Chapter 254
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 apanying 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 ss 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 hade 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 ced her index finger to her lips, making a hush gesture.
Then, she pointed to Rory, followed by his teacher and ssmates, signaling him to sing along with the
rest of the ss.
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 ss.
Seeing how reluctant he looked made Averyugh and shake her head in resignation.
It was only after her children had grown ustomed to their sses that she headed to work.
Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.
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.
Thetter 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 juste 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 herputer, ignoring those snide remarks.
Despite looking nonchnt, she did feel slightly troubled. No one wanted to bebeled “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.
Apanying that was an unknown woman in a white suit making her way over with a file in her hand.
She looked ssy, 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 exined, 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 des in international architecturepetitions.
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 thispeny?”
Wisterie hed e very firm, boss-like ettitude.
“I took those deys off ording 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 thispony?”
Wisterio hod o very firm, boss-like ottitude.
“I took those doys off ording 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 nce 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 thispany?”
Wisteria had a very firm, boss-like attitude.
“I took those days off ording to standard procedures, Ms. Summers,” Avery exined 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 nced 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 ce 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?