The Man Who Never Looked Away novel Chapter 138

She paused, fixing her gaze squarely on Lavinia. "Especially you, Lavinia."

Lavinia froze, unsure if she was being singled out on purpose, but quickly voiced her commitment. "Ms. Chandler, I will work hard and prove myself. I won't let you down."

As soon as she returned to her cubicle, the surrounding colleagues were already gossiping aggressively:

"Holy crap! Garnett Harper is so incredibly devoted! It's his wife's first day, and he bought the entire department breakfast."

"Not just breakfast, it was wagashi. That place is notoriously impossible to book."

"Ugh, just another day in a romance novel. I wonder if Mr. Harper is into guys? I'd turn gay for him in a heartbeat," one male colleague sighed dramatically.

The office erupted into laughter.

"What's so funny? Everyone seems to be in a good mood," a familiar voice chimed in from the office entrance.

Lavinia immediately recognized Sigrid's voice. She whipped around and stealthily pulled a mask from her drawer, snapping it over her face.

Sigrid had brought her entire Quant team over for a meet-and-greet, everyone carrying boxes of pastries. The exquisite wagashi and fresh matcha were laid out on the conference table, creating a warm, festive atmosphere.

Jocelyn walked over to exchange pleasantries with Sigrid, the two women maintaining a facade of perfect civility.

After a few minutes, Sigrid led her team out to deliver treats to the next department.

"So Mr. Harper bought treats for the entire company. How generous," a colleague murmured.

Jocelyn replied coolly, "Just a cheap trick to buy loyalty."

"Ms. Chandler, should we..."

"Eat it, why wouldn't you?" Jocelyn picked up a cup of tea for herself. As she turned around, she noticed Lavinia sitting at her computer, wearing a face mask. She asked mildly, "Lavinia, why the mask?"

"Ms. Chandler," Lavinia stood up, "my allergies are acting up. It's the pollen."

Jocelyn merely said, "Take care of yourself," before turning and walking away.

The rest of the office swarmed the treats and matcha, but Lavinia stayed put.

***

On her very first day, Lavinia ended up working late into the night.

Miles needed those reports urgently, so Lavinia stayed behind to help him finish.

By the time she completed the core sections of the analysis, she finally stood up, rolling her stiff shoulders. Glancing at the time, she realized it was already nine o'clock.

It dawned on her that she hadn't checked her phone in hours. Pulling out her new device, she saw a flood of messages from Saul and Charley.

Just as she was about to type a reply, a deep, magnetic voice sounded from directly behind her:

"Hello. Your food delivery."

Startled, she spun around to find a tall, striking man in a delivery driver's vest standing there, holding a takeout bag.

"Charley?" Lavinia jumped out of her chair in shock. "How did you get in here?"