Chapter 1

Adrian's heartbroken, and I deserve most of the credit.

He must be pretty devastated right now. I think it's time to make my move.

—From Ellie's "Fancy Little Lady Diary"

Mid-March in Los Angeles. The weather remained chilly despite spring's approach.

Ellie sat with Queenie at the Starbucks beneath their office building, elegant afternoon treats arranged on the table between them as they scrolled through their phones.

Queenie suddenly looked up. "Check out what's trending on Twitter."

"Something juicy?"

Ellie eagerly opened Twitter and immediately spotted the number one trending topic.

#MostHeartbreakingThingMyCrushDidToMe#

Her expression shifted subtly. She had plenty to contribute to this topic—after all, her crush had been breaking her heart consistently for a whole year before she finally broke free.

No, that wasn't quite right. She'd simply entered a new phase.

The man she liked was newly heartbroken, which meant she finally had her chance!

Before she could tap to read the comments, Queenie started reading aloud from her phone:

"The guy I liked asked for my number, and I thought he was interested in me. I was so excited I couldn't sleep that night, and I kept waiting for him to text me, constantly overthinking what I should post on my feed. Turns out, he only added me to get closer to my best friend. The sad part? I sank so low that I became his wingwoman, helping him pursue her. Now they're planning their wedding, thanks in large part to me."

With each sentence Queenie read, Ellie's expression grew increasingly uncomfortable. This was basically her own life story!

Well, except for the ending.

Adrian was her boss, the CEO of Lumina International Studios, a company with a complete industry chain including film production, distribution, and theater investments. She was just a junior writer at Lumina who had fallen for him at first sight, drawn in by his looks. But Adrian wasn't interested in her—he liked Mina Cooper, a renowned beauty in the industry known for her screenwriting talent, who also happened to be Ellie's best friend since high school.

To pursue Mina, Adrian had added Ellie on WhatsApp and Instagram, recruiting her as his ally.

Queenie looked at her and asked, "Hit a nerve?"

Ellie clutched her chest dramatically. "God, yes. Right in the feels."

Queenie observed her reaction, thinking about Adrian. Despite having the face and physique of a leading man, he'd fallen for Mina. Queenie had known Mina since childhood, and they'd met Ellie in high school, forming a tight-knit trio.

When Adrian was pursuing Mina, Lumina was investing in a military-themed film called "Shadow Protocol," which required research at a military base. On their first day there, the captain assigned to receive them turned out to be James Cole—the man Mina had been in love with years ago.

From that point on, Adrian was relegated to second lead in his own love story, while Ellie, supposedly his ally, completely failed in her duties. Through passive sabotage, she successfully eliminated him from contention.

—Adrian's heartbreak was largely her doing.

Put that way, did it make her kind of a bad person?

Queenie set down her phone and took a bite of cake. "So what's your plan now? Mina and Captain Cole are together, probably getting married soon. Your CEO doesn't have a chance of winning her back."

"Me?" Ellie switched to her alt account, engaged with some comments, then said with renewed determination, "He must be pretty devastated right now. I think it's time to make my move!"

Queenie was impressed by how quickly she'd bounced back and gave her a look of admiration, though she was curious: "You really don't mind that he went after Mina?"

Ellie lowered her eyes. "Of course I mind, but I still like him." Besides, Mina knew about her feelings for Adrian. Their friendship of many years wasn't awkward—Mina was beautiful and kind, naturally attracting male attention.

"Well, if you're cool with it, then I'm not worried. I should get going." Queenie stood up. She'd just been passing by Lumina's building and spontaneously invited Ellie down for coffee. Before leaving, she patted Ellie's shoulder. "Go for it. Lock down your CEO while you can."

Ellie: "..."

She wished she could, but Adrian would need to give her a chance first!

Back in the office, she heard Sharon exclaim as soon as she walked in: "Holy shit! Lexi Carter just shot to number one trending! Is she really dating Mr. Connelly?"

Ellie pulled out her phone while walking into the office and saw that the top trending topic had changed to "Lexi Carter and Lumina CEO Adrian Connelly." She paused in surprise.

She'd only been coming up from downstairs for a few minutes, and the trending topics had completely changed—definitely a sponsored trend.

She laughed lightly. "It's obviously fake."

"How do you know? There are photos and everything!"

Because...

Adrian just had his heart broken! How could he possibly be in the mood to date someone else?

