Chapter 5

JENNA'S heart pounded as she waited for Hazel to speak. Even though her boss could joke around at times, she was known for being strict. Jenna couldn’t help but wonder what mistake she had made to be summoned like this.

“Jenna, how are you?”

“I’m good, Ms. Harris.”

Hazel didn’t respond immediately, flipping through a few documents on her desk. “How’s work going? Any problems?” she asked without looking up.

“No, Ms. Harris. Everything’s fine.”

“Really? In that case, I have a task for you.”

“What kind of task?”

Hazel stayed silent again, making Jenna even more anxious.

Then, she slid a folder across the table and placed it in front of Jenna. “Open it. Look inside,” she instructed.

Jenna hesitated before picking it up and flipping through the pages. For a few seconds, she didn’t understand what Hazel was getting at—until she spotted her own name on one of the sheets. Her head snapped up in shock.

“You want me to represent Eeves?”

Hazel nodded. “You get it? Good. I like people who can pick up on things quickly. Even though you’re in the IT department, I want you to explore your talent. I know you can draw.”

“But I just sketch for fun, Ms. Harris. I’m not a professional like the designers here.”

“So what? You can learn. You already have the basics. You understand strokes, angles, grid placements. Or… are you rejecting my offer?”

Jenna hesitated. This was a huge responsibility. Sure, she knew a thing or two about design and composition, but only at a basic level.

“You just need to sketch shoes, Jenna. The important thing is knowing what kind of designs and materials buyers like and find comfortable. Plus, I’ll assign you an assistant.”

Jenna stayed quiet.

“I really want to hone your hidden talent. Not everyone has a natural gift. Most people need years of training before their skills show. But you—you already have an advantage. It would be a waste to let it go.”

Jenna was still torn. She had no formal education in art, let alone creative design. Everything she knew, she had taught herself.

“Jenna, opportunities like this don’t come often. If you turn it down now, you might never get another chance.”

She thought about it for a long moment. Deep down, she had always dreamed of being an artist. But job opportunities and her lack of qualifications had held her back from ever getting hired as one.

“Alright, Ms. Harris. I’ll do it.”

Hazel nodded. “Good. Abby will be your assistant there. Mrs. Lewis is a close friend of mine. I’m entrusting this assignment to you because I believe in you. If there’s nothing urgent here, you don’t need to come to the office. Just go straight there.”

Jenna looked at Hazel, noting the way she smiled—like she was up to something. There was a glint in her eyes, as if she had a hidden motive behind this collaboration with Elite Heels.

Still, Jenna kept her thoughts to herself. But her gut told her—Hazel definitely had an agenda.

JENNA tilted her head back, staring up at the tall building in front of her. Unlike Eeves, Elite Heels had its own four-story office building.

“What floor are we going to?” Jenna asked.

“Third,” Abby replied, still fussing with her makeup.

“Abby, we’re already here. Put away your powder and lipstick.”

“Just a sec… almost done…”

“Abby…”

“Alright, alright…”

They walked toward the receptionist’s desk. After receiving two visitor access cards, Jenna and Abby were led to the elevator near the lobby.

“I’ll leave you two here. Once you reach the third floor, you can meet Carrie at the front desk,” the receptionist informed them.

“Alright. Thank you,” Jenna said, nudging Abby’s arm.

Abby grinned cheekily at the receptionist, a woman in her late twenties. She then pressed the button for the elevator.

“Jen, I heard the boss of Elite Heels is… really handsome,” Abby whispered with a giggle, covering her mouth with her hand.

“Abby, you’re here to work, not to flirt.”

“Oh, come on… Can’t I at least admire the view? I already have a boyfriend, you know.” Abby shot her a playful glare while shoving her compact powder and lipstick back into her handbag.

“At least you remember that.”

“I’m loyal, okay? Just because I like nice things doesn’t mean I’m not faithful. My boyfriend is just a regular cop, and I don’t mind at all.”

Jenna chuckled at Abby’s rambling.

