Facing the Final Judgment

Hearing that Claire Bennett was about to be in trouble, how could she not gloat?

She had long looked down on Claire Bennett, this airborne design director, thinking Claire Bennett had only climbed up through nepotism.

With the old grudges added on top, she couldn't have been happier at the thought that Claire Bennett might be in trouble now.

Renee Parker put on a mocking expression, shot Claire Bennett a glance, and said with a snide smile, "If Queen really comes to work at our company, then she'd definitely be the design director. Looks like someone's going to be in trouble..."

"Maybe getting demoted would be the least of it. If she ends up as some low-level employee, that would be the real humiliation, right?"

Willow Lane laughed along and chimed in, "Oh, let's not make fun of her. Maybe someone is worrying over this right now. That's just rubbing salt in the wound."

Everyone felt that saying this right in front of Claire Bennett was somewhat unethical, so they didn't dare openly join in, but they did lower their voices a few notches.

Molly Lee didn't go over to chat, but she heard all of it too.

Claire Bennett was in danger—would she really be demoted?

She looked at Claire Bennett worriedly and said softly, "Director Song."

Claire Bennett gave her a faint smile and shook her head. "Don't worry. Keep working."

"But..." Molly Lee still wanted to say something, but seeing that Claire Bennett didn't seem to be taking it to heart, she could only swallow her words.

Claire Bennett truly didn't care at all.

Although she didn't know where the news had come from, she still found it absurd. Maybe it was just hype for the new product launch, meant to draw everyone's attention.

Right now, she had something even more troubling on her mind: what was she supposed to do about Julian Sterling?

These past few days she had barely slept well, constantly worrying about this. Even in her dreams, she dreamed that Julian Sterling found out about her situation, suddenly changed his attitude, and even called her shameless.

Just as Claire Bennett was spacing out, her phone dinged. She picked it up and glanced at it. It was a message from Julian Sterling.

Julian Sterling: "I'll pick you up after work tonight."

Seeing that message, Claire Bennett's hand jerked, and she almost dropped her phone on the floor. She took a deep breath and couldn't help letting out a long sigh.

After two days of anxiety, it was finally here!

She was about to face the final judgment!

There was no way to avoid this. It looked like she had to face it after all.

She wasn't someone who shrank from trouble. Since things had already come to this point, she might as well tell Julian Sterling directly!

Claire Bennett finally endured her way to quitting time.

She went downstairs and waited by the roadside for Julian Sterling to come. She had only been standing there for five minutes when she saw Julian Sterling's domestic car slowly drive into view.

The courage that had suddenly risen in her today vanished all over again, and Claire Bennett actually had the urge to turn and flee in panic.

If only she could travel back in time, then things wouldn't have gotten this bad.

Under Julian Sterling's puzzled gaze, Claire Bennett finally bit the bullet, opened the car door, and got in.

As the car pulled away, Claire Bennett felt that being alone with Julian Sterling in such an enclosed space was, to some extent, awkward in a way it had never been before.

"Want to get dinner?" Julian Sterling asked gently.

Claire Bennett was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Mm."

Maybe she should wait until after dinner to say it.

The courage she had finally worked up was, at this moment, like water pouring through opened floodgates, draining away completely in an instant.

Julian Sterling took Claire Bennett to Crown Taste House.

Last time, Claire Bennett had a small dispute with Willow Lane, and the servers at Crown Taste House already recognized her. Knowing she was a Crown Taste House black card holder, they immediately welcomed her and Julian Sterling inside with great courtesy as soon as they saw her.

Inside the private room, Julian Sterling pulled out a chair for Claire Bennett.

Today Julian Sterling was wearing a simple white shirt, and only now did Claire Bennett realize that it seemed to be the one she had bought for him.

The two of them sat down one after the other.

He had left two buttons at his collar undone, revealing his finely shaped collarbones. He looked a little casual and lazy, as good-looking as he had when he tried on the clothes, and she couldn't help staring for a moment.

For a moment, she didn't know whether her eye for clothes was good, or whether Julian Sterling's looks were simply too exceptional.

For the next stretch of time, Julian Sterling didn't speak, and Claire Bennett's uneasy heart gradually settled a little.

Because she had something weighing on her mind, she had no appetite. Even faced with the food she had found delicious last time, she only took a few bites.

Julian Sterling glanced at her. "Claire."