Ellie suspected Lexi's team had bought the trending topic. Lexi's popularity had been growing over the past two years, and Lumina's recent films had all been critical and commercial successes. Even for a rising starlet like her, it was still the production company that chose actors, not the other way around.

There was no shortage of women in the entertainment industry trying to hook up with Adrian. After all, he was genuinely handsome—that's why she'd fallen for him at first sight. If they were looking for a powerful backer, why not choose him? With his looks and physique, sleeping with him for free would still be a win.

Ellie bit her lip as she examined the photos. They appeared to have been taken the previous night, somewhat blurry with facial features unclear, but the man was in a black suit, tall and straight-backed, his presence commanding. The two were walking close together, heading toward a hotel entrance—no wonder Sharon suspected it might be true.

Could Adrian be acting out due to his heartbreak, indulging in meaningless flings?

Ellie's previously good mood instantly plummeted, but she still said: "Lumina is preparing for TV productions this year. Forget the lead roles—even supporting roles are in high demand. Plenty of actresses want in."

Which meant plenty of publicity stunts.

Lumina had previously focused on films, with few TV projects, but in recent years they'd been gradually expanding into television. Adrian had high standards and explicitly stated they would only produce quality dramas. Even though the themes hadn't been decided and no announcements made, agents were remarkably well-informed and had already started promoting their clients.

Sharon nodded in understanding: "That makes sense. It's not the first time Mr. Connelly's been trending." She paused, looking at Ellie. "Wait, how do you know the company is preparing drama scripts?"

Since the project hadn't been officially announced, Ellie wasn't at liberty to discuss it. She just blinked innocently.

Sharon suddenly realized: it was because Ellie would be part of the writing team...

Meanwhile, Adrian—the male lead of the Twitter trend—was getting into his car with a dark expression. He loosened his tie with one hand and looked at his assistant, frowning. "Get in touch with Lexi Carter's team and tell them to clear this up themselves. Don't make me have to publicly shut it down."

Lexi was a rising star at Apex Media, whose CEO had previously collaborated with Adrian. He wasn't immediately denying the rumors out of professional courtesy. Jeremy quickly responded, "On it right away, sir."

Within about twenty minutes, Lexi's team had released a statement calling it a misunderstanding.

Ellie hadn't been paying attention to the trending topics. At 2:50 PM, she was heading to the elevator with her notebook, pressing the up button while absently tapping her pen against the pages. After several taps, the elevator doors opened to reveal Adrian and Jeremy inside.

Adrian had his left hand in his suit pocket while his right hand adjusted his tie. His jawline was sharp and defined, his Adam's apple prominent. Despite his buttoned-up appearance, there was something effortlessly magnetic about him. When he saw her, his eyes narrowed slightly.

God, he was hot.

Ellie hesitated briefly before breaking into a smile that revealed a dimple in her right cheek. She stepped inside cheerfully. "Mr. Connelly."

"Mm." Adrian glanced down at her.

Ellie positioned herself beside him, glanced at Jeremy behind them, and subtly moved a step closer to Adrian, discreetly sniffing.

Adrian caught her strange behavior and after a moment asked, "Are you... sniffing me?"

Ellie hadn't expected to be caught and felt embarrassed, but answered honestly: "Just checking if you smell like women's perfume."

Adrian: "..."

Recalling the morning's trending topic, he frowned imperceptibly and let out a short laugh. "And what's your professional assessment?"

Nothing.

He smelled clean and fresh, with a crisp, pleasant scent.

Ellie looked up at him with a bright smile. "I figured since you just went through a breakup, you probably wouldn't be in the mood for hookups. I'm guessing that Twitter thing was totally fake."

Adrian's brow twitched. She really knew how to bring up exactly what he didn't want to talk about.

Adrian pressed his lips together and said in a low voice: "Ellie."

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

Fine, she'd shut up. Ellie let out a small huff.

Jeremy stood behind them, his expression somewhat complicated. As Adrian's assistant, he was well aware of his boss's pursuit of Mina, and knew that Ellie had been his supposed "ally." He also knew how bold and audacious this young woman was. On the surface she'd been Adrian's wingwoman, but behind the scenes she'd been working against him. During that month-long research trip to the military base, so much had happened that Ellie never mentioned to Adrian. By the time Adrian had a chance to visit, Mina and Captain Cole had already reconciled.

