"I'm off. If you need any help, just give me a call. I'll be at your beck and call." Henry Horne didn't insist on helping; he just said this and left.

By the time he disappeared from the office, Julia Bluen pulled out her phone, intending to call Glades Horne. Her desk phone rang again; it was another internal call transferred by the receptionist.

"General Manager, another Mr. Horne has arrived. He also says he's your brother-in-law," the receptionist said, her voice thick with curiosity.

Why does the General Manager have one brother-in-law arriving right after another leaves?

Another one?

Julia Bluen suddenly felt a bit of a headache. She asked, "Ask him which number he is in the family order."

"He says he's number five."

Harry Horne?

"Tell him that if he's here to help, it's not necessary. Ask him to go back."

Julia Bluen had wised up and had the receptionist try to fend off Harry Horne for her.

"All right."

The receptionist complied.

Unfortunately, the Horne family's fifth young master wasn't someone an ordinary receptionist could stop. In the blink of an eye, he was sitting casually in front of Julia Bluen.

"Brother Harry, I told you I don't need your help. Why did you still come up?" Julia genuinely had a headache now; her husband's doting sometimes felt overwhelming.

Yes, he let her come to the company on her own. He didn't personally interfere with her management, nor did he let Valence Group get involved. But now he was sending his brothers to help her—wasn't that the same as him helping her?

She might be a blank slate in business management for now, but if he just gave her time and the chance to gain experience, her blank slate would soon be filled with the script of experience, no longer empty.

"I have to take a look, or I won't be able to report back," Harry Horne said, stroking his chin with a smile. Although he and Henry Horne were twins, they were handsome in different ways. Harry's smile always held a hint of irreverence and playfulness, making him seem like a playboy, but in reality, he was a haughty fellow.

"Well, you've seen it now. Please leave," Julia Bluen said irritably, stopping just short of grabbing a file to shoo him away.

"Showing some authority now, are we? Hmm, I'm off. Oh, and don't call me Brother Harry anymore. I don't want the big boss to skin me alive. From now on, I'll call you Sister-in-law, and you just call me Harry. Drop the 'Brother,' or things will get complicated." After saying this, Harry Horne also left. The entire visit lasted less than five minutes.

What a complete waste of my time, Julia Bluen muttered inwardly.

She then quickly keyed in Glades Horne's mobile number and called him.

"Julia." Glades Horne answered quickly. As his deep voice came through, Julia felt a bellyful of complaints.

"Glades, please, stop Henry and the others from coming to 'help.' I can handle this myself. Don't you trust me?"

Glades Horne didn't answer, remaining silent on the other end of the line.

After a long moment, he finally said in a low voice, "I trust you. But I was worried you might find your first day of work tiring."

"It's not like this is my first day on the job. Don't forget, I worked at Cosmos Group for three years," Julia Bluen said, touching her forehead, her voice tinged with helplessness.

"That's different."

Glades Horne seemed unwilling to change his mind.

"Regardless, I want to do this myself. You promised me. Otherwise, I wouldn't have accepted these companies from you." These companies were his betrothal gift to her. She had initially wanted to refuse them. It was only because he said she could manage them herself and be self-reliant that she finally accepted. But now that she was actually taking over, he couldn't help but meddle.

Glades Horne fell silent again.

RING, RING, RING… The phone suddenly rang again.

"Hold on, let's talk later. I need to get this call," Julia Bluen immediately ended the call with Glades Horne and picked up the desk phone's handset once more.

"General Manager, a Mr. Hansen Ruiz is here to see you," the receptionist's sweet voice came through again.

Hansen Ruiz?

Isn't he Glades Horne's rarely seen but incredibly capable Chief Special Assistant, the one who could supposedly move heaven and earth? When she married Glades Horne, he was the best man.

Why is he here too?

Could he also be here on Glades Horne's orders to help me?

"Let him come up," Julia Bluen replied, feeling a bit weary. She knew that if he was here on Glades Horne's orders, he wouldn't leave until he saw her. That man, it was said, could only be managed by Glades Horne, and Glades himself had mentioned Hansen's formidable background.

The receptionist affirmed.

Soon, Hansen Ruiz appeared before Julia Bluen with a cheerful smile.

This time, before he could speak, Julia preempted him, "If you're here to help, please don't say a word."

Hansen Ruiz smiled, looked at Julia, and indeed, remained silent.

However, he didn't speak, nor did he leave, simply continuing to sit there.

"Special Assistant Ruiz, my humble office is too small for a great personage like you. Please go back," Julia said when she saw he wasn't leaving, directly asking him to leave.

"Let me sit here for half an hour before I go back to report. That way, I won't get blasted. Your husband has never given me a task I couldn't complete. If I go back right away, I'll break my perfect record," Hansen Ruiz said with a chuckle, his words leaving Julia Bluen unsure whether to laugh or cry.

Oh, please, spare me!

"Madam, please continue with your work. Don't mind me. I'll leave on my own once the half-hour is up."

After saying this, Hansen Ruiz stood up and moved to the rosewood sofa opposite her desk. With nothing else to do, he picked up a book about toys from beneath the coffee table and began to read, clearly intending to stay. He then removed the Cartier men's watch from his left wrist, placed it on the coffee table, and settled in to wait for the half-hour to pass.

Julia Bluen stared at him for a full minute, her beautiful, oval face etched with helplessness. She desperately wanted to put on a stern expression and order Hansen Ruiz to leave. However, one look at his demeanor—which clearly indicated he wouldn't budge until the half-hour was up—told her that even if she commanded him to go, he wouldn't listen. He only obeyed Glades Horne's orders. As for anyone else's words, they went in one ear and out the other.