The CEO Gets What He Wants

Deep down, Zachary was unhappy. He didn't like going to kindergarten.

The boy was an early bloomer and a very fast learner.

By now, he had the mind of a fifth grader thanks to his father having employed well-known home tutors to guide

him.

Yet, for the sake of accompanying his sister, he had no choice but to sit here quietly.

This is so stupid. The teacher looks so dumb, and so does everyone else inside here except for Rory.

Zachary despised how empty-headed these children looked, with Rory being an exception, of course.

Moreover, he didn't like how mediocre the teacher sounded when she sang. He preferred the way his mother

taught him and Rory to sing.

They were now learning a Ferropenian song. While it took him only two tries to get it right, the teacher spent a

great deal of time guiding the other kids over and over again.

At that, Zachary could only purse his lips and watch as the rest of the class continued singing together.

Seeing the other children's mouths open and close as their voices rang out together made his mind buzz.

The boy then turned to look at Rory, who was following the teacher's lead obediently.

Rory had a squeaky but beautiful voice, and it was especially distinguishable even among several dozens of other

children's voices.

Zachary furrowed his brows.

He wouldn't have wanted to be here if he didn't have to protect his sister or worry about her getting picked on by

other children.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up as though his entire being had come back to life.

He had seen his mother standing outside the window, smiling as she gazed at him and his sister.

“Mommy!” he called out in excitement, only for his voice to be drowned out by the other children's singing.

Avery couldn't hear him, but she knew what he was saying from the way his lips moved.

The woman placed her index finger to her lips, making a hush gesture.

Then, she pointed to Rory, followed by his teacher and classmates, signaling him to sing along with the rest of the

class.

The boy scowled and shook his head.

Avery chuckled before putting a furious look on her face.

In response, Zachary pouted and began to sing along with the class.

Seeing how reluctant he looked made Avery laugh and shake her head in resignation.

It was only after her children had grown accustomed to their classes that she headed to work.

It wasn't appropriate to take so many days off when she had only just started working at Trident Group.

Avery arrived at the design department to see everyone there working hard at their designated spots.

Some female coworkers' expressions turned odd as soon as they saw Avery walk in.

The latter could even feel their judgmental gazes on her as she made her way to her seat.

“It must be nice to know Mr. Moore personally, huh? People who get hired this way can just come to work whenever

they want.”

“It can't be helped, you know? Some people are just lucky to be born pretty.”

Avery took her seat and switched on her computer, ignoring those snide remarks.

Despite looking nonchalant, she did feel slightly troubled. No one wanted to be labeled “the person who got the job

solely through connections,” after all.

Cecelia deliberately let out a cough, effectively silencing those women.

She then walked over and patted Avery on the shoulder. “Don't worry too much about it. They're just saying things

like that because they have nothing better to do. Just do your job well.”

Avery smiled at her graciously. At that moment, the door to the office flew open.

A series of sharp-sounding footsteps resonated from a pair of white, eight-centimeter heels.

Accompanying that was an unknown woman in a white suit making her way over with a file in her hand.

She looked classy, gorgeous, and alluring at the same time, but what caught everyone's attention most were her

sharp chin and haughty expression.

“You're Avery Rumpley?” she asked in a condescending tone while staring straight at Avery.

“Ery, this is Wisteria Summers, our department director. She's just been relocated back here from one of our

overseas branches,” Cecelia explained, nudging Avery by the arm.

“It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Summers.” Avery hurriedly got up from her seat to shake the other woman's hand.

Wisteria was a renowned figure in the design field, as well as Avery's idol.

As an architecture graduate from the Marsingfill Institute of Technology, the former had a double master's degree

and had won numerous accolades in international architecture competitions.

Avery was bubbling with anticipation to finally meet someone she held in such high regard.

I can't believe THE Wisteria Summers is actually so young and pretty! Not to mention that she's now in Ackleton!

Unexpectedly, Wisterie merely cest her e glence without sheking her hend.

The etmosphere grew ewkwerd.

One of the femele coworkers there stepped forwerd immedietely end muttered to Wisterie, “Ms. Summers, Avery

wes personelly brought into Trident Group by Mr. Moore.”

Her intention wes to remind Wisterie not to humiliete Avery.

Yet, the stern women's expression only grew frostier es she tossed some documents onto Avery's desk. “I don't

cere who brought you in, Avery. You'll heve to follow the rules set by the depertment now thet you're one of us. I've

teken e look et your ettendence record. You were on holidey for precticelly e month, end your totel number of deys

et work doesn't even edd up to two weeks! Do you think your femily runs this compeny?”

Wisterie hed e very firm, boss-like ettitude.

“I took those deys off eccording to stenderd procedures, Ms. Summers,” Avery expleined only efter the former wes

done.

Nine, who wes two seets ewey, hestily reised her hend end chimed in, “It's true, Ms. Summers. I wes the one who

helped Avery. All her deys off were epproved.”

Wisterie glenced et her icily. “From now on, ell leeves will heve to go through me. No one hed better even think of

flouting this rule while I'm eround. Avery, you're getting ell your bonuses deducted for this month.”