Adrian had wasted over a year pursuing Mina.

And Ellie had the nerve to justify it: "You weren't going to win her over anyway. I was helping you face reality!"

Only she would dare speak to Adrian like that.

When the elevator doors opened, Ellie stepped aside and gestured with her hand: "After you, Mr. Connelly."

Adrian glanced at her, removed his hand from his pocket, and strode out, leaving her with one word.

"Meeting."

In the conference room, the writing team was already assembled. Adrian paused at the doorway to instruct them: "Start discussing potential themes. Come up with several backup options." Then he turned and went back to his office, leaving the creative director to lead the meeting.

Each writer had their own ideas. The company owned quite a few unused rights, so they began by considering those, but no one seemed particularly satisfied with the options. Someone suggested adapting and remaking a classic TV series.

As soon as Ellie heard this, she rolled her eyes dramatically: "Not to doubt the company's abilities, but remakes are totally thankless projects, and those formulas are so outdated. How basic can you get! What, you can't write an original script? If you can't, I definitely can!"

Charlene Paine frowned: "I never said I couldn't write one."

Ellie shot back: "Then why suggest a remake? Name one remake that hasn't been completely torn apart by critics."

Charlene didn't want to argue. Most people couldn't win arguments against Ellie—she never lost.

After three hours of discussion, everyone was parched. They submitted several backup themes for market research.

As the meeting ended, Ellie glanced outside. The door to Adrian's office remained closed. While everyone was packing up to leave, she deliberately took her time, getting a cup of water and standing in the break room scrolling through Instagram.

Jeremy passed by and gave her a knowing look.

He knocked and entered Adrian's office, placing the proposed themes on the desk. Adrian looked up from his work. "Has everyone from the meeting left?"

Jeremy replied: "Ellie's still here."

Adrian picked up the documents, glanced through them, and set them back down. He leaned back in his chair. "These have all been done to death. Nothing interesting here. Tell them to keep brainstorming." He picked up his phone to check WhatsApp messages, then tapped on Instagram. The latest post was from Ellie. His gaze focused.

He'd been connected with Ellie for over a year, and her Instagram was the most entertaining in his contact list. When work became too stressful, her images and captions could always coax a smile from him.

That is, when she wasn't using Mina to poke at his wounded heart.

This was the first time Adrian had pursued a woman so seriously only to fail. But he didn't have a habit of stealing others' partners, especially since Mina and James were in a military marriage.

Recently, Ellie's Instagram posts had taken on a distinct tone, each one radiating a sort of desperate financial aspiration. It was ironic given her username was "Fancy Little Lady," making Adrian wonder if the accounting department had delayed her payments.

Just now, Ellie had posted an image captioned: "Just want to be a decadent rich lady obsessed with hot guys.jpg"

Adrian clicked his tongue and stood up, grabbing his suit jacket from the back of his chair. "Let's call it a day."

Jeremy opened the door, and as Adrian stepped out, he saw Ellie emerging from the conference room with her notebook. He said nothing. Ellie walked up beside him, also silent. The secretary bowed slightly: "Have a good evening, Mr. Connelly."

The three of them waited for the elevator. Adrian glanced at her and remarked casually: "Didn't realize your ambitions were so grand—not just wanting to be rich, but obsessed with men too."

Ellie's ambition was indeed grand—she wanted to be his girlfriend.

Ellie's expression turned somewhat awkward as she responded with a slight lift in her voice: "Yeah, got a problem with that?"

Adrian frowned slightly, looking down at her: "Playing that kind of game? Can you handle it?"

In his view, Ellie was just an innocent young woman. Sometimes she had a sharp tongue, but could she really navigate the world of men? In these situations, it was always women who ended up getting hurt.

Besides, he had a nagging feeling that Ellie might have feelings for him.

But that was just speculation. Ellie hadn't been too obvious about it, and mainly because of her friendship with Mina, Adrian knew that most women would mind if a man was interested in their friend. He had pursued Mina and even asked Ellie to be his wingwoman.

Given that, even if Ellie had any interest in him, she would probably find it difficult to take that step.

Ellie realized he had misunderstood. She looked up at him, somewhat frustrated: "Being obsessed with men doesn't mean multiple men—can't it just be one man?"

Upon reflection, she thought her intentions were too obvious.

She muttered softly: "Though obviously, he'd need to be good in bed."

