Chapter 369

The man's voice, though deep, had a hint of arrogance about it.

Emily hadn't said a word yet.

Armando spoke up first, "Emmy, this is Vesper, Zachary Baker."

Emily was a bit taken aback. "Sorry, but are you a man or a woman?"

She needed to know how to address him properly.

Zachary's tone was sharp, "I'm a guy, can't you tell?"

Emily didn't get upset; she calmly explained, "But you go by Vesper, so I thought you were a woman."

Zachary took off his sunglasses, playfully flicked at imaginary hair by his ear, twisted his neck, and lifted his chin, "First off, biologically I'm male, but I have gender identity disorder. I've always felt like a woman, so I go by Vesper. Got a problem with that?"

Emily quickly responded, "No problem, Vesper."

Zachary snorted, looking ready to accuse, "So you're the one who threw my Galaxy brooch into the toilet?"

Emily was momentarily stunned, then it hit her.

The Galaxy brooch, could it be the one Veda bought for fifty million dollars at the Cassia jewelry exhibition?

Emily suddenly didn't know how to respond.

That day, she had indeed used the Galaxy brooch to set a trap.

But at the time, Emily hadn't considered that it was Vesper's work.

These designers sometimes saw their creations as their children.

How could they tolerate such humiliation?

Emily quickly explained, "Actually, it wasn't like that. We just said it was retrieved from the toilet, but I didn't throw it in. I just tossed it into a trash can."

Zachary's face darkened further, "Do you think that makes a difference? Just because your designs, as Shadow, are considered rare treasures, does that mean the rest of us are nothing? You threw my work into the trash on purpose, didn't you?"

Emily hadn't expected to face such a challenge on her first day.

But she was indeed at fault.

Emily apologized, "Vesper, I didn't think it through. I apologize."

"Sorry, I don't accept your apology."

Zachary still looked haughty and overbearing.

Emily felt at a loss.

She turned to Armando for help.

But at some point, Armando had already sat down at his desk.

He had no intention of stepping in.

Emily's face turned red.

Just when Emily was at her most embarrassed, everyone at the table burst into laughter.

Including Zachary himself.

Emily was momentarily stunned.

Zachary laughed for a while, then hugged Emily, "I was messing with you."

Emily's emotions felt like a roller coaster.

Others chimed in, "I knew Vesper would pull something like this."

"Emmy, don't blame us for not helping you. We've all been pranked by him."

"Even the famous Shadow can be flustered. I should've recorded it, it was so cute."

Zachary, still hugging Emily, now wore a smile, "Were you really scared? Can't take a joke?"

Emily was still unsure, "You're really not mad?" "Mad about what? That brooch sold for $50 million thanks to you. I should be thanking you. Besides, I design products to sell. Once they're sold, they're no longer mine. I don't buy into that 'my work is my child' nonsense. That's just for show."

Emily finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Zachary, twirling his fingers, pulled Emily to sit down. "Don't be mad at me. You've been avoiding the company for years, leaving me with a bunch of men. I was bored to death. Knowing you'd be working at headquarters, I was the happiest."

Zachary handed over a Hermès bag. "This is a welcome gift."

Emily immediately recognized the rare crocodile skin, a highly sought-after and scarce item.

"I can't accept such an expensive gift."

"Take it. With our wealth, buying a bag is like buying a snack. From now on, you're my bestie. We'll shop, get beauty treatments, bathe... well, not bathe together. Anyway, I'll look out for you."

Emily was still in a daze.

But her tension completely eased, and soon everyone was getting along.

Emily found these people incredibly fun.

By the end, Emily regretted not coming sooner.

That night, Emily drank quite a bit, mainly because Zachary, a heavy drinker, kept urging her to drink.

Emily drank more and more, and eventually, she didn't need any urging, drinking straight from the bottle.

For some reason, some people click instantly, even on their first meeting.

Everyone had a great time.

In the end, many were passed out drunk.

Only one person remained sober.

That person was Armando.

Armando never drank.

He called for rides to get everyone home.

Soon, the room was empty except for Emily.

Emily was slumped over the dining table, seemingly asleep.

Armando walked over, gently tapping her shoulder. "Emmy?"

Emily didn't respond.

Armando naturally bent down, saying, "I'll take you home."

Then he lifted Emily in his arms.

At the door, a figure blocked their way.

Armando looked at the person. "Mr. Smith?"

James had been busy at the Smith Group all day.

On his first day, Nicole had indeed caused trouble.

Though Nicole had been stripped of her VP position, she was still a major shareholder.

So, Nicole had organized a shareholders' meeting early in the morning, with many shareholders opposing the Dream AI project.

Some even proposed reinstating Nicole as VP.

It had been a day-long battle.

James was exhausted.

After the meeting, he called Emily.

But she didn't answer.

Worried, James came over.

He arrived just in time to see Armando carrying Emily out.

James frowned. "What's going on?"

Armando replied calmly, "She's just drunk."

James stepped forward, trying to take Emily from Armando.

But Armando didn't let go at first.

James's hand was already around Emily's waist.

He looked at Armando, eyes sharp.

Eventually, Armando released her.

Emily, now in James's arms, relaxed even more, like a cat snuggling in, finding a comfortable position to continue sleeping.