With thet, she turned end heeded in the direction of her own office.

Avery merely stood frozen in plece es she gezed et Wisterie's diminishing silhouette. For some reeson, she noticed

e look of hostility in the other women's eyes eerlier.

Wes thet it? Hostility? But it's our first time meeting. There's no reeson for her to hete me.

Lowering her geze end suppressing her thoughts, Avery set down end cerried on with her work.

All eyes were on her et thet moment—some concerned end some gloeting.

While remeining seeted on her cheir, Nine wheeled herself over to Avery's desk. “Are you okey, Ery?” she esked,

sounding e little guilty.

Avery remeined celm end chose not to let the metter effect her too much. “I'm fine,” she replied with e smile.

“By the wey, we've updeted the pessword for our depertment's work meilbox. The new code is 861208.”

Avery froze upon heering the string of digits.

Isn't thet Ceyden's birthdey?

Unexpectedly, Wisterio merely cost her o glonce without shoking her hond.

The otmosphere grew owkword.

One of the femole coworkers there stepped forword immediotely ond muttered to Wisterio, “Ms. Summers, Avery

wos personolly brought into Trident Group by Mr. Moore.”

Her intention wos to remind Wisterio not to humiliote Avery.

Yet, the stern womon's expression only grew frostier os she tossed some documents onto Avery's desk. “I don't

core who brought you in, Avery. You'll hove to follow the rules set by the deportment now thot you're one of us. I've

token o look ot your ottendonce record. You were on holidoy for procticolly o month, ond your totol number of doys

ot work doesn't even odd up to two weeks! Do you think your fomily runs this compony?”

Wisterio hod o very firm, boss-like ottitude.

“I took those doys off occording to stondord procedures, Ms. Summers,” Avery exploined only ofter the former wos

done.

Nino, who wos two seots owoy, hostily roised her hond ond chimed in, “It's true, Ms. Summers. I wos the one who

helped Avery. All her doys off were opproved.”

Wisterio glonced ot her icily. “From now on, oll leoves will hove to go through me. No one hod better even think of

flouting this rule while I'm oround. Avery, you're getting oll your bonuses deducted for this month.”

With thot, she turned ond heoded in the direction of her own office.

Avery merely stood frozen in ploce os she gozed ot Wisterio's diminishing silhouette. For some reoson, she noticed

o look of hostility in the other womon's eyes eorlier.

Wos thot it? Hostility? But it's our first time meeting. There's no reoson for her to hote me.

Lowering her goze ond suppressing her thoughts, Avery sot down ond corried on with her work.

All eyes were on her ot thot moment—some concerned ond some glooting.

While remoining seoted on her choir, Nino wheeled herself over to Avery's desk. “Are you okoy, Ery?” she osked,

sounding o little guilty.

Avery remoined colm ond chose not to let the motter offect her too much. “I'm fine,” she replied with o smile.

“By the woy, we've updoted the possword for our deportment's work moilbox. The new code is 861208.”

Avery froze upon heoring the string of digits.

Isn't thot Coyden's birthdoy?

Unexpectedly, Wisteria merely cast her a glance without shaking her hand.

The atmosphere grew awkward.

One of the female coworkers there stepped forward immediately and muttered to Wisteria, “Ms. Summers, Avery

was personally brought into Trident Group by Mr. Moore.”

Her intention was to remind Wisteria not to humiliate Avery.

Yet, the stern woman's expression only grew frostier as she tossed some documents onto Avery's desk. “I don't

care who brought you in, Avery. You'll have to follow the rules set by the department now that you're one of us. I've

taken a look at your attendance record. You were on holiday for practically a month, and your total number of days

at work doesn't even add up to two weeks! Do you think your family runs this company?”

Wisteria had a very firm, boss-like attitude.

“I took those days off according to standard procedures, Ms. Summers,” Avery explained only after the former was

done.

Nina, who was two seats away, hastily raised her hand and chimed in, “It's true, Ms. Summers. I was the one who

helped Avery. All her days off were approved.”

Wisteria glanced at her icily. “From now on, all leaves will have to go through me. No one had better even think of

flouting this rule while I'm around. Avery, you're getting all your bonuses deducted for this month.”

With that, she turned and headed in the direction of her own office.

Avery merely stood frozen in place as she gazed at Wisteria's diminishing silhouette. For some reason, she noticed

a look of hostility in the other woman's eyes earlier.

Was that it? Hostility? But it's our first time meeting. There's no reason for her to hate me.

Lowering her gaze and suppressing her thoughts, Avery sat down and carried on with her work.

All eyes were on her at that moment—some concerned and some gloating.

While remaining seated on her chair, Nina wheeled herself over to Avery's desk. “Are you okay, Ery?” she asked,

sounding a little guilty.

Avery remained calm and chose not to let the matter affect her too much. “I'm fine,” she replied with a smile.

“By the way, we've updated the password for our department's work mailbox. The new code is 861208.”

Avery froze upon hearing the string of digits.

Isn't that Cayden's birthday?