Adrian was momentarily taken aback, remembering similar outrageous comments she'd made during their time at the military base. He'd never met such a brazenly outspoken young woman. Looking at her, he couldn't help but reprimand her under his breath: "Have you no sense of shame?"

Chapter 2

Adrian, are you heartbroken? I can comfort you!

—From Ellie's "Fancy Little Lady Diary"

Ellie tilted her delicate face upward, meeting Adrian's narrowed eyes and slightly annoyed expression. He clearly didn't appreciate her candor. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Jeremy discreetly looking away, which made her cheeks flush.

Ding—

The elevator doors opened.

She quickly lowered her head and hurried inside, still muttering under her breath: "I'm not wrong though... nobody wants someone who's a five-minute wonder..."

Adrian stepped in and caught her comment.

Looking at her flushed face, he was tempted to pinch her cheek to see if she truly had no shame.

After entering the elevator, Jeremy pressed the button for the second basement level and positioned himself by the door, trying to blend into the wall. Ellie was used to his minimal-talking, maximum-doing style. Just as she was about to edge closer to Adrian, her phone rang in her purse.

She pulled it out and saw an unknown number. After a moment's hesitation, she answered.

"Hello, Miss Connelly, are you interested in renovating your home? Our company offers—"

A home renovation sales call.

Ellie cut them off: "Not interested. Selling my place. Thanks."

She hung up immediately, only to hear Adrian casually ask: "You're selling your house?"

"No, I just said that to get rid of them."

She admitted to lying so nonchalantly that Adrian gave her a look and scoffed.

Little liar. Lying had become second nature to her.

How many times had she deceived him before?

"I've already found a contractor. No point wasting my breath," Ellie said, dropping her phone back into her purse. She had attended college in Los Angeles, and during her senior year, after fighting with her roommate, she had moved out and rented her own place. Her parents thought renting was throwing money away, so they bought her a small two-bedroom condo as an investment.

That condo was too far from the office, so now she rented a place nearby and leased out the other one, which covered her current rent. Her cousin wanted to rent the original apartment but complained about the outdated décor, offering to pay part of the renovation costs.

Since someone else was willing to foot the bill, Ellie didn't care how they changed it—she just needed to find a contractor.

Unfortunately, after making a few inquiries, she'd been bombarded with sales calls.

Ellie explained all this in a rush, and Adrian understood by the time they reached the parking garage. The three of them exited the elevator, with Ellie following behind Adrian. Jeremy, walking at the edge of the group, said: "Mr. Connelly, I'll head out now."

"Sure, take the car back."

Jeremy drove a company car provided by Adrian. Sometimes urgent matters came up, and not having transportation affected work efficiency.

At that moment, Ellie suddenly stopped, looking extremely frustrated: "Damn, I totally forgot my car's at the dealership for service."

Adrian glanced at her, somewhat exasperated: "...How do you forget something like that?"

Ellie looked innocent: "Is that weird?"

Jeremy, who had walked ahead, turned back and asked: "I can drop you off if you'd like."

Ellie glanced at him, then turned to Adrian with a sweet smile: "Jeremy deserves to clock out on time for once. I don't want to be a bother. Maybe you could give me a lift, Mr. Connelly?"

She didn't want to inconvenience Jeremy, but she had no problem inconveniencing him?

Who was the CEO here?

Adrian gave her a cool glance before turning toward his reserved parking spot, tossing back: "Fine, come on."

Ellie's face lit up as she hurried after him.

Jeremy stood in place, scratching his head before turning to leave.

The two stopped in front of a black Maybach. Ellie looked at Adrian with a smile: "Mr. Connelly, want me to drive?"

Adrian regarded her casually. Just as Ellie was about to crack under the pressure and confess, he handed her the keys with a slight smile: "Sure, you drive."

Ellie reluctantly took the keys. Adrian's lips curved into a smirk as he opened the passenger door and sat down. Ellie pouted—she'd only been trying to be polite, and he actually took her up on it!

If it had been Mina, he definitely wouldn't have done this.

She just wanted to enjoy the passenger seat—the girlfriend spot—not be his chauffeur!

The young woman slumped into the driver's seat, discovering it was positioned too far back for her to reach the pedals. She glanced at Adrian lounging in the passenger seat, her eyes trailing down to his long, straight legs beneath his suit pants. She stole a few extra looks before quietly adjusting the seat.

