Chapter 104 So, You Didn't Get an Earful?
When Adeline returned to the design department, everyone sneakily glanced at her with the corners of their eyes, seemingly trying to discern signs of despair from a scolding by the CEO.
But there were none.
Adeline indifferently cradled a stack of files back to her desk.
Next to her, Mia Turner adjusted her glasses and peered cautiously at Adeline. "Did your proposal get approved?"
She wasn't reprimanded.
Before Adeline, several designers from the office had been chastised by the CEO.
Some, who had ventured into the CEO's office brimming with confidence, emerged shaken and in tears.
It was said that CEO Jasper never lost his temper, but his piercing and icy gaze was enough to send chills down one's spine, compelling one to acknowledge their mistakes.
Every girl who left the CEO's office swore never to return.
But Adeline's demeanor...
Was it sheer nonchalance because her design had been approved?
"It didn't," Adeline responded dryly, pouring herself a cup of tea. "The CEO said there are quite a few issues."
Mia slightly paused, lowering her voice instinctively, "So, you didn't get an earful?"
"Why would I? I didn't do anything wrong."
The woman took a sip of tea and stood up, heading to the Director's office.
The Director, Lucia, frowned as Adeline entered, halting her work. "What did the CEO say?"
Adeline unfolded the document, handing over a sheet with Jasper's handwritten comments. "From the CEO."
Lucia furrowed her brow while looking over the document, her face reflecting a tumult of emotions akin to a palette splashed with disarrayed colors.
On one hand, it was the first time she had seen the CEO provide such comprehensive feedback.
Despite Jasper's reputation as a shrewd businessman with a keen intellect, experts typically ruled jewelry design. While he had a knack for evaluating the caliber of design submissions, he was not known for his attention to the minutiae or for offering comprehensive insights in every facet.
This occasion stood out—Jasper provided detailed and thorough feedback, pinpointing each possible flaw precisely.
Moreover, it was a novel occurrence for Jasper to personally script his recommendations for any division, including jewelry design.
Typically, as CEO, his remarks and addresses were dictated and recorded by an assistant.
The reality was that he'd dedicated effort to inscribe his thoughts by hand.
Such a privilege had been bestowed uniquely upon Adeline!
Lucia lifted her eyes from her workspace, her glance shuttling between the document and Adeline, her eyes growing larger with each transition. The question burst forth. "Adeline, how did you come to receive handwritten notes from the CEO himself? What is the nature of your connection with him?"
"Just a typical boss-employee dynamic."
Adeline offered a serene smile. "The CEO thinks I'm not the best at expressing myself verbally, so he decided to write down his thoughts himself."
She glanced at Lucia. "Any issues with that?"
"No, no issues at all!" Lucia exhaled deeply, giving Adeline's shoulder an encouraging pat. "From now on, you'll be the one to handle all transitions with the CEO's office!"
After her declaration, she waved an employee over. "Frame this critique and hang it on the design department's wall."
Director Lucia had been with the company for years and had never seen the CEO write so much at once.
This was a historic first!
A testament to the design department's honor!
Adeline stood rooted to the spot, watching as Director Lucia and the male staff members busied themselves with framing the A4 sheet of paper.
After a moment, she shook her head, a smile laced with disbelief on her lips.
What an odd turn of events.
Jasper's corrections clearly pointed out where the department's designers were lacking.
Yet the Director took it as a point of pride instead of embarrassment!
Now, Adeline realized why such a simple jewelry design proposal needed more than five revisions.
It became clear that the team's focus was only partially on design.
"You're amazing, you know."
Back at her desk, Mia Turner offered Adeline a stick of gum with a beaming smile. "You're the only one from our department to have been to the CEO's office without getting an earful or leaving in tears."
"And you even brought back a handwritten critique from the CEO himself."
"Looks like our intern will be moving up pretty soon!"
Amused and flattered, Adeline popped the gum into her mouth. "Is it that big of a deal?"
"Absolutely!"
"Everyone knows the CEO is notoriously stern; no one dares to get close."
"In other companies, CEOs might find a little office romance with a female employee or secretary, but our CEO?"
"All he has in his heart and eyes is his ex-wife. It's gotten to the point where HR has spent the last few years scouting women who resemble her to plant them in the CEO's office."
Mia Turner's words made Adeline furrow her brows involuntarily.
She thought of Scarlett.
The woman bore a striking resemblance to the former Adeline.
The image of Scarlett in Jasper's office, looking every bit the part of his spouse, flashed before her eyes.
Annoyance crept in, uninvited.
"Got any more gum? I could use another piece."
Mia Turner pursed her lips and handed the last piece."This is it."
"To be honest, I didn't have much. I ran into the new secretary, Scarlett, in the lobby this morning, and she gave these to me."
Adeline pushed the unopened gum back into Mia's hand and spat the half-chewed piece from her mouth.
Under Mia Turner's shocked gaze, she offered a faint smile. "Sorry, I almost forgot I'm allergic to gum."
...
Inside the top-floor office of Foster Group.
Two gray-haired experts, with magnifying glass and calipers in hand, had been comparing a diary and an A4 sheet of paper. After meticulous examination, they finally concluded.
"Mr. Foster, I know you're desperate to find your ex-wife, and I understand that," one expert spoke, removing his glasses and heaving a deep sigh. "But I must tell you seriously that two different people wrote these items."
"The way they write, their habits, are entirely distinct. They can't be the same person."
The expert's words made Jasper clench his jaw.
He had realized as much when Ryan brought Adeline's diary to him—the two writing samples were utterly different.
Yet, for some reason, upon seeing Adeline's handwriting, she was the first person he thought of.
"I don't think so."
The other expert looked up, wiping sweat from his brow. "Despite the apparent differences in writing style and habits, it's clear the writing on this paper deliberately avoids any similarity in penmanship and stroke patterns found in the diary.
"It seems forced."
"However, everyone's handwriting shares a commonality in how we start, transition, and finish our strokes."
"It's strange how often you can find similarities between two people's handwriting," he mused, examining the sheet penned by Adeline. "Why would someone deliberately avoid matching anything that even remotely resembles another person's script?"
Jasper paused a moment, then furrowed his brows. "So, you're suggesting that if she replicates this diary's handwriting, we might uncover something?"
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