Chapter 429
As Avery walked onstage, she subconsciously cast her gaze over Cayden, and the tension in her heart
eased a little when she saw the encouraging look in his eyes.
She distributed the printed materials to the heads of bothpanies and the higher-ups seated in the
first two rows. Having plugged the sh drive into herptop, she adjusted the microphone and
prepared to begin her presentation.
Johnny looked grim after flicking through the file Avery had prepared. “Have you made a mistake about
the meeting''s agenda?”
She looked down at the file in her hand in confusion. A secondter, she was gaping at it in shock.
“How... How is this possible? These aren''t the materials I preparedst night for this meeting but the
design department''s work report for our weekly meeting...”
The chairman of Vivi Group tossed the file onto the table, where itnded with a loud thud. His usually
fearsome expression looked even more terrifying when he was angry. “As an architect, how could you
bring the wrong materials? Even someone who only just started their first job wouldn''t make a silly error
like this! Do you think I''ll feel reassured that someone careless like you wants to participate in this
urban renewal project?”
Then, he turned to Cayden with an using re. “Mr. Moore, is this the outstanding employee
selected by yourpany? You''ve truly made me view yourpany in a different light.”
Feeling ashamed, Avery went red in the face. She essed the sh drive in a panic to search for that
project''s design drawings, even going through the folders for previous projects. s, try as she may,
she could not find them. The color drained from her face. How can this be? Knowing the significance of
this coboration between our twopanies, I was very particr about saving every design drawing
I prepared into the sh drive. But now, everything I stored in there has vanished into thin air!
Meanwhile, Wisteria fixed her gaze on the frantic Avery with a sneer. She could not help thinking the
latter looked like a cat on a hot tin roof, running around like a headless chicken. Her lips curled in
disdain. So, the woman the CEO has taken a liking to is her. Just a slight hup is enough to make her
lose allposure. An ipetent woman like her will never hold a candle to me, much less be
worthy of standing next to the CEO.
The others in the conference room started whispering among themselves.
As for the higher-ups in the front two rows, they looked up at the big screen and could not help shaking
their heads while watching Avery''s mouse cursor flitting about as she tried to locate the meeting
materials in various folders. Her files are stored neatly in a particrly organized manner. It''s clear
she''s usually a very meticulous person, but somehow, she made such a big blunder this time!
Although some sympathized with her, the majority disapproved of her careless behavior.
Cecelia, Nina, Trevor, and the others were also feeling as anxious as Avery, especially Nina. Seeing
Avery standing helplessly and awkwardly on the stage with her pale face, Nina felt the urge to rush
over and give her aforting hug.
Apart from Michael and Armand, who felt worried and sorry for Avery, the team led by Yvette watched
Avery embarrass herself with cold indifference.
At that moment, only Cayden remained seated calmly. He observed Avery''s panicked state. She was
on the verge of tears and looked incredibly pitiful, but he did not step in directly to lend a helping hand.
In our personal lives, I can protect her forever so that nothing harms her. At the workce, however, I
can''t shield her for the rest of her life. She has to learn to be independent and keep her cool when
dealing with emergencies.
He waved Xavier over and said something in thetter''s ear. Then, Xavier stood up and reminded
Avery kindly, “Ms. Rumpley, why don''t you think carefully about where you could''ve ced the
materials for this meeting? Could it be that you didn''t print them out at all?”
She shook her head, puzzled. “That''s not possible. I clearly remember printing everythingst night
before leaving the office and cing them inside my desk''s drawer. It''s just that I forgot to lock the
drawer. Aftering to work this morning, I immediately brought the materials here. I''m also at a loss
as to why they suddenly turned into copies of a report from a past meeting.”
When Xavier heard that the drawer had been left unlocked, his eyes lit up briefly as something seemed
to ur to him. He asked, “Think again carefully. Did you put them into your bag and bring them back
with you?”
She racked her brains again before finally shaking her head firmly. “No. I absolutely didn''t.”
ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .
Johnny nced at the expensive watch on his wrist and snapped, “That''s enough. I''m not interested in
listening to your excuses. I''ll give you fifteen minutes to rectify this mess. Otherwise, you can take
yourself off this team. I don''t need subordinates who are ipetent.”
That harsh reprimand caused Cayden''s eyes to sh with a dangerous, cold light. Nheless, he
continued sitting serenely, unmoving like a statue. The nce he cast at Johnny, however, was
exceptionally cial.
Meanwhile, Avery quietly held back tears, willing them not to spill over. She turned to the audience and
gave a deep bow. “I apologize. It was indeed my mistake. I''ll go to the office right away and find the
materials.”
Then, she hurried off the stage immediately and headed to the design department. A few minutester,
she returned to the conference room, alone and discouraged. Despite rummaging through all the
documents in her office, she had failed to find the materials she wanted. There''s no way I would''ve
printed the wrong information. I wouldn''t make such an elementary slip-up as that because I always
double and triple-check before printing. On top of that, I''m sure I didn''t bring it home because I vividly
recall I had nothing with me when I went to Azure Royalst night.
Unfortunately, she turned her office upside down to no avail and had no choice but to return to the
stage dejectedly. She apologized to everyone again. “I''m terribly sorry. I''ve searched through all my
files but couldn''t find them. I don''t have a clue how they could''ve disappeared just like that...”
Johnny''s expression darkened as he locked his gaze on her pale face. Furious, he said, “I focus on
oues rather than processes. You don''t have to waste your breath exining anything to me
anymore. Ensuring important materials are stored properly is an employee''s basic responsibility, yet
you''ve failed to do so. Mr. Moore, I''m sure you wouldn''t want to see an employee like that participate in
this project, right?”
As the others'' gazes fell upon Avery, she felt a prickling sensation run down her back, and her legs felt
so weak that she could hardly stand. Seeing Cayden look toward her made her feel even more
ashamed. I feel so bad! Not only have I embarrassed thepany, but I''ve also disappointed him,
haven''t I?
Subconsciously, she shifted her gaze to meet his. There were no traces of mockery or disappointment
in his eyes. On the contrary, she saw his absolute trust and encouragement toward her. Her heart
skipped a beat at the sight of that. I can''t let this happen. Embarrassing myself is one thing, but I can''t
possibly tarnish thepany''s reputation or let Cayden down!
Hence, she gritted her teeth and made a bold decision. She took a deep breath, looked at the crowd,
and said, “I''d like to apologize again for taking up so much of your time. I fully acknowledge that this
was my mistake and am willing to ept any form of punishment meted out by thepany. The
design drawings I prepared for this project may be gone, but I still remember their contents. I can
describe them to you right here, right now. Please give me a chance.”
Her response sparked an uproar. A collective gasp rose from the crowd, and many even wore looks of
utter disbelief.