Adrian reclined lazily in the passenger seat, his elbow propped against the window, long fingers supporting his chin. He glanced at her: "You even know how to drive this thing?"

Ellie mumbled: "Obviously."

She fastened her seatbelt and pulled out of the parking space.

"Take the first exit. The other way's jammed."

Ellie didn't respond, silently turning the steering wheel from right to left, changing direction.

She stole a glance at him, feeling somewhat guilty.

Adrian caught her in his peripheral vision: "Eyes on the road. Why are you looking at me?"

Ellie immediately straightened her posture and said casually: "Because you're hot."

Adrian laughed: "Hot, huh? When we stop, you can stare all you want."

Ellie's internal monologue: Wonder if I could steal another kiss too?

They had barely driven thirty feet when Ellie spotted Jeremy in her peripheral vision, standing beside her white Porsche Macan. He was circling it, moving to the front as if examining the license plate, confirming whether this was indeed the car she claimed was at the dealership. Ellie panicked, pressing down on the accelerator. The car immediately sped up, leaving Jeremy behind.

Adrian frowned: "Ellie, do you even know how to drive properly?"

Ellie was embarrassed: "Of course I do."

"Pull over," he commanded.

He couldn't let her continue driving like this—they'd have an accident.

Stop now? If he got out, he'd see Jeremy and discover her lie!

Ellie steadied herself, pressing her lips together: "No way. How could I let the CEO be my chauffeur? Just sit back—recline if you want. I promise my driving skills are just as good as yours."

Adrian's response was light: "Oh really?"

His voice was deep and slightly husky, echoing in the confined space of the car, sounding almost flirtatious. Her face suddenly flushed, and she said quietly: "Adrian, don't talk like that. It sounds like you're hitting on me."

Adrian gave her a strange look. How was he hitting on her?

Behind them, Jeremy stood in front of Ellie's car, looking at the license plate and confirming that it was indeed hers. So why had she lied to Adrian? Or was her memory really that bad?

He thought about it and concluded that his boss had probably been played.

Because he too suspected that Ellie had feelings for Adrian.

Ellie turned on the radio, and a husky yet sweet female voice filled the car—Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me."

"If you could see that I'm the one，

Who understands you?

Been here all along,

So why can't you see?

You belong with me"

It was an upbeat song that most people wouldn't think twice about, but for someone nursing a broken heart, even a single phrase could unexpectedly trigger tears—inexplicable yet uncontrollable.

As they drove out of the parking garage, Adrian remained silent. Ellie's mood suddenly dipped as she wondered if he was heartbroken. While waiting at a red light, she turned to him and cautiously asked: "Mr. Connelly, are you feeling sad?"

Adrian was lost in thought about the project when he heard her question. He frowned: "What?"

Ellie repeated: "I asked if you're feeling sad."

He let out a sigh.

The biggest mistake of his life might have been choosing Ellie as his wingwoman. Later, he'd realized how inappropriate it was to ask a young woman to spy for him while he pursued someone else. But at the time, he'd felt stuck—Ellie was Mina's closest friend, with a bubbly, approachable personality. He'd considered himself a good catch, worthy of Mina, and thought Ellie, as Mina's friend, would be happy to help them get together.

When it didn't work out, he accepted it.

Yet this girl seemed convinced he was constantly wallowing in heartbreak.

She even brought it up repeatedly, as if he might have forgotten.

Adrian pressed his lips together, then laughed softly: "If I were sad, what would you do?"

Ellie smiled sweetly: "I could comfort you!"

Adrian's mouth twitched: "Oh? Then sing me a song—how about 'The One That Got Away'? Seems fitting."

She was notoriously tone-deaf... At the last company dinner, her colleagues had teased her about it, and Adrian definitely remembered. He was deliberately messing with her!

"Go on, sing. Weren't you offering comfort?" The man crossed his legs, lazily urging her on. "Hmm?"

Ellie turned away angrily, ignoring him.

She drove to her apartment complex first, handed Adrian the car keys, and walked inside.

Before going to bed that night, she worried Jeremy might tell Adrian about her lie. She didn't have Jeremy's contact info, and calling him late at night seemed inappropriate...

She fretted all night and barely slept.

Early the next morning, she got ready and headed to the office.

She picked up a generous breakfast to go near the office building, thinking she'd need to find Jeremy upstairs.

