Chapter 35

After enduring the torment of a long and awkward car ride, they finally arrived at the company. Layla's face was almost frozen.

Not in a hurry to get out of the car, she glanced at Samuel, waiting to see if he would say anything.

"What's wrong?" Layla asked, but Samuel remained silent, his face tensed and his lips pressed into a tight line.

"Well, I'll go up first then. Bye." Layla said, not daring to say more, as she opened the door and got out of the car, shivering in the cold.

The temperature in the car seemed to have dropped to below freezing. It was really cold.

Samuel lifted his gaze and stared at her retreating figure, like a lively fish.

His eyebrows furrowed even tighter.

How dare she be so cheerful and not notice that he was angry?

Was she blind or simply indifferent?

Layla was busy and exhausted for half the morning. Finally, she managed to find some time to go to the pantry and make herself a cup of coffee to revive herself.

"I'm so worn out. The past few days, I've been working on design drafts until midnight every night, and during the day, there are several meetings. I'm going crazy." Alice complained as she walked in.

Layla handed her the cup of coffee she had just brewed and made herself another cup. "Being busy is a good thing. It's idle time that causes trouble."

When a designer entrusts work to an assistant, it signifies trust and increases the likelihood of being given more important tasks.

"You're right. You're also busy, but it seems like you're doing miscellaneous work that doesn't require expertise. It's such a waste." Alice replied.

"That's how it is in the beginning."

"No, that's not true. The Holland Group expects new assistant interns to grow as quickly as possible, and their interns have impressive qualifications. Usually, important tasks are assigned right from the start. I think Molly just doesn't like you, that's why she makes you do all sorts of odd jobs."

"Is that so?" Layla frowned. "I thought she treated all interns like that."

Alice shook her head. "Molly is difficult to please, but she used to assign important tasks to interns as well. Trust me, she's singling you out."

Even though Layla knew that, she couldn't do anything about it. She sighed helplessly. "I also want to take on more important tasks."

"Heh, do you have the ability to handle important tasks if they're assigned to you?" Molly walked in, looking scornful and as if she thought Layla was being too full of herself.

Clearly, talking bad about someone behind their back is not a good idea. Alice stuck out her tongue and slipped away.

Layla straightened her posture. "I believe in myself."

"I think you're just blindly confident. Nowadays, overseas education and work experience is required. You're just a graduate of City University. What's there to be proud of?" Molly responded, not showing any humility.

Layla confidently replied, "City University is one of the best universities in the country, and its design department has produced many outstanding designers and the likes. I take pride in being a student of City University, and I believe in my ability to do a good job."

"Fine, recently I picked up a project for a chain department store, and I'll give you a chance to participate. So you won't say I'm targeting you behind your back." Molly said, thinking that if Layla couldn't complete the task, she would have a reason to dismiss her and get rid of the annoyance that she had to deal with every day. Among all the interns, she found Layla the most irritating.

Layla was delighted. "Thank you, I will do this task to my best ability."

Layla didn't even have time to drink her coffee before she started going through the materials. She had some prior knowledge about this project, which involved a female celebrity named Isabel opening four chain lifestyle stores. Molly had arranged for Layla to conduct an initial survey of the construction site.

The site was located in the South district, and Layla had to take a forty-minute bus ride to get there. As soon as she stepped off the bus, she almost fainted from the scorching sun. She bought a box of water for the workers first.

Robert, who was guiding her, was in his forties with a dark complexion. He handed her a safety helmet and said, "Young lady, this work is tough. Can you handle it?"

"I can. Let's go," Layla replied, braving the intense heat, clenching her teeth as she walked around the construction site in high heels to inspect the electricity and water supply. Several times, she almost stepped on nails. After an hour under the scorching sun, she was drenched in sweat, dehydrated, and her face had turned dark.

"You must be exhausted. Take a break," said Robert, who was also feeling the strain. Robert felt sorry for her having to do this, especially since Layla was just a young girl.

Layla nodded while catching her breath. She was on the verge of collapsing from the heat.

The two sat down under the shade of a tree.

"You just graduated? Which school did you attend?" Robert asked.

"City University."

"Wow, impressive! City University is a top-notch school. My son dreams of getting into that university but just can't make it. No wonder they say the Holland Group only hires top talents!" Robert gave her a thumbs up. "What's even rarer is that you can endure hardship."

"Girls nowadays are pretty delicate. I've worked on a few projects and encountered a few young girls like you. They would run away within five minutes," he continued.

Layla smiled and wiped away her sweat. "It's a bit tiring, but since I chose architectural design, I was prepared to endure hardships. It's almost lunchtime. Let me buy boxed meals for everyone."

Under the scorching forty-degree heat, the black Jaguar gleamed.

Mr. Vandella was driving when he suddenly slowed down. "Boss, isn't that Miss Adkins?" he exclaimed.

Samuel lifted his head from the documents and looked out the window.

In the shade outside the construction site, a row of workers sat together, including Layla. They were eating boxed meals and laughing, with glistening sweat on their faces resembling diamonds.

A fair and pretty young girl sitting among a group of dark-skinned workers seemed out of place. But she enjoyed her meal with great relish, her eyes curved with joy.

A worker handed her a bottle of water, and she grinned widely.

Samuel furrowed his brows, feeling an indescribable emotion. It was one thing for her to be affectionate with the elderly lady at the food stall, but now she was smiling so brightly at a group of male workers.

When she was with him, she was stingy with even a single smile, and she didn't care at all if he was unhappy.

A certain emotion clogged Samuel's chest, fermenting the gloom that he had finally managed to calm down. Once again, she had spoiled his mood.

His slender fingers clenched the documents.

His black eyes flickered with an icy glare.

Layla, I will make you willingly give in!

The black Jaguar silently drove away.

After completing the site survey, Layla continued to gather detailed information about the nearby traffic and surroundings. By the time she finished, it was already time to leave work. Instead of going back to the office, she planned to return to her dormitory and write a report as soon as possible.

Before boarding the bus, she took out her phone and glanced at it, but there were no missed calls.

If that man could investigate her school and work, he must know her phone number too. If there was something important, he would call her.

Layla couldn't help but find it amusing. She wasn't his personal chef, so why did he seem to care so much about her making him meals? It was as if not cooking for him was her own negligence.

Taking the bus back to her school, Layla walked slowly while munching on her bread. After a long day of running around, her heels were already blistered, and every step felt like walking on thorns, causing a burning pain.

At the entrance to the dormitory building, a familiar figure was waiting for her, drawing the attention of many girls who couldn't help but turn their heads.

As soon as Layla saw him, her mood flared up even more than the weather. Annoyed, she furrowed her brows, refusing to look at him directly, and quickened her pace while enduring the pain.

"Are you just going to act like you didn't see me?" Vincent approached and grabbed her wrist.