Marisol was once a bright young student sponsored through college by the generous Merrick.
Her journey from a remote Appchian town to the halls of higher education was made possible
through the kindness of Merrick and the wise Freya, who insisted that Marisol had to break free
from her mountain chains.
As the least favored child in her family, and a girl at that, Marisol nearly found herself traded off to a
local widower for a sum that would barely cover a small car payment, had it not been for Freya.
During one of her field research trips, she saw potential in Marisol and decided to support her
academic journey for many years.
When Freya was too busy with her ndestine experiments to make public appearances, Merrick
stepped in, ensuring Marisol could pursue both her undergraduate and graduate studies.
To Marisol, Merrick and Freya were nothing short of angels.
And considering the exemry nature of Merrick and Freya, it was clear their granddaughter,
Noe, was no ordinary girl. Even if Noe had been the most clueless college student, Marisol
wouldn''t let anyone in thepany disrespect her.
"Cosmo! First off, the design department meetings are scheduled for the third of every month, and
we''ve already had this month''s meeting. Besides, Ms. Noe will be the future boss of this
company. What gives you the right to exclude her from the meetings? And you''ve seen Ms. Noe''s
design drafts. Don''t act like you don''t know whether she has a knack for design. You''ve been with
thepany for over a decade. Don''t tell me you''ve forgotten how things work here?"
Though technically Cosmo was subordinate to Marisol, he always acted like he held thepany''s
lifeline, barely acknowledging Marisol''s authority.
"Marisol, aren''t you being a bit harsh? How do we even know if those are really Ms. Noe''s own
designs? She''s not familiar with thepany''s operations or design direction yet. Maybe it''s best
she gets limated first."
"Our firm is second to none in Imperial City. I think we need a redo of this month''s meeting and
perhaps a special session. I''m only thinking of Ms. Noe''s best interests. You know, meetings can
be so dreary. Most youngdies would rather avoid them. But, of course, if Ms. Noe wishes to
attend, she''s more than wee!"
Marisol was fuming at Cosmo''s audacious excuses! As she was about to defend Noe, the young
woman herself stepped forward.
"Let''s go. I''ll attend."
A moment of shock froze Cosmo''s expression. He had hoped to intimidate Noe upon her arrival.
The talent and strength evident in Noe''s jewelry design drafts had sent a shiver down his spine.
If those designs were indeed Noe''s, Cosmo feared his days of dominating the design department
could be numbered. With Noe''s understanding of design, he would no longer be able to rule the
roost at thepany.
Just the thought was enough to rob Cosmo of sleep. Considering Noe was still a college student
unfamiliar with the corporate world, Cosmo nned to marginalize her within thepany.
Gritting his teeth, he managed, "Wee, Ms. Noe, right this way..."
Noe, paying him no heed, walked into the meeting room with Marisol and chose a discreet spot to
sit.
Cosmo, leading the design team into the room, was taken aback to see Noe sitting aside.
Despite her youthful attire of a pleated skirt and blouse, and her fresh-faced appearance, Noe''s
calm, authoritative gaze unsettled everyone present. She might have been a student, but her
demeanor reminded them of Marcel—a figure of authority.
Cosmo''s nned speech was swallowed back at the sight of Noe''smanding presence.
He passed a water jug to a designer nearby. "Simeon, would you mind fetching some water for us?"
Noe observed Simeon, a man in his forties whose profile she had reviewed in thepany
documents.
Simeon, a seasoned jewelry designer with international training, should have been in a leading role
if it weren''t for Cosmo''s interference.
Simeon''s silent protest, "Next time, I won''t be doing these errands. I''m a designer, not a gofer,"
challenged Cosmo''s expectations.
Cosmo''s attempt to maintain hisposure failed miserably as the room picked up on the tension.
Marisol, worried Noe might not grasp the office dynamics, whispered an exnation.
"In the corporate world, it''s usually the interns and newbies who end up doing menial tasks as a
form of hazing. But Simeon, with his experience, is being deliberately humiliated by Cosmo."
Noe nodded in understanding, recognizing the tant power y.
No reputablepany would reduce a senior designer with over a decade of service to fetching
water, highlighting the toxic environment Cosmo fostered.
Noe flipped through the design department''s drafts with her gaze fixed on the pages. The final
designs usually bore Cosmo''s name, but from the initial drafts, it was clear that the most
outstanding work was Simeon''s. The designs Cosmo submitted bore traces of Simeon''s original
ideas.
People in design have a keen eye for these things!
Cosmo''s own drafts weren''t as striking, but after incorporating elements borrowed from Simeon''s
work, they transformed into a wless design.
This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.
Beckett, usually swamped with other tasks, hadn''t spent much time on personnel management at
Falen Gemstones, where the staff were mostly long-standing employees. It seemed thepany
inherited from his grandfather did have its issues after all.
Cosmo shot Simeon a dark look! Being shown up in front of the new boss meant Simeon wasn''t
going to have an easy time ahead.
Noe spoke up, her tone icy. "What about the actual content of the meeting? Assign menial tasks
like pouring water to the support staff; don''t waste time on it. If Cosmo''s meetings are just about
this, I seriously wonder if we''re conducting business or ying house. If Cosmo''s idea of ying
house needs this many people, is he looking for ymates or what? I didn''t realize Cosmo was so
in touch with his inner child!"