Jeremy wasn't a gossip, but he was incredibly loyal to Adrian and kept nothing from him.

Back when she was Adrian's "wingwoman," Mina and James weren't officially back together—they were in that messy in-between stage. Adrian and James were competing fairly, and if she'd actually been a good wingwoman...

Given Adrian's background, character, and looks that rivaled James's, he would have had a real chance.

During that time, the "Shadow Protocol" team was doing research at the military base, and Mina had suffered a minor injury. Ellie had called Adrian, who was likely in a meeting, so Jeremy answered. She accidentally let something slip, though she quickly covered it up. But Jeremy immediately told Adrian everything.

The next day, Adrian dropped all his work and flew over.

That was true devotion...

Thinking about it made Ellie uncomfortable.

After some consideration, she decided to go upstairs to find Jeremy.

Jeremy had just arrived. As he stepped out of one elevator, Ellie emerged from another. Spotting him, she quickly walked over, calling out: "Jeremy, wait up!"

Jeremy turned and saw her, asking naturally: "Miss Connelly, looking for Mr. Connelly? He hasn't arrived yet."

Ellie shook her head: "No, I'm looking for you."

Jeremy thought for a moment, recalling last night's events, and smiled: "What can I help you with?"

Just as Ellie was about to speak, she heard familiar footsteps behind her.

She quickly turned around to see Adrian walking in, his suit jacket casually draped over his forearm.

"Mr. Connelly," Jeremy acknowledged.

Ellie felt dejected but forced a bright smile: "Morning, Mr. Connelly."

Adrian glanced at her: "Something up?"

Ellie maintained her smile and shook her head: "Nothing at all." After a moment's hesitation, she bit her lip and thrust the fancy breakfast into Jeremy's hands. "Jeremy, I got you breakfast!" She even added a meaningful wink.

The implication: Eat my breakfast and don't rat me out, okay?

Jeremy: "..."

Adrian: "..."

He looked at Ellie, then at the breakfast in Jeremy's arms, his expression growing peculiar.

Ellie took a deep breath and walked away.

Adrian thoughtfully watched her until she disappeared, then narrowed his eyes and turned back. He looked Jeremy up and down—good-looking guy, apparently single too.

Could it be that Ellie had been getting close to him just to pursue his assistant? He couldn't help thinking this way because he'd done the same thing himself.

Was this karma?

Jeremy, meanwhile, awkwardly stared at the breakfast in his arms. He'd already eaten.

Adrian clicked his tongue. She was on his payroll, yet he'd never received breakfast from her.

Seeing his boss eyeing the breakfast, Jeremy tentatively asked: "Would you like it, sir?"

Chapter 3

I'm drawing my boyfriend, but my boyfriend doesn't have a face yet.

Because I don't know if he'll actually become my boyfriend.

— From Ellie's "Fancy Little Lady Diary"

The previous generation of the Connelly family included two military men, which had instilled disciplined habits in Adrian and his cousins from childhood. He typically woke at 7 AM for a morning run, followed by a shower and breakfast before heading to work. He never ate breakfast at the office.

Jeremy knew this well, and even Ellie was aware of it.

So there was no way she'd have brought breakfast for Adrian.

Adrian looked at Jeremy's sincere expression, his brow faintly furrowing. With a blank face, he turned toward his office and said flatly: "No thanks, I've already eaten. Since Ellie brought it for you, don't let it go to waste."

Jeremy tried to decipher his boss's tone. Was he pleased or displeased?

There was a morning meeting scheduled. Adrian walked into his office, casually tossed his suit jacket onto the sofa, and turned to find his assistant still standing in the doorway looking distracted. Somewhat annoyed, he said: "Get ready for the meeting."

Jeremy snapped back to attention: "Right away, sir."

He quickly stored the breakfast in a cabinet, planning to eat it for lunch later, and began preparing materials for the meeting.

Adrian sat at his desk as his secretary brought in a cup of black coffee. He took a sip, casually observing Jeremy bustling about, with a slightly scrutinizing gaze.

Previously, he'd only cared about his employees' work efficiency. Jeremy had started working for him straight out of college. Now 26 years old, a year younger than Adrian, he was upstanding, diligent, had no bad habits, and was reasonably good-looking.

However, compared to Adrian himself, Jeremy fell considerably short.

