CHAPTER 106: CHAPTER 106: IMPERIAL FOOD THERAPIST

Ann’s face turned pale, she silently lowered her eyes, hiding the trace of self-mockery within them.

In his eyes, she probably was just someone irrelevant, not within his consideration.

Thinking of this, Ann lost her appetite for the delicious feast in front of her, a vague sense of suffocation lingering in her chest.

"Miss Vaughn, President Hawthorne has already left, you’d better catch up quickly." Mark Joyce kindly reminded Ann, who was lost in thought.

"Is Special Assistant Joyce joking? You should know I can’t leave this estate." Ann retracted her thoughts, expressing her confusion.

"President Hawthorne has hired you into Hawthorne Group as a food therapist, from now on you’ll be President Hawthorne’s personal food therapist, didn’t he mention it to you?"

"..."

If Mark’s poker face hadn’t been so convincing, Ann would’ve thought he was just making fun of her.

President Hawthorne’s personal food therapist?

Just a moment ago, he was confidently telling her not to make unnecessary assumptions, with a determined stance towards her heart...

-

Top floor of Hawthorne Group.

In an instant, gossip about Cyrus Hawthorne bringing a woman to work spread rapidly within the group, the level of discussion comparable to an annual drama.

This was simply unprecedented, something that had never happened before.

If President Moore brought a woman to the company, it would be a common event for these employees, as mundane as a meal.

But this was President Hawthorne.

Someone who lived like a revered monk, ascetic and indifferent to women.

Not to mention the rarity of female secretaries, over the years, the number of women who could get within five steps of President Hawthorne could be counted on one hand.

There was once a debutante who deliberately got wine spilled on her shirt to showcase her figure just to get close to President Hawthorne, yet he didn’t even spare her a glance.

That debutante’s appearance was considered top-notch in The Imperial Capital, yet even someone like that didn’t catch President Hawthorne’s eye. What kind of woman could capture his heart?

However, thinking of a man like a celestial being now being touched by a notorious woman, the female employees’ hearts broke once again.

The internal gossip was in full swing, but Ann was completely unaware that she had already stirred up a storm in Hawthorne Group.

She was flipping through Cyrus Hawthorne’s medical examination records to tailor the most suitable dietary therapy for him.

Unseen, Ann only realized how picky Cyrus Hawthorne was with food after looking through the records, which had new restrictions added daily.

Glancing at Cyrus, already engrossed in work behind his desk, Ann quietly inquired about the restaurant’s location from Mark Joyce, then left.

After a round in the kitchen, Ann recorded today’s dietary therapy menu on her phone before leaving.

She clearly understood that Cyrus didn’t appoint her as a food therapist for actual use but to find an excuse to keep her by his side, preventing her from escaping again.

As she expected, wherever Ann went, she was showered with gazes, making the chance of escaping almost zero.

At that moment, Ann’s phone rang unexpectedly.

Entering the nearby escape passage with her phone, she answered, "Hello?"

"It’s me." Sutton Jennings’ clear voice came through, "Are you alright?"

"I’m fine, it’s just that I haven’t been able to use my phone the past few days, so I couldn’t contact you guys, sorry." Only then did Ann remember she hadn’t been to the Jennings Family’s villa for a long time.

Due to no signal in the estate, she was unable to contact the outside world either.

"It’s okay. I noticed your small clinic hasn’t opened for days and thought something happened to you. Sawyer has been wanting to see you."

Hearing his reassuring voice, Ann felt a bit guilty, "I’m really sorry, due to some personal matters, I might not be able to take care of Sawyer anymore."

Over there, his breath paused slightly, then he casually asked, "Is it because President Hawthorne doesn’t agree?"

"He’s part of the reason... I can’t say much about the others." Ann’s lips pressed slightly, she sighed inwardly, "But I will continue to follow up on Sawyer’s condition until he gets better."

Sawyer Jennings still needed several acupuncture treatments, but now she was completely unable to leave Cyrus’ control, let alone help with the acupuncture.

Using only medication, recovery would be slower.

"You don’t need to feel guilty, it’s not your fault." Sutton Jennings spoke in a soft, gentle tone, "If anything happens that you can’t resolve, you can call me anytime."

"Thank you, I will."

After hanging up, the starlight in Ann’s bright eyes dimmed little by little, her small face somber.

The small clinic...

Now, even with exceptional medical skills, she couldn’t put them to use.

So, what she promised her grandfather, could she still fulfill it?

Just then, a rustling noise came from the other side of the door.

Several female voices rose and fell.

"Hey, did you see the face of the woman who came to the company with President Hawthorne today? What does she look like?"

"I heard she’s a newly appointed food therapist. Who are they fooling? She’s likely just a gimmick to get close to President Hawthorne!"

"Food therapist is true, young is true, but I bet that face is mostly fake, could a real face be that beautiful?"

Hearing this, Ann silently rubbed her own face, speechless. How come she didn’t know the face she had used for over twenty years was fake?

"If Mrs. Hawthorne knew about this, do you think she’d come to the company to make a scene?"

"Tch, that woman might get abandoned at any time. What capital does she have to cause a scene? It’s not like she’s President Hawthorne’s White Moonlight, The Second Miss Vaughn."

"Isn’t it rumored that Mrs. Hawthorne took the nest while The Second Miss Vaughn was abroad for medical treatment? With such cunning methods, how could the gentle and kind Second Miss Vaughn compete with her?"

"The Second Miss Vaughn, with President Hawthorne’s affection, surpasses Mrs. Hawthorne by a hundredfold. Didn’t you know, when President Hawthorne first became the president, the naming of the new company was based on The Second Miss Vaughn’s maiden name."

"That’s too romantic, true love it certainly is!"

"..."

The voices on the other side of the door gradually quieted down, and only when confirming those people had left did Ann step out.

Recalling what she had just heard, she pressed her dry lips, a faint bitterness in her smile.

Several subsidiaries under Hawthorne have "Yue" in their names, and the outside world speculates that the person this "Yue" represents is none other than Cynthia Vaughn from the Vaughn Family.

His love for her was never concealed, straightforward and flamboyant, with no reservations.

Until her legs, slightly numb from standing, gradually eased, Ann came back to her senses and headed towards the elevator.

When the elevator door opened, just as Ann was about to step in, a shadow suddenly fell towards her, startling her to reach out and steady the person.

A mature and stylishly dressed woman had fallen onto her, towering over Ann, yet felt weightless leaning against her.