Chapter 6: Reminder

Taylor rushed out the door. She hadn't forgotten that Maxwell was starting work today. Speaking of which, when she mentioned it to the female employees in the department yesterday, the entire office erupted into chaos. After all, this was the first time she had ever made an exception for a man to join their department. Everyone automatically assumed he was her lover. It took her quite a bit of effort to dispel their suspicions, and only after promising an endless supply of snacks did they finally agree to let it go. If she had known it would take this much effort, she might as well have just treated Maxwell to dinner as repayment for his favor—it would have been far less of a headache than all this negotiation. "You're here. Perfect timing. I'll introduce you to your colleagues." As Taylor approached the department entrance, she spotted Maxwell and stepped forward to greet him. Maxwell turned when he heard her voice. Seeing that it was Taylor, he nodded and followed her inside. "Alright, everyone, quiet down. This is the new colleague I told you about—Maxwell Hewetson. Let's give him a warm welcome." Taylor clapped her hands, and once the group settled down, she gestured toward Maxwell and introduced him. The moment everyone heard his name, their eyes turned to the doorway. Standing at the entrance was a man over six feet tall, his features clean and refined, his smile warm and reassuring. They quickly felt a sense of goodwill toward him and clapped to welcome him. "Finally, a man in the department! That Black Widow Taylor doesn't need a man herself, so she banned all of us from having one, too. Ruthless!" "And who would've thought he'd be such an eye candy? It's convenient when it's all women in the department, but having a guy to tease occasionally? Not bad at all." As soon as Maxwell entered, the women clapped and bantered among themselves. Taylor had a sharp hearing. The moment she caught wind of those remarks, her heart clenched. The female employees had never opposed her bringing a man into the department. And yet, they had extorted her so fiercely for this matter yesterday. And as for the one who called her a Black Widow? Just wait. She would make her pay for that. "That's your desk. You can sit there." After the welcome, Taylor pointed to a corner desk and spoke to Maxwell. He nodded and took his seat. "Alright, let's get down to business. I have a newly assigned client here that is extremely important to the company. You should have already received the client's information. Now, let's hear your thoughts. This is a crucial deal, and we must secure it." Once Maxwell was settled, Taylor addressed the team. Immediately, the female employees launched a lively discussion, exchanging ideas from all angles. As Maxwell listened, he couldn't help but be impressed. The women were all experts. After analyzing the client's profile in detail, they effortlessly broke things down, working out the best way to win the deal—down to the finest nuances. After a lengthy discussion, the team finally settled on a foolproof plan. Maxwell's eyes flickered with sudden realization. He turned to look at Taylor—her brow, which once bore an unbroken red thread, was now split in two. This was a bad sign—the red line symbolized Taylor's financial status. If his reading was correct, the client wasn't meant for her. If that were the case, no matter how important this deal was to her, it would inevitably slip through her fingers. Maxwell frowned. She had helped him before. He couldn't just stand by and do nothing. A thought struck him. He moved his fingers slightly, then turned his gaze southwest. There was a chance to turn things around. If they could arrange the meeting in the southwest, perhaps he could shift the course of this deal in Taylor's favor. The decision was made, and he resolved to bring it up with Taylor later. "Maxwell, can you get me a glass of water? The dispenser's broken, and the only working one is over there." As Maxwell was lost in thought, a sweet voice rang out. A slender hand extended a cup before him, its owner looking at him hopefully. Without hesitation, Maxwell nodded and took the cup. Taylor had already told him his job here was to help with errands, like taking out the trash or carrying things around. Fetching water naturally fell into that category as well. Noticing Maxwell about to leave, a few other female colleagues hurriedly held out their cups. He accepted them all without complaint and walked out to fill them. A short while later, he returned, distributing each cup flawlessly. The women stared, momentarily stunned—he had remembered exactly which cup belonged to whom without a single mistake. "Wow, not bad! You've got a great memory. This is your first time handling our cups, and you remembered every single one?" June, one of the employees, stared at the cup in her hand, her expression incredulous as she looked at Maxwell. When they had handed him the cups earlier, they had passed them over without a second thought and walked away. Yet Maxwell had somehow managed to remember which cup belonged to whom in that brief moment, and later returned them without mixing them up. "I didn't even notice that, June. Maxwell's memory is impressive." A woman with wavy, voluminous hair beside them chuckled lightly, then turned to Maxwell and teased, "Did you sneak a sip of my water?" Just as Maxwell was about to respond, a woman with bright red hair, who had been watching him, winked playfully and asked, "Don't deny it. Even if you did, it's fine. Look, I just took a sip. Want to try? It's like an indirect kiss." Maxwell felt speechless at their teasing. The red-haired woman, Briella's attitude reminded him of a woman he had once met—her tone and attire were both wildly free-spirited. But if anyone thought she was a promiscuous woman, he was probably heading for trouble. While Briella wasn't exactly like that woman, Maxwell suspected she wasn't far from it. "Briella, I'm not thirsty. You can drink it." Maxwell shook his head, then quickly walked away from Briella's seat and headed to his own. Briella watched him go, a mischievous glint in her eyes. She laughed softly and said, "Aw, our little Maxwell is shy? Don't worry, I won't bite." "Maxwell's only just arrived, and you can't wait?" "You're so impatient. You didn't even think to let the rest of us cop a feel of him as well!" The other women watched as Briella teased Maxwell and drove him out of the office. They soon burst into hysterical laughter. Taylor covered her face in exasperation. The women had never even seen a man in the office before. Now that one had arrived, none of them were holding back. They were making all kinds of remarks. If this went on, they'd only get bolder. "Taylor, I need to tell you something." Maxwell called out to Taylor as she walked by him. She had insisted he address her by her first name. After all, it would be pretty weird for Maxwell to address her as Ms. Lafontaine. "What's going on? Did those colleagues make a joke that upset you? Don't take it to heart." Upon hearing this, Taylor thought Maxwell couldn't stand the others' teasing, so she quickly consoled him. "No, that's not what I was trying to say." Upon hearing this, Maxwell immediately interrupted her and said, "Taylor, you're meeting with a client this afternoon, right? If you trust me, go to a spot ten kilometers southwest. It will help you secure this client." Taylor furrowed her brows at Maxwell's words, then asked, "Why? Our plan didn't include going there." Maxwell replied, "I can read fortunes. Trust me this once." Upon hearing this, Taylor couldn't help but burst out laughing.  She looked at Maxwell, waved her hand dismissively, and clicked away in high heels. Maxwell could only smile bitterly. He'd spoken the truth, but she didn't believe him—what more could he do?