Just after Grace Li finished talking to Olivia about work, someone barged in, shouting loudly, "Guys, you can't just leave me hanging! I'm dying to work with you! Nova Capital is such a snooze without you guys!"
Everyone looked up, and standing in the doorway was Ryan, dressed in a plaid suit, looking like he was there to give them a hard time.
Grace Li asked, "Ryan, what are you doing here?"
"I was meeting with a project partner, and I thought I'd drop by. Actually, I just miss you guys. The office is so boring without you," Ryan said with a grin.
Olivia scoffed, "I don't think you're just here to 'check in.'"
Ryan put on a sad face. "Well, I'm here to complain. You guys left so quietly without telling me! It's been torture without you! It feels like I'm counting the seconds at Nova Capital."
Olivia said, "Everyone has their own path. People have different plans, how could we bring you along?"
"I don't care! You guys left, and now I can't stay at Nova Capital any longer. I want to work here! Please, hire me, I'll give it my all!"
Olivia replied, "But we're not hiring right now."
Ryan walked over to Aiden Thompson, looking pitiful. "Aiden, uh, I mean, Mr. Thompson, just think about it. When you first joined Nova Capital last year, who was there, working overtime, teaching you the ropes, taking care of you? And who, for six months, kept your little secret so you and the boss could date in peace... I'm your hero!"
Aiden Thompson said, "About the secret part, that's the only true thing you said. The rest, I don't remember agreeing with. I remember all those late nights at work—thanks to you."
Ryan put his hand on his chest, feigning hurt. "I'm crushed. Now that you're climbing the corporate ladder, you've totally forgotten everything I did for you. I did it all to help you level up, and look at you now—so successful."
Olivia chimed in, "I just remember you always throwing the tough stuff at Mr. Thompson. Every time something hard came up, you'd be the first to pass it to him."
Ryan awkwardly denied it, "That's not true! I was just trying to help him level up. I've been betting on you all along, Thompson."
As they bickered, the office suddenly felt like it was full of a hundred people.
Aiden Thompson said, "Well, thanks to your 'help,' I spent all those late nights. I actually thought you were my 'work nightmare.'"
Ryan innocently pursed his lips and blinked. "So you're mad at me now? Fine, forget I was ever here. I'll just leave, heartbroken."
With that, he dramatically turned to leave, but then looked back. "You're really not gonna hire me? Just one more shot? I really want in."
Grace Li sighed, shaking her head. "Is the show over? Once it's done, let's sit down and talk salary and work hours."
Ryan's eyes lit up at that, and he rushed over to Grace Li with a big grin. "You're the best, boss. I knew you wouldn't leave me hanging!"
Ryan hadn't officially left Nova Capital yet, but after discussing salary and work hours with Grace Li, he left.
Not long after he left, someone knocked on the door. Aiden Thompson heard it and looked over.
Grace Li suddenly remembered—it was the man they had met outside the club that day.
Aiden Thompson stood up to greet him. "Jonny, good morning."
Jonny shook his hand. "So, this is your new company? It's got potential."
"Yep, we're just starting out, a bit small right now. But we're aiming big."
Jonny looked around. "It's already looking pretty good. When Steven and I started, we were working out of a tiny garage. Conditions were way worse than this. We were just a couple of kids with a crazy idea, working out of a tiny garage. But we stuck with it, and you will too."
Aiden Thompson said, "Let me introduce you to someone important."
"Okay."
Aiden Thompson led Jonny over to Grace Li. "Jonny, this is my partner, and also my significant other, Grace Li."
Grace Li politely shook Jonny's hand and greeted him, "Jonny, it's nice to meet you."
Jonny smiled warmly. "Hello, Miss Li. Sorry we didn't get a chance to properly introduce ourselves the other day. Things were a bit rushed."
"No problem," Grace Li replied.
Aiden Thompson gave Jonny a quick tour of the office, though there wasn't much to see. Afterward, they decided to go to a nearby outdoor café to catch up.
As soon as they left, Olivia's gossip radar went off. "Oh my god, you won't believe what I heard! Aiden knows Jonny!"
Grace Li, curious, asked, "You know him too?"
"Yeah, he's one of the founders of Meco. Their office is in the same building as Nova Capital, so the office has been buzzing about him. The women can't stop talking about how hot and talented he is."
Grace Li knew the atmosphere at Nova Capital all too well, especially how everyone loved gossiping about industry elites, especially the good-looking ones. Aiden Thompson had been the talk of the office when he first started there.
Olivia asked, "Boss, how did Aiden meet Jonny?"
"He was interning at a VC firm in the UK, and their firm invested in Meco."
"Wow, that's so cool, wow! Meco's a unicorn now. The VC that backed them must have made a fortune. If we could land a project like that, we'd be golden."
"Fingers crossed Hengyue Technology becomes a unicorn too."
Olivia nodded vigorously. "I'm sure we can! We're busting our butts, and the project is solid."
"Oh, by the way, I've got more gossip for you."
Grace Li smiled. "What's up?"
"It's about Jonny, of course." Olivia leaned in closer and said mysteriously, "He's from New York. Apparently, his family used to be super rich. His dad was a big deal, but then the family business went under, and his dad ended up owing a ton of money. He eventually took his own life."
Grace Li suddenly remembered something. "I think I remember that. It made the news, right? I had just graduated a little over a year ago."
"Yeah, that's the one. The entrepreneur who killed himself was his dad." Olivia continued, "And then, someone, a rich woman, paid off the $50 million his dad owed, but no one knows who she is. The office has been buzzing with all kinds of rumors about it."
After hearing that, Grace Li gave Olivia a strange look. "You know all that?"
Olivia grinned. "You know where I heard it from?"
"Where?"
"Scarlet Harris. She's in that world, so she knows all the juicy details."
Grace Li wasn't surprised. Scarlet Harris was part of New York's wealthy elite, so it made sense that she'd be in the know about these kinds of secrets. But Grace Li couldn't shake the feeling that Jonny and Aiden seemed oddly alike.
Aiden Thompson and Jonny arrived at a nearby outdoor café. The place was pretty lively, lots of energy. There was a guitarist playing live music, and people were swaying to the beat. A few people were out on the lawn tossing a frisbee. Many women couldn't help but glance over at them. Two tall, handsome guys in sharp suits—both over six feet tall—were bound to turn heads.
They grabbed a spot under an umbrella and ordered coffee.