"Miss Phillips, did you eat? Here's a breakfast I grabbed for you."

"You're incredible, Miss Phillips! You're my hero!"

"Take my breakfast, Miss Phillips. It's from that famous shop!"

To an outsider, it might've looked like she was at a fan convention.

"Ahem!" a voice chimed in from the entrance. The crew spotted Joseph and cleared a path. Joseph said with a gesture, "Miss Phillips, step into my office. We need to chat."

Lilah gave a nod and trailed behind Joseph into his workspace.

Joseph brewed her a warm cup of tea.

“Miss Phillips, you tackled that mess like a pro. We're over the moon about the outcome. Just this morning, we pulled in a month's worth of orders."

“Much appreciated, Mr. Merritt. But let's not take our eyes off the ball. We can't be caught off guard."

"Rest easy; we've got it covered," Joseph reassured her. He leaned in, adding, "You know, you've been with design for a good while. Got any big plans for the future?"

She caught the drift. Joseph was fretting she'd gun for his chair.

It tickled her, really. If she wanted, she could've snagged the company reins day one. But corporate hustle? Not her scene. She Lived for the design.

"No big moves on the horizon. Our design team needs top-tier talent, and we've got seeds to sow," she answered.

"That's the spirit. Aurora Jewelers has seen a whole new dawn with you on board." Joseph continued to sing her praises as she took a quiet sip of her drink. After a beat, he added, "But, Miss Phillips, even with the director title, you've got to play by the rules. I swung by at nine, and you were a no-show. Your director cap carries weight around here."

Lilah narrowed her gaze.

Was he playing games?

She shot back a frosty grin and set her cup aside, declaring, "I've got a plate full of stuff waiting. I've got to jet."

She rose with a swift motion and exited.

Joseph's face went a shade of beet. Sure, Lilah hailed from the headquarters, but he called the shots at this local office. She was underplaying his hand.

As for Lilah? Joseph's little power play barely registered. She wasn't here for the CEO role of the local office. Just settling an old I0U.

Walking back into her office, she saw her desk nearly buckling under the weight of breakfast treats. With a sigh of mild annoyance, she summoned her assistant. “Let everyone know, no more buying me stuff, okay? If they're itching to show some gratitude, they can pour it into their work."

"Got it, Miss Phillips.”

After tackling a whirlwind of a morning, an email pinged in from a design contest.

“Hey L.P, how about swinging by as a judge for our National Design Competition? If it tickles your fancy, give me a shout. If you're cooking up any ideas, drop us a line. We're all ears!"