Chapter 246

At noon, Gloria waited until all her colleagues had left before heading out for lunch.

As she reached the office door, she bumped into Gavin's assistant, Neil, who was coming her way.

"Ms. Russell." Neil looked relieved to see her.

Gloria was puzzled. "Is there something you need?"

Neil replied, "Mr. Miller wants you to join him for lunch upstairs."

Gloria frowned, thinking she could just go to the cafeteria.

But since Gavin had sent his assistant to fetch her, it seemed inappropriate to refuse.

She nodded and followed Neil to the elevator.

"Mr. Miller is waiting for you inside," Neil said as they arrived at the door of the CEO's office, stepping back to let her in.

Gloria walked into it. Gavin was behind his desk, engrossed in some documents, his brow slightly furrowed, his expression serious.

This was a side of Gavin she hadn't seen before.

Previously, Gloria had doubted how someone like Gavin could run a company. But seeing him so focused today, she was finally convinced.

She didn't disturb him and quietly sat on the couch.

A few minutes later, Gavin finished his work, rubbed his temples, and looked over at her. "When did you get here?"

"Just now. Is there something you need?" Gloria asked.

She didn't think Gavin had called her just for lunch.

Gavin walked around his desk, gesturing for Neil to set the prepared meal and hand Gloria the utensils. "Didn't he tell you? I asked you to join me for lunch."

Gloria looked at him, puzzled.

Gavin raised an eyebrow. "Or would you prefer to go to the cafeteria, get recognized, and cause a stir at the Miller Group?"

Gloria had considered that possibility. "Only the design department knows me. I can avoid them."

Gavin shook his head. "That was true before this morning. By now, it's likely everyone knows."

Gloria tightened her grip on her fork.

She had forgotten about that.

Most of her colleagues in the design department didn't like her. By lunchtime, they had probably spread the word about her presence at the Miller Group.

Now, the entire company likely knew about her.

How many people held a grudge against her?

And...

Gloria looked at Gavin. "Won't this cause trouble for the Miller Group?"

If most employees harbored ill will towards her and Gavin kept her on, Gloria feared it might breed resentment.

It would be manageable internally, but if the news leaked online, the Miller Group might face backlash, just like she had.

Gavin, seeing her hesitation, added some food to her plate. "What trouble? The Miller Group values strength. If you have the skills, that's all that matters."

Gloria still looked worried, doubting it could be that simple.

Gavin continued, "Especially the designers in the department. They're all proud. Some even look down on me."

He had personally recruited them and knew their temperaments well.

"But if you can produce a design that impresses them, their attitude will change, just like with your mentor." Gavin looked at her meaningfully.

Gloria understood. "So, how do I prove myself?"

Gavin smiled. "Let's finish lunch first."

Knowing he had something important to discuss, Gloria quietly ate her meal.

After lunch, Gavin had his assistant clear the table and personally poured Gloria a glass of water.

Gloria sensed that what he was about to say was significant.

"Here's the thing. I have a difficult client who loves your designs. We've hit a snag on a project, and I was hoping you could help by designing a piece of jewelry to smooth things over." Gavin looked a bit embarrassed as he spoke, quickly adding, "I didn't keep you here just for this. The issue only came up this morning. I can show you the emails if you don't believe me."

Gloria was relieved. She had thought it was something more serious. Designing a piece of jewelry was manageable. "I'm happy to help."

Gavin had done a lot for her, and this was a chance to repay him.

But Gloria was a bit concerned. "Does the client know who I am? What did they say?"

Gavin replied, "She doesn't know your identity. She just fell in love with your work from the last design competition. I planned to send her the finished piece, but the competition results were voided, so I couldn't."

Gloria felt reassured. "Do I need to meet her to discuss the design?"

Gavin thought for a moment. "I'll ask her. She'd probably be thrilled to meet you."

Gloria agreed.

They discussed the client's preferences for a while. When it was time, Gavin let her go back downstairs.

As she left, he reminded her, "Have lunch with me here for the time being, just in case."

Gloria understood and didn't refuse.

When she returned to the design department, many colleagues had already finished lunch.

As Gloria approached the door, she heard disdainful comments inside.

"Did you know? She's the infamous Russell family heiress, probably living it up with their ill-gotten gains!"

"She used to pretend, eating in the cafeteria. Today, she's probably hiding to avoid getting scolded."

"Zoey, if you need jewelry designed, consider me. I love your wedding dress designs!"

The tone turned fawning when speaking to Zoey.

Gloria's expression changed, and she quickly walked in.

"Zoey." She called out, feeling uneasy about facing Zoey after hearing her colleagues' remarks.

Zoey turned, her gaze unchanged. "You're back? Where did you go? Why didn't you answer your phone?"

Gloria remembered she had left her phone at her desk. "I forgot my phone. Did you need me?"

Zoey nodded, walking over and linking arms with her, then glancing around at the others. "Thanks for reminding me of her identity. If I recall correctly, the Russell family heiress was more famous for her design talent before the scandal. I've seen some of her work. It was impressive. If you get the chance, you should look it up. In our field, skill speaks for itself. I believe a bad person can't create good designs."