Chapter 10

It seemed like Vincent had just woken up. His voice carried a hint of laziness. The way he said Tiffany's name at the end had an upward lilt, carrying an indistinct tenderness. Tiffany felt her cheeks warm as she explained, "I'm just here to return what you gave me." Vincent glanced at the bag on the table. "You don't like it?" "No, it's not that." Tiffany shook her head. "It's too expensive. I can't accept such a valuable gift without reason." "It's not that valuable. It's just a small gesture from me." Vincent continued, "Maybe you could tell me what you'd prefer? I can have Alex buy it for you, or you can choose something yourself." He seemed sincere in wanting to make amends. "Mr. Lewis, I didn't think much about that incident. It's in the past, and I won't dwell on it. But if you give me a gift, it will only serve as a reminder of what happened," Tiffany said truthfully. The past was past. If Vincent didn't bring it up, neither would she, and it would be forgotten. But if he gave her a gift, it would seem like an unresolved issue they hadn't moved past. It seemed like Vincent understood what she meant. He nodded and said, "Alright. I won't insist." "Thank you, Mr. Lewis." Tiffany turned to leave, but Vincent stopped her again. "Could you make me a cup of coffee?" Since she was an intern in the executive department, this was a simple task for Tiffany. "Of course. Give me one moment." When she returned with the coffee, Vincent had his eyes closed, seemingly asleep. "Mr. Lewis?" Tiffany called softly, but he didn't react. Not wanting to disturb him, Tiffany bent down to place the cup on the table. But as she withdrew her hand, Vincent suddenly grabbed her wrist. "Ah!" Tiffany gasped in surprise. The sudden movement made the cup wobble, and coffee spilled out. Vincent released her and rubbed his forehead in confusion. "I'm sorry." He had been dreaming of that night. Tiffany's faint fragrance had stirred restless thoughts within him, so he had instinctively grabbed her. "Are you okay?" Seeing her reddened wrist, Vincent felt even more guilty. He knew she was timid, yet he kept unintentionally startling her. Since it wasn't on purpose, Tiffany hid her hand behind her back. "I'm fine. If there's nothing else, can I leave now?" "Yes." Vincent finally let her go. Tiffany hurried out and happened to bump into two people. "Tiffany?" Ivy's eyes bulged in surprise. "Why were you coming from Mr. Lewis' office?" Kelly looked equally puzzled. Tiffany didn't want to explain, so she turned to leave. But Ivy grabbed her arm. "Don't go! You do know that interns can't enter the CEO's office, don't you? Especially this early when no one else is here. Seeing how you rushed out like that, did you steal company secrets?" When she saw Tiffany hiding her left hand, Ivy asked in an accusatory tone, "What do you have in your hand? Show us!" At that moment, Alex and some of their other colleagues reached that floor in the elevators. "What's going on? What's all this commotion about?" Ivy pointed at Tiffany and shouted, "Mr. Zander, I saw Tiffany coming out of the CEO's office. She must have stolen something!" All eyes fell on Tiffany. "I didn't steal anything!" Tiffany defended herself. "Then, why are you hiding your left hand?" Ivy looked disgusted. In truth, she had disliked Tiffany for a while. "Would you dare to show us?" Left with no choice, Tiffany revealed her empty, but burned, left hand. "You stalled so long. You must have stashed it somewhere else!" Ivy sneered. "Let us search you!" Tiffany's face turned red. "I didn't steal anything. Why should you search for me?" "We can if you're suspicious. You broke the rules by sneaking into the CEO's office! If you refuse to be searched today, you're guilty!" Ivy loomed over her threateningly. Kelly stood silently on the side. The others, who usually got along well with Ivy, also stood around, watching the show. Alex hesitated before speaking. "Tiffany, interns aren't allowed in the CEO's office, didn't you know?" "I know." Tiffany nodded. She had only wanted to return something, not cause trouble. It was just that she couldn't have returned it in front of everyone because they would misunderstand her and Vincent. Ivy seized the chance to exacerbate the situation. "Did everyone hear that? She knowingly broke the rules! In my opinion, she stole something; maybe she's a corporate spy. Alex, you should thoroughly investigate her!" Alex didn't believe Ivy's one-sided story. He was a good judge of character and didn't think Tiffany was a spy. But in front of everyone, he had to remain impartial. "Tiffany, do you have an explanation?" Tiffany hesitated, shaking her head. She couldn't explain. "What were you doing in the CEO's office then?" Once more, Tiffany shook her head. "Is there anyone who can vouch that you didn't steal anything?" Alex tried to help her. Being accused of theft was serious; it was far beyond just breaking a rule. Tiffany knew her lowly position in the company. Even regular employees could be fired without hesitation, let alone an intern. Did she expect Vincent to step in and clear her name? She closed her eyes. "No..." Before she could finish, the door to the CEO's office swung open. Vincent's voice came, "I can vouch for her. Is that enough?" Everyone turned toward Vincent. Tiffany raised her head in surprise at the approaching man. At that moment, she couldn't describe her feelings. However, she felt all her unease dissipate in his presence. "Mr. Lewis?" Ivy was the most surprised. "Were you in the office?" Vincent glanced at her. "I was inside. I permitted Tiffany to enter, and I can also testify that she didn't steal anything. Is that enough?" Everyone fell silent. It was rare for Vincent to defend someone like this. Ivy protested, "Mr. Lewis, you're being biased! Tiffany is an intern. Company rules state that interns cannot enter the CEO's office. She broke the rules." Kelly looked at Vincent, wondering how he would handle the situation. After all, one shouldn't take the company's rules lightly. If this issue was easily dismissed, it wouldn't sit well with everyone. By rights, Tiffany couldn't escape punishment for her actions. "Who said she's still an intern?" Vincent's voice cut through the silence. "Alex, inform everyone that starting today, Tiffany is an official full-time employee." The crowd fell into silence once more. Ivy was shocked beyond words.