Adrian felt a strange sensation. Ellie had been with the company for over two years. He'd added her on WhatsApp when he was pursuing Mina, so they'd been connected for over a year. Initially, she'd been proper and polite, calling him "Mr. Connelly" like an obedient rabbit. Over time, her true nature emerged—the moment he showed the slightest warmth, she became increasingly informal.

She called him "Mr. Connelly" at the office, but often used just "Adrian" in private.

He'd previously thought Ellie might have feelings for him. Had he been mistaken?

Jeremy turned around to find his boss watching him with half-lidded eyes and a detached expression. Startled, he asked: "Mr. Connelly, is something wrong?"

"Nothing," Adrian replied, setting down his cup and standing to leave the office. "Meeting time."

Jeremy hurriedly grabbed the documents and followed, providing updates as they walked: "Mr. Howard says everything in France is going smoothly. The ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for April 10th. He suggests you arrive two days beforehand."

Lumina Studios didn't just invest in films and TV series; they also placed great importance on downstream distribution channels. To date, Lumina owned 45 high-end theaters under the "Lumina Cinema" brand nationwide—this was the publicly announced figure, but in reality, there were six more not yet opened.

The film industry was inherently international. Hollywood films were improving each year, with war and sci-fi genres making steady progress. Of course, there were American theaters abroad too. Lumina's first theater in France was about to open, with Draco Howard, Lumina's Vice President, overseeing operations there.

Adrian nodded: "Noted."

It was only late March, still some time before the opening.

He asked: "Has the filming date for 'Shadow Protocol' been set?"

"Probably mid-April, but the exact date isn't confirmed yet. As you know, Director Rosol is somewhat superstitious—he always consults a fortune teller before starting a new project."

"Lock it down as soon as possible," Adrian said. Tall with long legs, he walked quickly and was already at the meeting room door. "Make sure it doesn't conflict with the theater opening. I need to be present for both."

Adrian personally attended the first day of filming for every movie, and he had to be present for theater openings as well.

Jeremy acknowledged the instruction and followed him into the meeting room.

Ellie returned to her floor, still feeling uneasy. She shifted positions in her chair several times, wondering what she'd do if Jeremy ratted her out. Whatever happened, she couldn't let Adrian think she was being too forward.

While contemplating this, she received a notification from a group chat with just her, Mina, and Queenie. Queenie had tagged her.

Queenieisqueen @Fancy Little Lady: "Free this weekend? One of my employees called out sick, and I need someone to watch the store. Could you help a girl out?"

Queenie had studied fashion design and started a small studio with a classmate after graduation. Only a year into the business, things were going moderately well, surviving mainly because Ellie and Mina frequently helped promote it.

Ellie had plans to visit the renovation company on Saturday, but Sunday was free.

Fancy Little Lady: "Sunday's all yours. Happy now?"

Queenie immediately sent a "Thank you, Fancy Little Lady" sticker that Ellie had made herself. Then she asked: "How's it going with your CEO? Still in his vulnerable phase?"

Fancy Little Lady: ...

Last time, Ellie had told Queenie she planned to make her move while Adrian was heartbroken.

Ellie thought about it—she wasn't sure if Adrian was still vulnerable, but she definitely hadn't gotten anywhere with him yet...

Queenie was busy and logged off after confirming Ellie could help on the weekend.

Ellie glanced at Mina's profile picture. Mina was heading abroad in a few days to scout film locations, and James was on leave, so the couple was too wrapped up in each other to chat online.

Enough daydreaming—time to work.

All the themes submitted yesterday had been rejected by Adrian. She had some ideas and tried writing a character sketch. After three hours, she'd only managed five hundred words, and even those didn't look right to her, so she deleted everything.

Ellie stared at the empty document, feeling frustrated. Checking the time, she saw it was almost noon. She quickly closed her laptop, grabbed her phone, and headed upstairs.

Adrian's office was on the 22nd floor, which also housed two meeting rooms and executive offices. Most employees didn't venture up there unnecessarily, but Ellie was an exception. Over a year ago, when Ellie became Adrian's "ally," she could go up to see him directly whenever needed, and the secretaries there had become familiar with her.

Grace, the secretary, saw her and smiled politely: "Miss Connelly, Mr. Connelly is still in a meeting."

Just as she finished speaking, the meeting room door opened.

