract Justin?
And this unintentional attraction rekindled Justin’s obsession with Sophie?
Well, even if she was Sophie, she didn’t want to be Sophie in this lifetime anymore.
She’s had enough of the times she was manipulated and trampled upon at will.
Upon leaving the Riley Group, Charlotte stood outside the building.
It was already evening, the sun had set, leaving only a touch of fiery red afterglow.
She took out her phone from her bag, her fair and slender fingers brushed over the dial pad a few times, found Jack Bryant’s name, and called him.
The call was answered after just a few rings.
Jack Bryant’s familiar and somewhat monotonous voice came from the receiver.
Charlotte wrinkled her nose, made a sound of acknowledgement, and whispered, "I’m at the front of Riley Group’s building."
Before she could finish speaking, she heard a rustling noise on the other end, followed by the sound of a door opening mixed with the wind.
Jack Bryant: "I’ll be right there."
It was now off-working hours, and numerous employees were coming out of the building, casting glances at Charlotte when they saw her.
Standing not far away, Charlotte straightened her back, her long, black hair casually draped over her shoulders, her tear mole adding an element of coquettishness.
She overheard a few hushed conversations.
"Yes, I see her. She’s the new one from Human Resources. She came in with the CEO! Heard her name is Charlotte Thompson, and she’s even won awards at the jewelry competition."
"Indeed, even got her own office. Our colleague Anna never had her own office despite working here for so long. I have to say, being beautiful does carry advantages!"
"What advantages? She stole the show at the jewelry competition. Everyone saw that. Her skills in social climbing are not something ordinary people can learn!"
"Making the CEO pay such attention to her in such a short time, she must be crafty. The design department might have a tough time ahead."
"Ah, well, that’s the design department’s problem, not ours. We just need to sit back, relax, and enjoy the drama."
The sparse whispers, filled with scorn.
A big newcomer enjoying benefits hundreds of times better than the old employees. Why is that?
Charlotte knew she was grabbing all the spotlight, getting favoritism from Justin, and thus, was likely to face criticism.
As the saying goes, an uneven object will make a sound. The comments from these people seemed somewhat justified.