Chapter 101 Maybe He's Not Disinclined to Her Face
“"Well, it's a long story.”
Tim scratched his head sheepishly. “I know it might take some time for you to come to terms with this, Miss Wilson.”
“But my brother and I are not bad guys. We've always followed Blake's orders.”
“We understand you're related to Blake, so we'll take good care of you!”
Adeline was stunned and managed to squeeze out a delayed “Thank you.”
Following Darwin into the building, she tapped her temple in a fog of confusion.
Since when had her Bennett recruited such formidable aides?
“I never would have guessed that Miss Wilson not only knows Mr. Foster but also our security staff,” Darwin remarked with a sing-song tone as he pressed the elevator button. “Someone with your connections should have joined our company sooner.”
“If you had come earlier, perhaps you'd already be a lead designer instead of just an apprentice.”
Adeline detected a hint of sourness in his tone and responded with a light chuckle, “I quite enjoy being an intern.”
“It's nice to get paid without too much mental strain,” she mused.
“But having to put up with all sorts of moods and manage different coworkers every day... must be exhausting, huh?”
Darwin's face soured at the comment.
He shot Adeline a cold glare and fell silent.
Adeline's destination, the design department, was on the eighteenth floor.
While the elevator ascended to the fifth, a glamorous and graceful woman carrying a steaming cup of coffee stepped in.
“Manager Darwin.”
She smiled at Darwin politely. “I overheard Assistant Ryan speaking with you at the president's office.”
Her voice was lovely, “ I heard something about Ms. Foster specifically requesting a woman to join the staff. Is it true?”
Referring casually to Adeline with his chin, Darwin said, “Meet the design department's new intern, Adeline.”
“And Adeline, this is Scarlett, the new secretary from Mr. Foster's office.”
Scarlett turned to eye Adeline, then greeted her with an enthusiastic smile, “Hi there, just call me Scarlett.”
Adeline looked up to respond but froze upon seeing her face.
The woman bore a stark resemblance to her features from years ago.
Seeing her was like encountering her younger self—the same brows, the youthful, vibrant smile, the pure and untainted gaze.
Her eyes flicked to her reflection in the elevator mirror.
The present was more attractive, even more flawless than before.
But...
“Adeline.”
Startled back to reality by Darwin's voice, she realized Scarlett was no longer in the elevator.
With an annoyed look, Darwin scolded her, “Even if you know Mr. Foster, that's no excuse for rudeness.”
“Scarlett said hello, and you didn't utter a single word?”
Adeline paused, then mustered a wry smile. “I forgot.”
She honestly had forgotten.
Scarlett's face had dredged up a myriad of memories from her past.
Good and bad alike.
“I don't see what you must be so proud of.”
Darwin rolled his eyes. “Don't think just because you know Mr. Foster, you can do whatever you please around here.”
“Mr. Foster is known for his no-nonsense, unsentimental approach.”
“Plus, Scarlett getting the gig as the CEO's new secretary? It's all because she's a dead ringer for his ex-wife!”
“You better watch your step around her. Who knows, she could end up being the new Mrs. CEO!”
Adeline cracked a thin smile. “You're overthinking it.”
To Adeline, Scarlett was just a woman who happened to bear a striking resemblance to her former self.
Back then, Jasper couldn't hide his disdain for the real person.
How could he possibly bring home another woman who looked just like her?
“Overthinking? Not at all,” Darwin retorted with an eye roll. “Though the boss says his ex is still alive, and he's waiting for her to return.”
“But she's been gone for years. What is the likelihood of her return? Next to none.”
“Give it another two or three years. If the ex doesn't show, he'll remarry. Scarlett will be first in line, no question.”
Adeline's lips curved into a small smile before she fell silent.
She couldn't fathom where Darwin got such unwavering confidence.
Yet, she couldn't entirely dismiss the notion.
Maybe Jasper's tastes had changed. Scarlett did stand a chance.
But either way, it was none of her concern.
Her only goal was to carry his child and cure Blake's illness.
With these thoughts, the elevator reached the design department floor.
Clearing his throat, Darwin ushered Adeline in. “Folks, let me introduce a new team member.”
“This is Adeline, handpicked by the CEO to join us as a design assistant.”
“If you need anything, she's your go-to.”
Patting Adeline's shoulder, he added, “Make sure to get along with everyone.”
With that, he spun on his heel and left, depositing Adeline amid a sea of strange faces from the design team.
“Take a seat over there.”
The design director, Lucia Garcia, glanced at her indifferently and slapped a stack of documents on the table before Adeline, stirring up dust. “These are the drafts sent back by the CEO for revisions.”
“They need to be returned to his office.”
After saying this, Lucia gave Adeline an eerie smile. “Don't screw it up.”
Once she walked away, a collegiate-looking colleague beside Adeline pushed up her glasses, her voice low, “Adeline, tread carefully.”
“That project's been bounced back five times now. Whoever delivers it gets a good chewing out by the CEO.”
“The director sending you is just setting you up for trouble!”
Adeline smiled lightly. “Got a tissue?”
The girl paused briefly before handing over a pack.
“Thanks.”
After wiping the dust off the desk with a tissue, the woman didn't rush to send the proposal. Instead, she shifted into a comfortable position in her chair, opened the design proposal, and started to flip through it.
Adeline's brows knitted tight as she reviewed the pages.
Even if Jasper had no qualms with her, this proposal could still provoke a scolding.
And Jasper was not exactly warm to her at the moment.
She borrowed a piece of paper and a pen from a colleague nearby and quickly jotted down some notes. Then she clutched the design proposal and asked, “Which floor is the president's office?”
Her female colleague paused momentarily. “It's... on the top floor.”
“Thanks,” Adeline said before taking a deep breath and turning to leave.
“Mia Turner, what was she writing just now?” someone asked the young woman after Adeline had left.
Mia pressed her lips together. “She seems... formidable.”
But if she were formidable, why was she here as an intern, seemingly hired for being bullied by the Director?
Strange.
...
When Adeline reached the top floor with the design proposal, she saw Scarlett in Jasper's office.
She could see Jasper reviewing documents through the glass while Scarlett tenderly passed him a coffee.
They looked more like a long-term couple than a boss and his secretary.
A slight pain touched Adeline's heart.
It wasn't the intimate atmosphere between Jasper and Scarlett that caused it, but the resemblance Scarlett bore to her former self.
Once, she had dreamed of standing by his side in such a manner, envied by all.
He'd never given her that chance.
Yet six years later, another woman, one similar to her, had received it.
Perhaps it wasn't her face he disliked.
Just her, as a person."
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