Before long, Steven arrived, hurrying around the office to help set up Emily's equipment. He was sweating by the time he was finished. Emily handed him a glass of water. "Thank you for your hard work, have some water." Steven waved his hand, smiling sheepishly. "No way, even my boss listens to you. I can't possibly let you pour me water." "Your boss? Mr. Norman?" Emily asked. "Well, Dylan is kind of my boss," Steven clarified. "I'm technically Mr. Norman's assistant, but I'm sort of Dylan's apprentice, so to speak." While Steven handled the heavy lifting, Emily focused on organizing lighter items like office supplies and folders. Meanwhile, Ken was off at another meeting, busy as always. "Steven, do new employees always have to report to Human Resources?" Emily asked. Steven grimaced and dusted off his hands. "Technically, yeah, but the HR manager is new. Everyone already has company badges, but she insists we all re-register with her and get a new review. It's ridiculous. Heck, the cleaning ladies have been here longer than she has. What’s the point of an 'assessment'?" Emily could tell there was discontent toward the HR manager. "I just met Manager Miller. She asked me to go to HR for an assessment," Emily said, shaking her head. "Things seem a lot stricter now compared to before." Steven chuckled. "Yeah, but since Manager Miller was appointed by the boss, people just put up with it, even if they don't like it." "Is Cathy Miller especially favored by your big boss?" Emily wondered aloud. She couldn’t imagine why someone like Cathy, with her lack of professionalism and over-the-top appearance, could catch Vincent’s attention. Steven scratched his head, smiling awkwardly. "Well… stuff involving the higher-ups is hard to understand. Miranda, if you really want to know, you could ask my boss directly. I'm sure if you asked, he'd tell you everything." The smile on Emily's face faded slightly. "No need. I won’t be staying in New York for too long anyway. Once this project is done, I’ll return to London. While I’m here, I’ll follow the company rules, so I’ll go see Cathy Miller to get the ID badge and pass." Steven waved his hands quickly. "No, no, you don’t need an ID or pass. I'll talk to security; you can just come in and out as you please."Emily smiled. "But Cathy Miller has already given me a deadline—half an hour—to go explain why I 'unauthorizedly' entered the company." Steven was shocked. "She really said that?" "Yes, right in front of Ken." Steven's eyes widened. "And Ken didn’t slap her on the spot?" Emily chuckled softly. "No, we're all colleagues, no need for that." "That Cathy Miller… I sometimes wonder who she really is. She stirs up trouble all the time, and the boss just lets her get away with it. I came to the company late, so I don’t know the details, but I’ll ask Dylan later and see what’s going on." After about ten more minutes, the desk was assembled. Steven dusted off his hands and waved at Emily. "Alright, Miranda, I'm going back to report in." "Thanks," Emily replied. ... Emily organized the materials she needed, set up her work email and office software, and then checked the time. There were only five minutes left until the deadline Cathy had given her. She stood up, left the office, asked a few employees, and finally found her way to the HR department. Before she even entered, she heard a commotion inside. Cathy Miller's voice was sharp and scathing. "Do you want to keep your job or not? What about your kid’s school fees? Or your mom's medical bills? You dare to shout at me? If you don’t want this job, just leave!" Someone else tried to calm her down. "Manager Miller, he’s been with the company since the beginning, working alongside the boss to build it up. Maybe you could let it slide just this once..." "Let it slide? The rules are clear. Late once and you lose 20% of your pay. I’m following company policy. Seniority doesn’t matter here." "But Manager Miller, he’s leading the luxury apartment project..." "So what? The company isn’t going to shut down without this one project. Losing one person won’t kill us." "Fine! Cathy! I quit! I’ll write my resignation now. Working under someone like you is an insult to my dignity!" A man stormed out, his expression dark. He pushed open the door with a bang, leaving in a huff.Cathy crossed her arms and laughed mockingly. "Oh, really? Your kid’s got finals coming up, and your mom’s got cancer. Without this job, how are you going to take care of them? Go on, quit. The next person who’s late will still get the same punishment!" Cathy turned her gaze to Emily standing at the door, a mocking expression crossing her face. "Oh, who do we have here? The famous designer, Miranda? I thought you'd be too good for our little department." "Not at all, every role deserves respect," Emily replied as she stepped inside. "Excuse me, where do I get my ID badge and access pass?" "No rush," Cathy’s eyes swept over Emily, her brow furrowing slightly. "Bulgari, haute couture?" She was talking about Emily's work outfit. It was indeed a Bulgari piece, newly released last month—only ten pieces worldwide. Jackson had insisted on getting it for her as a celebration for winning her award. Emily nodded. "A gift from my boyfriend." "You have a boyfriend?" "Yes, in London." Cathy let out a breath, seemingly relieved. "You could've said that sooner. I thought you were..." "What was that?" Emily prompted. "Nothing," Cathy shrugged. She gestured toward a desk. "Over there. Register your information." "Thank you." Ever since she had mentioned having a boyfriend, Cathy's hostility seemed to have diminished considerably. After registering her information without any issue, Emily returned to her office. A man was standing in front of the bookshelf with his back to the door, seemingly focused on the books. Emily assumed it was Ken and greeted him with a smile. "Looking for something, Ken?" "Emily." The moment he said her name, Emily froze. His voice was still rough and hoarse, barely a whisper."I came to find you."