Chapter 5

This scene naturally caught the attention of quite a few people.

"Isn't that Jack? Why is he bringing a woman upstairs? Is she a client of Mr. Ford's?"

"Dressed like that, how could she be here for business! She's obviously some high-class socialite!"

"Oh my god, could Mr. Ford actually be in love? Did you guys see what she looks like? She's wearing a hat and her collar is so high, I couldn't see her face clearly!"

"Keep your voice down. How dare you gossip about Mr. Ford so loudly? Watch out, or you'll be fired tomorrow!"

Everyone lowered their voices, excitedly discussing Shirley, who had made such a high-profile appearance at the Ford Group.

The elevator stopped. Shirley gave Jack a polite smile. "Thanks for your help."

"It's my job. Mr. Ford is in his office."

Shirley glanced toward the office, unzipped her bag, took out the lunch box, and frowned with a worried expression. "I wonder if he'll like the food I made."

Shirley knew that Jack wouldn't hide anything from William about her every move.

If you're going to put on a show, do it right. Even though Jack was just an assistant, Shirley didn't dare let her guard down.

Jack smiled politely. "A meal you prepared with such care—it's the thought that counts most."

Taking a deep breath, Shirley pushed open the door to William's office.

Wendy had already been at the Ford Group for two days. These past two days, Shirley had been on edge, terrified that Wendy would tell William the truth.

She knew Wendy wasn't the type to chase money or status, but William wasn't just powerful—his looks and physique were top-tier among men.

What woman wouldn't be moved by a man like that?

Not to mention they'd had a one-night stand!

Shirley knew she had to take the initiative.

She immediately prepared an elegant lunchbox, dressed carefully, and came to bring William food.

She was William's girlfriend now—this reason was perfectly legitimate. William was silent for a moment, but didn't directly refuse.

Shirley added thoughtfully, "I won't let anyone find out who I am. I don't want to cause you trouble either."

After entering the office, she casually looked around.

As expected of William, this office was ten times bigger than hers at the Moore Group!

The office had minimal decoration, an extremely simple style with a unified color scheme.

William sat behind his desk, with a full wall of floor-to-ceiling windows on his right side, offering an expansive view.

Looking down, you could see Starlight City's most prosperous business district, where Novaria's most famous brand companies were located.

Shirley carefully took out the food containers.

The carefully prepared dishes gleamed invitingly, their aroma filling the air.

William glanced at them twice and commented, "You're a good cook."

Shirley smiled shyly, then blinked playfully. "I don't know if it suits your taste. Try it first, and if you don't like it, just tell me straight. I won't cry."

An innocent and adorable young woman, fragrant delicious food, warm gentle sunlight...

At that moment, William's somewhat plain, cold office felt cozy and pleasant.

Watching William finish eating, Shirley breathed a long sigh of relief. After packing everything up, she said obediently, "I'll go now..."

William lowered his head to continue reviewing reports, not noticing Shirley's reluctant gaze.

"Aren't you going to walk me out?" Shirley suddenly said, her tone somewhat disappointed and coquettish.

William looked up to see Shirley blinking her innocent eyes at him.

A moment later, the two of them went down in the elevator together.

William actually went downstairs with that woman!

What's the difference between this and a public announcement?!

The private group chat erupted with a heated discussion.

[Mr. Ford is definitely in love! I never thought I'd see the day—next thing you know, pigs will fly!]

At that moment, around the corner in the lobby hallway, Wendy was holding some documents, looking for other departments to coordinate work processes.

She looked up and saw two figures close together, not far ahead.

Two coworkers walking past her whispered, "This is Mr. Ford's first time going public with a relationship, and he's being so open about it. Must be true love!"

Wendy bit her lower lip hard.

William had a girlfriend, so she definitely had to keep that night a secret.

Otherwise, wouldn't she unknowingly become a despicable homewrecker?

After seeing Shirley off, William returned to his office.

He knew what Shirley's purpose was in coming this time.

She made her grand entrance and had him escort her publicly. The message of ownership was sent, and her objective was achieved exactly as intended.

And Shirley was a smart woman—she used reasonable excuses to downplay her scheming.

For a woman, this kind of calculation wasn't just harmless; it even made her seem somewhat cute.

But William wasn't an ordinary man. His heart remained calm at this moment.

In the afternoon, Jack came in to report on the latest developments from other investors in the industry.

After finishing his report, as Jack was about to leave, William suddenly called him back.

"How are things at the R&D center?" William asked.

Jack didn't react immediately. "Everything's normal..."

Halfway through his sentence, Jack realized what William really wanted to know.

He quickly said, "Wendy and her team are adapting quickly. The project collaboration is already on track, and efficiency is higher than expected."

William nodded. "Send me the documents she's handled to look at."

Jack's heart stirred, and he carefully probed, "Ms. Moore is indeed a rare talent. Not only is she technically skilled, but her overall abilities are strong, too. Are you thinking of recruiting her, Mr. Ford?"

For a tech leader like the Ford Group, general staff are easily replaceable. What's truly scarce is top-tier technical talent.

When William took over the company, R&D team management was chaotic, and few core employees could shoulder major responsibilities.

He later spent heavily hiring technical talent from elsewhere at high salaries, gradually optimizing the Ford Group's R&D team to its current world-class level.

Faced with promising material like Wendy, Jack thought it was perfectly normal for William to value her.

"Call her to tomorrow's meeting too," William said, not answering Jack's question but issuing a new order instead.

The next day, William sat in the conference room. Everyone had arrived, but Wendy hadn't come.

He frowned slightly and looked at Jack.

Jack went out to make a call, then hurried back to explain, "Today is the day Fred's group is testing the new model. He called Wendy over."

Fred Brown was an important figure in the Ford Group's R&D team, with a rebellious personality who dared to oppose even William's decisions.

Such a person was naturally extremely proud.

In William's impression, the number of people in the entire Ford Group that Fred was willing to treat politely probably didn't exceed five.

It didn't even include him.

Why did Fred call Wendy over?

Jack thought William's silence meant he was unhappy, and quickly said, "There's another regular meeting on Friday evening. I'll call Ms. Moore over then. She probably didn't come this time because she felt awkward refusing Fred."

William said nothing more, and the meeting proceeded as usual.

Friday evening, William looked at the packed conference room, and his brow furrowed once again.

Wendy hadn't come again!