Chapter 6
Harvey was allergic to perfume. After I learned this, I gave away all my own perfumes and even switched to shampoo with a light tea fragrance.
But Vivian, his ex–fiancée of many years, had completely forgotten.
Harvey silently put some distance between them, then stood and walked toward the conference room. He had agreed to let Vivian return to the workplace, and this was the perfect opportunity to formally introduce her to everyone.
It was also his way of signaling that Vivian had his backing.
Seeing Harvey’s tacit approval, Vivian clicked her high heels confidently as she followed him.
Inside the conference room, the attendees were enthusiastically discussing the stunning secretary
they had seen in the president’s office earlier.
But the moment Harvey walked in, the room fell silent.
Harvey, seemingly unaware of the tension, opened the file on the table. One glance was enough for a
deep crease to form between his brows.
Everyone looked at the documents in their hands, their expressions varying.
Each file was marked with scribbles made by a child, with the words “Approved” scrawled in crooked handwriting, unmistakably from a young hand.
Harvey tossed the file in his hand onto the table, his tone sharp:
“Who prepared these documents? Do you not even have basic work competence?”
The department heads exchanged uneasy glances.
All the files had been sent to the president’s office for final processing and printed by the secretary. Any mistakes couldn’t be pinned on them.
Harvey’s gaze turned icy as he swept the room, his tone cold:
“Call Assistant Hope in here!”
The HR director hesitated before speaking:
Hadden Daughter
Mr. Landon. Assistant Hope
efore he could finish, the client interrupted, slamming the file onto the table:
“Mr. Landon, if this is the level of professionalism your company provides, then I see no reason for us to proceed with this partnership!”
All eyes turned to the document. Across the client’s name was a childishly drawn turtle, along with at few insulting phrases.
Harvey’s face darkened, his expression livid. He never imagined that the mother and son he trusted could cause such a disaster!
Vivian, looking aggrieved, offered a tearful explanation:
“I’m sorry, I didn’t expect-”
But the client cut her off rudely:
Who do
you think you are? I’m speaking to Mr. Landon!”
Harvey rubbed his temples, which throbbed painfully, before standing up and apologizing:
“My apologies. This was my oversight. I’ll have new contracts prepared immediately. To express our regret, we’re willing to reduce the price by an additional 3%.”
The client didn’t respond immediately, clearly calculating how much his pride was worth.
Vivian burst into tears, her delicate, weeping expression causing the people around her to frown, their earlier polite demeanor completely gone.
In the workplace, appearance is only a bonus. These seasoned professionals value competence above all else.
They couldn’t help but think of Assistant Hope, whose appearance was pleasing but whose work ethic and ability far surpassed Vivian’s by a mile.
No one could understand what Harvey was thinking, choosing to dismiss Emily and keep this decorative “vase” by his side instead.
#
After ex
everyone had left, Vivian, her eyes red and swollen, looked at him and said:
“Harvey, I’m sorry. I didn’t expect this to happen. What should I do…?”
The Billionaire’s Hidden Daughter
Harvey instinctively wanted to comfort her, but as he met her pitiful, tear–streaked gaze, he froze.
Emily would never look at him like that.
She was proud.
She strived for perfection in everything she did.
No matter how difficult the task or challenging the situation, she would always find a way to resolve
- it.
She would never, like Vivian, collapse into tears and leave the mess for him to clean up.
it had been Emily today…
No. It wouldn’t have been. She was meticulous, and Lucky was well–behaved. This kind of mistake would never have happened.
As these thoughts crossed his mind, the tenderness in Harvey’s gaze gradually turned cold. When he looked back at Vivian, his expression was calm once more.
“You should leave now,” he said. “Don’t involve yourself in this anymore.”
Vivian hesitated, clearly unprepared for Harvey’s sudden distant attitude.
“Harvey…”
“Leave.”
Harvey’s patience had worn thin, his tone turning cold.
