Chapter 204
“Observation is key! As an assistant, it’s crucial to know your boss’s preferences–that way, you can provide thoughtful, efficient support and build a solid working relationship,” Sophia said, matter–of–factly.
Noreen smiled, genuinely impressed. “You’re really getting the hang of this!”
Sophia allowed herself a small, proud grin. “Well, I’ve got a great boss to learn from!”
“Come on, eat up before it gets cold. It won’t taste as good otherwise,” Sophia urged, nudging her gently.
Noreen was scrolling through her phone as she ate. Suddenly, something on the screen made her bristle with indignation. “Unbelievable–she actually has the nerve to accept that award!”
“What?” Noreen asked, only half–listening.
“Bianca. Aurelion Group really gave her Employee of the Year!”
Noreen simply rolled her eyes. “You’re making a fuss over nothing. Anyway, I’m done eating–let everyone know there’s a meeting soon.”
With that, Noreen buried herself back in work.
That night, she ended up staying late at the office again, not getting home until after midnight. She showered quickly and collapsed onto her bed, nearly asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.
But just before she fully drifted off, her eyes snapped open. Summoning the last of her energy, she climbed out of bed and walked over to the dining table, where a trophy–repurposed long ago as a flower vase–was gathering dust. Without hesitation, she grabbed it and tossed it straight into the
trash.
She hesitated for a moment, then tied up the garbage bag and took it outside, dumping it into the building’s dumpster in one decisive motion. Only then did she return home, satisfied at last, and fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Three days before the InnoCore launch, Noreen wanted to invite major media outlets to attend the product’s unveiling. But after reaching out to several contacts, the answer was always the same: everyone was “unavailable” on that exact day. A day earlier or later was fine, but the launch day itself was out of the question.
One or two rejections might have been coincidence, but after several in a row, Noreen’s suspicions grew. She asked a journalist friend to look into it–and soon learned the real reason.
It turned out that on the same day as the InnoCore launch, SkyMind was hosting a grand celebration, and Bianca had invited every major media outlet in Rivercrest City.
That alone wouldn’t have tied up every journalist, though. There had to be someone pulling strings behind the scenes. Noreen could only think of one person with that kind of influence: Seth.
She took several deep breaths, forcing herself to swallow her anger.
Sophia, noticing her tension, asked anxiously, “Noreen, are we still going ahead with the launch?”
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Noreen gritted her teeth. “Of course we are.”
“But we’ll need a backup plan: we’ll do a hybrid event–livestreaming the launch both online and in–person.”
Noreen was determined to make this launch a success. She personally negotiated with streaming platforms and enlisted respected tech bloggers to help promote the event. For the venue, she reached out to former partners she knew she could count on. Her years of experience paid
off–without it, she might have been overwhelmed.
Meanwhile, SkyMind’s aggressive publicity campaign was paying off. Their app had topped the smart tech downloads chart for over two weeks straight.
Bianca was suddenly the industry’s golden girl, featured in high–profile interviews across Aurelion Group and beyond. Riding this wave, she decided to throw a lavish celebration for SkyMind.
Originally, the party was scheduled for a week later. But after some of her newly poached employees let slip that InnoCore was set to launch in three days, Bianca immediately moved up the date.
She wanted everyone to see: Noreen was her defeated rival.
So what if Noreen had stolen the spotlight at the Al Summit? Bianca had always said–the one who laughs last is the true winner.
Chapter 205
Chapter 205