Chapter 24 Want to Know Who That Person Is
"Thanks a ton!" Olivia genuinely thanked Daniel.
Daniel frowned, looking a bit annoyed. "Thank me? For what? You earned this with your own skills. You deserve it. If you really wanna thank me, wait till I land a bigger gig. Then you can thank me."
Olivia, knowing his personality, smiled. "Alright, I'll wait for you to help me strike it rich!"
With this payment, Olivia's motivation at work soared.
At the Johnson Group, she'd never seen a paycheck this big!
At the Johnson Group, with Michael's help, Sophia spent a few days smoothing things over with old clients. She also used her dad's connections to bring in new clients, just managing to cover the earlier losses.
But Sophia wasn't planning to be completely honest. Instead, she bragged about her achievements to Michael.
"These clients? I met them abroad by chance. Since the research department took a hit because of me, I brought them in. Happy now, Michael?"
Michael's gentle expression was full of admiration. "Very happy!"
The clients Sophia brought in were significant.
Without strong connections, this wouldn't have been possible!
Only she had the capability to do this!
Michael admired her greatly, which inevitably made him think less of Olivia.
When Olivia was at the Johnson Group, she focused solely on research and rarely took the initiative to secure client collaborations.
Moreover, when she first joined the research department, it took her over a month to get up to speed.
However, Sophia only took a week.
The difference in their abilities was clear!
Michael was confident in his choice. He quickly raised his hand, took a delicate box from the drawer, and handed it to Sophia. "As a reward for your efforts, here, open it and see if you like it."
Sophia's eyes lit up with surprise, but she played it cool. "Why are you giving me gifts? I helped you without expecting any reward. Besides, what you give must be very valuable. I can't accept it. If Olivia finds out, she might not be happy."
"Whether she's happy or not doesn't matter. This is what you deserve!" Michael insisted, his tone even more gentle. "Besides, considering our future collaborations, there's no need for such formalities between us."
Sophia hesitated for a few seconds before biting her lip and shyly saying, "Since you insist, I'll accept it."
She took the box and opened it.
Inside was a pair of exquisite pearl earrings.
Sophia immediately recognized them as items from a recent auction.
It was worth millions of dollars!
"They're beautiful!" Sophia's eyes sparkled with joy.
Michael smiled warmly. "I'm glad you like them!"
After a few days of working Olivia hard, Daniel finally gave her the weekend off.
Evelyn seized the opportunity and immediately invited her out for dinner.
Olivia brought Bianca along to the meeting.
As soon as they entered the private room, Bianca was swiftly snatched from Olivia's arms.
Evelyn hugged Bianca and showered her with kisses. "I've missed you so much! Let me kiss you enough. Our little Bianca is just too adorable! Those chubby cheeks are so lovable! And that sweet baby smell, I love it so much."
She continued to nuzzle Bianca's face.
Bianca, ticklish, kept squirming away, her face showing a rare shy smile, her laughter soft and clear like a kitten's.
Evelyn's heart melted at the sound. She hurriedly sat Bianca down, saying, "Look at the gifts I brought you! All your favorite pink foxes—there's a music box version, a keychain version, the latest winter skiing doll..."
Evelyn pulled out the gifts from the bag, quickly piling up dozens of items.
Bianca clearly loved them, touching and examining each one, her eyes dazzled by the choices.
Olivia couldn't help but laugh. "You bought too many!"
Evelyn waved off the comment. "What's the big deal? As long as Bianca likes them, I'll buy as many as she wants!"
As she spoke, Evelyn began another round of cuddling Bianca.
Evelyn's infatuation was evident; she couldn't get enough!
Olivia shook her head and started to order food.
While waiting, Bianca had already chosen her toys and was chatting with the little fox, saying she wanted to be its best friend.
Evelyn was surprised. "Why do I feel like... Bianca has changed?"
Previously, when they met, Bianca would react but mostly stayed in her own world.
Today, she seemed so lively.
Olivia understood her confusion.
In the past few days, Bianca had indeed shown some emotional changes.
After observing her, Olivia concluded that it seemed to be due to a particular painting.
Evelyn was curious. "What kind of painting is this?"
"This one..." Olivia showed her the photo on her phone.
Evelyn was clearly seeing this version of Bianca for the first time and was stunned.
After a while, she exclaimed, "This... is incredibly well done! The artistry aside, the craftsmanship is superb and very lifelike! Although it looks different from the usual Bianca, it somehow matches her current state?"
Olivia agreed immediately. "Exactly, the painting seems to reflect Bianca's inner world. You mentioned Bianca has changed, and I've observed that her transformation started after she saw this painting!
The person who gave her the portrait must have guided her, encouraging her to step out of her closed-off world!
At first, I didn't think much of it, assuming it was a street artist who found her cute and painted her. But now I suspect the person might understand psychology!"
Talking about this, Olivia felt a bit regretful. "That day, the person left too quickly, and I didn't get to meet them. If I had the chance to know them, it would be great!"
Evelyn pondered for a few seconds. "Using painting for therapy is indeed a common psychological approach! However, finding that person might be difficult. That square is one of the busiest places. We can't just wait there every day."
Olivia knew it would be tough, but still felt it was a pity.
Evelyn saw this and quickly thought of something. "Did the place you were at have surveillance cameras? If it did, we could try to get the footage! That way, we could find out who helped Bianca!"
Olivia's eyes lit up.
Why hadn't she thought of that!
"That day, Bianca and I were at the cake shop we often visit. If I remember correctly, it's owned by your elementary school friend?"
Evelyn slapped the table. "Of course! They definitely have cameras. I'll call her right now!"
Evelyn quickly took out her phone and made the call.
A few minutes later, the call ended.
Olivia eagerly asked, "So, did you find anything?"