The doorbell chimed when Jeremy and Michelle stepped inside, still laughing over some annoying, but admittedly funny, remark Jeremy had just made. Michelle chuckled and swatted his shoulder lightly.But Jeremy’s steps halted the moment he looked forward, and his smile vanished instantly. Michelle, following his gaze, felt her own smile fade as well.She had never met the woman in person, but she had seen that face several times on her brother’s phone.Standing in front of one of the shelves was a woman, her body stiff, her expression tightening the moment she saw them.Claire.Her eyes immediately darted to Jeremy… then shifted to Michelle, who was standing very close beside him. Claire’s eyes narrowed slightly, her expression turning sour in a way she couldn’t hide.Even though she had agreed to end their engagement, that didn’t mean she wanted to see Jeremy getting close to another woman this quickly.Especially not one who looked so much better than her.“Who is she?” she finally a

After Claire left, the ripples of drama she had stirred still lingered in the air. The loud chime of the door echoed against the walls of the small shop, as if giving a final reminder of her chaotic presence.The customers who had witnessed the scene, an elderly couple browsing recipe books, a young pair who had just walked in, slowly left the store with various expressions. Some shook their heads, some snickered, some pretended not to care even though their eyes hadn’t blinked once during the entire commotion.Once the door fell silent again, only two staff members remained inside: Mark and Simon.Simon still held the stock notebook, though it was upside down and he hadn’t noticed. Mark, on the other hand, was tidying a shelf that had already been perfectly neat since morning. Both of them were clearly pretending to be busy, but their ears twitched every time Jeremy moved.Jeremy surveyed the store for a moment, perhaps ensuring no customers were left to overhear anything. Michelle

Jeremy stepped out of the small meeting room, the door closing softly behind him. The corridor of the operational division felt even more chaotic than before.He had only walked a few meters when he caught the voice of someone who sounded extremely distressed.“What?! Don’t joke around, the file is gone?!” The man’s voice cracked, full of panic.Jeremy turned. Near the center desk, a young employee was surrounded by three of his coworkers. On his computer screen was the retail stock system, its main page for item checks, warehouse transfers, and shipping reports.“I swear it was just here!” the man clutched his head, visibly panicking and confused.“The inter-warehouse transfer data that needs to be sent to regional offices this week… it’s all gone! If this isn’t fixed before eight, we’re dead. The supervisor will—”“This is bad. Really bad,” said the colleague beside him. “Where’s your backup?”“The backup is corrupted too! I don’t get it, it was fine earlier!”Jeremy stopped a few s

Xion didn’t stop there. As if feeling the momentum shift in his favor, he added a few more lines that sounded like thin compliments, but carried a much darker intention.“Jeremy learns fast,” he said in a tone that made it seem like he was introducing a decent junior, good enough, but never a threat. “Yesterday he helped tidy up some data in minutes. A kid like that is perfect for a project that needs quick work.”On the surface, his words looked supportive. But the gears turning in his mind were anything but. Jeremy was still green, and if he was thrown into that impossible project, the chances of failure were high. And when he failed? That failure would stick to his name far faster than any achievement ever could.Harlan glanced at Xion with an expression caught between confusion and suspicion. Meanwhile, the other division manager seemed lost in his own thoughts. There was clear frustration in the way he rubbed his temples.“Hm… I’ll consider it,” he finally said.His tone made it

Jeremy was still inspecting the back area of the store when his phone vibrated. He glanced at the screen: Michelle.Michelle: I’m having dinner near the place you’re inspecting. Do you want to go home together?Jeremy paused for a moment before tapping his reply:Jeremy: Yes. Send me the restaurant’s location. I’ll meet you there once I’m done.The location arrived soon after, a well-known fusion restaurant, the kind of bustling place often chosen by mid- to upper-level office workers.Recently, he’d learned that his bank card was no longer frozen by his father and could be used freely again, so he no longer had to be frugal even though his small shop didn’t bring in much profit and hadn’t been sold yet.Spending a little on good food didn’t seem like a problem anymore. He let out a sigh. Life had been so comfortable and easy as a young master, why had he been so stupid for love?Jeremy slid his phone back into his pocket and exhaled quietly.“Alright,” he said, turning toward Moan