As Adrian walked out, he immediately spotted Ellie. Los Angeles had recently turned off the heat, and the weather was still cool. She stood with her side to him, wearing a loose white sweater, her medium-length hair tied in a messy bun, revealing her small face. Both Ellie and Mina were from Chicago, and perhaps due to the northern climate, both had fair, translucent skin. During their month-long military base research, among all the women in the creative team, only Ellie and Mina hadn't tanned by two shades.

"Oh... I'm not looking for Mr. Connelly," Ellie responded with a smile. "I'm here for Jeremy."

Adrian noticed the adorable dimple on her cheek and scoffed, walking past with an expressionless face.

Ellie's eyes brightened when she saw him: "Mr. Connelly."

Adrian gave a curt "Mm" without even a sideways glance, his tall, straight figure sweeping past her toward his office.

...Why so cold?

Ellie's eyes followed his retreating figure, her smile fading slightly, even her subtle dimple disappearing.

But she quickly remembered her mission and turned to Jeremy, who was walking behind Adrian. She brightened up: "Jeremy!"

Jeremy paused, giving her a slightly resigned look. He could guess why she'd come upstairs—was she really that afraid he'd tell Adrian? He recalled how when Adrian was pursuing Mina, Ellie might not have been actively helping, but she and Adrian had been in frequent contact, their conversations almost always revolving around Mina.

Putting himself in her shoes, Jeremy thought the situation must have been awkward. Adrian had chased Mina for over a year, and who knew when Ellie had started developing feelings for Adrian? Being caught in the middle for so long must have been difficult.

Her coming to him now was probably to protect her pride.

Thinking about it this way, he suddenly felt a bit sorry for Ellie.

Ellie had no idea about Jeremy's mental gymnastics. She smiled brightly: "Did you eat the breakfast?"

Adrian, reaching his office door, heard her cheerful voice and frowned. She was pursuing a guy all the way to his office floor? Didn't she realize this would affect work? He closed the door, considering whether he needed to set some boundaries.

Outside, after some thought, Jeremy replied: "I did."

Ellie's eyes lit up: "Great!"

Him eating the breakfast meant he wouldn't tell Adrian about the incident.

Jeremy nodded, and Ellie happily headed back downstairs.

Grace, the secretary, had been watching this little scene with confusion. She couldn't help asking Jeremy: "Miss Connelly brought you breakfast? Why?"

The truth was obviously off-limits. Jeremy just smiled: "It's not what you're thinking. Don't overthink it—back to work."

As if a bit of office gossip was a problem! Grace huffed and turned to her colleague: "You don't think Ellie's trying to pursue Jeremy, do you? I always thought she might have a thing for Mr. Connelly. She never needs an appointment to come upstairs. I assumed..."

"That she and Mr. Connelly had something going on?"

"Probably not. Everyone was talking about how Mr. Connelly pursued Mina but didn't succeed. Ellie and Mina are best friends. If she liked Mr. Connelly, wouldn't that be awkward? He chased her best friend! Think about it—if your boyfriend had gone after your best friend, wouldn't you feel weird?"

"Definitely awkward..."

So if Ellie really did like Adrian, her courage was admirable.

Besides, Adrian might not even like her back.

Ellie knew nothing about the gossip upstairs as she returned to her desk. Recalling Adrian's cold expression earlier, she hung her head and sighed.

What would it take to make Adrian like her?

She rested her head on her desk, doodling with a pen, then took a photo and posted it on Instagram.

That evening, Adrian returned home after a business dinner. After showering, he casually tied his bathrobe and walked to the kitchen for a glass of water. He glanced at his phone and habitually scrolled through Instagram. He'd muted most people in his contacts, so he quickly came across Ellie's post and saw the image.

Her drawing was terrible—crooked and misshapen. His 4-year-old nephew could do better.

But he could still make out that she'd drawn a man—a faceless man.

What was that supposed to mean?

Adrian was puzzled, and apparently, so were her friends.

A writer commented: What are you drawing?

Fancy Little Lady: My boyfriend!

Another comment: [Pout] Aren't you single? And why doesn't your boyfriend have a face?

Fancy Little Lady: Because I don't know who my boyfriend is yet!

She didn't know if Adrian would become her boyfriend.

So for now, her boyfriend had no face.

Adrian leaned lazily against the dining table, his bathrobe loosely draped, revealing glimpses of his toned muscles underneath.

He thoughtfully stared at the drawing and her replies, a smile tugging at his lips as he tapped "like" on her post.