“What about you? When are you gonna get a boyfriend? You just lock yourself up at home every weekend. Don’t you ever get bored?”

“I’m used to it. Boredom is just a word to me—it doesn’t really mean anything.”

Their conversation was cut short when a man and two women approached, also waiting for the elevator. Jenna glanced at the man and froze. Slowly, she turned to her right to make sure she wasn’t seeing things.

Ben?

Her eyes widened. Just three months ago, she had seen this man lying unconscious in a hospital bed after waking up from a coma. And now, here he was, standing tall in front of her, looking sharp and composed in a white button-up shirt and blazer.

Ding!

The elevator doors slid open, snapping Jenna out of her daze. Ben and the two women stepped inside. Abby moved forward but stopped when she noticed Jenna wasn’t budging.

“Jen?”

Jenna’s eyes remained fixed on Ben. One of the women accompanying him pressed a button inside the elevator.

“Miss, are you coming in?” the other woman asked.

Jenna turned toward her. Only then did she realize it was Ben’s sister—the one whose name she didn’t know.

“Miss?” Beatrice called again.

“Jen, let’s go.”

Jenna only snapped out of it when Abby tugged her arm, pulling her into the elevator. For the first time since the accident three months ago, she stood beside Ben—the man who had been seriously injured saving her.

Her heartbeat quickened. She stole a glance at Ben from the corner of her eye. The air in the elevator suddenly felt heavy. She wanted to get out. She needed fresh air.

“Jen.”

Abby’s voice jolted her again. Only then did Jenna realize the elevator had stopped on the third floor. Without looking back, she followed Abby out. Just before the doors closed, she glanced at Ben one last time. Pressing a hand to her chest, she took a slow breath, trying to shake off the tightness in her lungs.

“Ms. Martin and Ms. Wood?”

A woman stood before them, offering a polite smile.

“I’m Carrie, Mr. Clarke’s secretary. He hasn’t arrived yet, so please have a seat. This way.”

They were led into a spacious office filled with rough sketches of men’s and women’s shoe designs. The decor was simple and minimalistic.

“Please make yourselves comfortable. Mr. Clarke will be here shortly.”

Jenna and Abby exchanged glances and nodded.

AS soon as the elevator doors opened, Beatrice’s assistant stepped out first, followed closely by Beatrice.

She stopped when she realized Ben hadn’t moved.

“Ben?”

Ben snapped out of his thoughts and calmly stepped out of the elevator. Without a word, he followed Beatrice to her office.

“Take a seat,” Beatrice said.

Ben walked over and sat on the sofa. Meanwhile, Beatrice spoke briefly with her assistant, occasionally glancing at her brother.

“Zoey, please let Carrie know that Mr. Clarke might be running a bit late. Ask the two representatives from Eeves to wait for a little while, okay?”

“Understood, Mrs. Lewis.”

Once Zoey left, Beatrice sat down on the sofa beside Ben.

“Are you really ready for this?”

Ben looked at her. “You’ve taught me a lot. But learning isn’t enough—I need to see things for myself.”

Beatrice fell silent.

He was so different from the Ben she used to know. The old Ben preferred working from home, sending his sketches to the design team for review. But now, he didn’t seem to mind dressing up sharply and spending long hours at the office.

For months after waking up from his coma, Ben had not only worked hard to regain his memories but also fully dedicated himself to his job. While she had always hoped to see him take things more seriously, a part of her still missed the cheerful, playful brother he used to be.

"If I ever change one day, will you be able to accept the serious, cold version of Matthew Benjamin Clarke?"

He had once asked her that in a teasing tone. She never expected that moment would actually come, and now she had to face that reality.

“Ben… uh… Matthew, do you want to head straight to your office, or would you rather take your time and look around first? No rush.” She paused before adding, “Just a heads-up, there’s a new collaboration project with another company. I’ll be meeting with them first, and later, I’ll pass the details to Carrie for you to review.”

Ben simply nodded.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***