After finishing their ramen, Jackson mentioned he wanted to wander around the area, while Emily returned to the office. As soon as she got back, HR delivered some news. “Miranda, your assistant Amy has completed her onboarding process. We’ve set up her desk right outside your office. Is that arrangement okay with you?” Amy is here too? Emily thought with some surprise. Although Amy could be clumsy and a bit unreliable at times, Emily had grown to enjoy working with her. She had a way of lifting Emily’s spirits, especially when things got tough. Amy was like a little ball of sunshine. Just as HR was explaining, Amy peeked through the office door. As soon as she saw Emily, her face broke into a huge smile, and she waved energetically. “Miranda! It’s me, Amy!” The HR rep frowned slightly at her outburst, but Emily quickly stepped in. “It’s fine. Please set up Amy’s desk right beside mine in the office.” “In the office? Are you sure?” the HR rep asked, hesitating. “Normally, assistants sit outside the office to manage calls and visitors. If she’s inside, you might find her presence distracting, especially with more trivial matters.” Emily smiled warmly. “It’s alright. I’ve worked with Amy for a long time, and I’m actually more comfortable with her close by. Please set up her desk here.” With Emily’s position in the company now solidified—fresh off winning the Pritzker Architecture Prize and being personally recruited by the CEO at a high salary—her requests were quickly accommodated by HR, as long as they weren’t unreasonable. Within minutes, the staff had arranged Amy’s desk and set up her computer and other office supplies. Amy, thrilled, skipped over to Emily’s side. “Miranda! You’re so awesome! Everyone listens to you. You’re like the ultimate boss lady!” Emily couldn’t help but smile at Amy’s excitement. She tapped her pen lightly on Amy’s new desk. “I’m more worried about you causing chaos out there. If you were in the main office, people might think I hired a child to be my assistant.” “Hey! I’m not a kid. I’m only four years younger than you!” Amy huffed in protest. At 26, Amy’s youthful energy sometimes made her seem younger than she was. But Amy didn't mind; her motto in life was to be happy every day. Even being compared to Emily, a beautiful and sophisticated woman, didn’t bother her. After all, she adored Emily, both for her kindness and for the sky-high salary she’d secured working under her. Now, thanks to Emily, she had landed a job at Stardream Group, and her salary had doubled. She felt like she’d hit the jackpot. Seeing Amy's enthusiasm always brightened Emily's mood. “Alright, Amy. Can you start by sorting through my emails? Flag anything important.” “Of course, boss! I’m on it right away!” Amy exclaimed, diving into her tasks with gusto. As the new Director of Design, Emily’s first priority was to familiarize herself with the company's ongoing projects and assess the tasks that fell under the design department’s responsibilities. Earlier in the morning, Adam had stopped by to tell her that all the necessary documents had been sent to her email. He asked her to review them as quickly as possible to get up to speed. After Amy filtered the emails and flagged the critical ones, she forwarded them to Emily. Emily spent the next three hours reviewing the various projects, getting a general overview of the company’s current ventures. Stardream’s headquarters might be in the UK, but their recent focus had been on expanding in Asia. With limited space for development in Europe, they had shifted attention to Southeast Asia, where the potential for growth was significant. However, the linguistic and cultural diversity in the region posed challenges, often slowing down project progress. One particular project in Thailand was stalled because the building’s design bore too much resemblance to a sacred Buddhist symbol, and local religious leaders had deemed it offensive. The company was losing money daily on the stalled project, and Adam had highlighted this issue as one of the main hurdles Emily needed to tackle. Just as Emily was downloading the design blueprints to review the situation, there was a knock at her office door. A middle-aged man with blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, in his early fifties, opened the door slightly before stepping inside. “Apologies, Miranda. I didn’t see your assistant outside, so I came directly to knock.” Emily gave him a polite nod. “No problem. Can I help you?” “I’m Bob, a senior designer in the department. I’ve been handling the Thai CBD project. I heard you’re the new star around here, so I thought I’d seek your expertise on this mess—regarding the revisions to the blueprints. The construction team is pressing for the final designs. They want them by the end of the day. If we don’t deliver, they’re threatening to halt all work, which will freeze our collaboration.” “Today?” Emily raised an eyebrow, surprised at the urgency. Amy, standing nearby, threw her hands up in disbelief. “That project is massive! The blueprints are so complex, even looking at them makes my head spin. How could anyone expect them to be revised in a single day?”Bob smirked, clearly enjoying the situation. “What’s the matter, Miss Pritzker Prize winner? Having a hard time living up to your reputation? You’ve got this fancy title, a high salary, and now you’re the director. Isn’t it time you show us what you’re made of? Or are you just here because you look good in front of the cameras?” Amy could sense his hostility. “Bob, Miranda is your superior! If you have concerns, you should discuss them with respect. Please, leave the office.” Bob sneered, “I don’t think I need to waste my time speaking to a clueless assistant like you. You’re not worth my breath.” Amy bristled at his rude dismissal. “Where’s your sense of professionalism?” Bob chuckled darkly. “Professionalism is reserved for ladies who act like one. A woman doesn’t become worthy of respect just because she’s got a pretty face. From what I’ve heard, Miranda slept her way to an award and used her looks to secure the position of design director. That's not someone I can respect.” “Excuse me!” Amy shouted, furious. “You can’t just accuse her of something like that without evidence! Miranda earned her position through hard work!” Bob’s expression turned even more mocking. “Oh, no evidence? Well, sorry, Miranda, but you’re just too pretty to be taken seriously. Beautiful women like you are rarely competent. I might enjoy looking at you, but I refuse to have someone like you as my boss. It’s an insult to my profession.”