bChapter /bb400 /b

    After three futile attempts, Brian couldn’t help but question if his approach was right. He called Wesley, recounted the morningsments, and sought i

    advice.

    “Ms. Grant must have been triggered by something,” Wesley said. “Aside from what you’ve done openly, have you perhaps done anything else bahut her back that might’ve upset her?”

    As Brian listened, his frown deepened. Without hesitation, he replied, “No.”

    “That’s odd then.” Even Wesley couldn’t figure out what exactly had gone wrong. In the end, he could only tell Brian to keep going and continue with his n.

    With no better ideas of his own, Brian hesitated briefly before finally deciding to follow Wesley’s advice. He nced at the leftover ingredients in the kitchen, feeling wasteful.

    Thepany inspection scheduled for that morning had long been set, and it simply couldn’t be changed.

    “Noon then,‘ Brian thought to himself. ‘I’ll bring lunch to Jessi at noon.‘ With that decided, he watched Jake finish breakfast before rushing off to the

    office.

    “Good morning, Mr. Atkinson.” As Brian and his entourage passed through, employees from Atkinson Group immediately bowed and greeted him in

    unison.

    Brian nodded and led his team–including his assistant, secretary, and another VP–on an inspection tour through each department.

    While he did spot a few minor issues here and there, overall, everything was running smoothly. Brian finished inspecting the PR department, hisst stop, and seemed quite satisfied.

    The PR manager, Andrew Collins, had been secretly watching Brian’s expression the whole time and finally let out a huge sigh of relief when he saw that Brian was satisfied with the inspection results.

    Just as they were about to move to the farewell phase and send the big boss on his way, Brian suddenly stopped at the doorway.

    “Is that the pantry over there?” Brian jerked his chin toward a room on the left side of the hallway.

    Andrew nodded eagerly. “Yes, Mr. Atkinson. Would you like some juice? Or maybe coffee? Our department’s pantry is always stocked with all kinds of beverages, snacks, and treats. The perks here are truly top–notch.”

    Brian gave a slight nod and, without specifying his drink preference, said, “Let’s take a look then.”

    Andrew didn’t dare to refuse and hurried forward to lead the way. “Of course, Mr. Atkinson. Right this way.”

    Meanwhile, in the pantry, a few employees–having thought they’d finally survived the big boss‘ inspection–were just about to enjoy their coffee and new snacks. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway, followed by Andrew’s exaggerated, deliberate cough.

    Everyone in the room instantly jolted upright. They dropped their snacks and drinks, lined up quickly, and shot each other frantic looks.

    One of them whispered, “What the hell? The big boss is even inspecting the break room now?”

    “No idea, but Mr. Collins just gave us the signal, so quick, act busy,” the other replied.

    “Got it.” The group exchanged quick, knowing nces.

    The next second, Brian’s tall,manding figure appeared at the door. The group instantly snapped to att nervous chorus. “Good morning, Mr. Atkinson.”

    and greeted him in a loud, bslightly /b

    “Morning,” Brian replied with a slight nod. His gaze then shifted past them ito /ithe small pile of snacks and coffee sitting on the coffee table behind bthem/b.

    b11:37 /bTueb, /bb29 /b

    b“/bWhose are these?” he asked.

    Andrew, who had been following nervously behind, felt sweat instantly breaking out on his forehead

    He hurried forward, stumbling over his words as he tried to exin, “Mr. Atkinson, the staff have always kept snacks here in the pantry, use i that it never affects their work. They only eat them here during designated break times.

    Realizing he’d startled them again, Brian’s expression softened as he exined in a much gentler tone.

    He said, “I know, so everyone can rx. I’m not here to reprimand anyone. I just noticed these snacks and coffee look quite appealing was wondering whose they were, and if I could try some?”

    The moment he said that, a young woman in a smart business suit mustered her courage and stepped forward from the group “Mr. Adkinson, I got these from Amazon. Please help yourself with them.”

    “Thank you,” Brian said politely.

    He then picked up a few pieces, sampling each snack and sipping the coffee. Finding them surprisingly good, he said, “These are delicious, and 1 (ke them. Could you share the link with me?”

    biAD /i/b