Chapter 106: Chapter 106 Going To Maple Leaf City

At the same time, her mood improved so much that even her appetite increased. She happily continued eating with obvious enthusiasm, looking far more lively than before.

Seeing her like that, Apollo could only feel both helpless and amused.

Without realizing it, he naturally began placing more food onto her plate, silently letting his younger sister eat to her heart’s content.

"So now that everyone already mistook you for the new intern," Apollo said jokingly as he leaned back against the sofa, "should I inform the HR Department to officially place you under probation first so you’ll at least have enough authority to run errands for me in Maple Leaf City?"

"Well, Brother, if you could, then please do," Ashley immediately replied with a bright smile that carried absolutely no shame whatsoever.

Truthfully, she genuinely needed it.

Without officially being added to the company’s employee roster, she would have no legitimate authority to negotiate with anyone on behalf of the corporation. And while she could still move around unofficially, the moment the other party discovered she was merely a temporary intern with no real standing inside the company, the situation could easily be viewed as disrespectful.

After all, the negotiations involving Maple Leaf City were not minor matters.

Deals of that scale were usually handled personally by directors, department heads, or high-level managerial staff specifically to demonstrate the company’s sincerity, influence, and respect toward the other side.

Sending an ordinary intern would practically be the same as openly looking down on the opposing party.

Which was precisely why Ashley needed at least a legitimate provisional position inside the company first, even if it was only temporary. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"Alright then," Apollo said calmly as he continued eating with his usual elegant composure. "I’ll have the HR Department handle it quietly."

Then, after a brief pause, he added casually,

"And since you’ll technically be running an errand on my behalf, I’ll allow you to represent me directly in Maple Leaf City. That way, no one will dare easily touch you, nor will they think we sent some inexperienced nobody over there as though we were looking down on them."

Ashley did not say anything immediately.

But the grin spreading across her face widened even further.

Without her needing to explain her concerns aloud, Apollo had already solved the exact problem she had been worrying about internally.

For a brief moment, Ashley almost wondered if this was what people called sibling telepathy.

It felt as though Apollo could naturally understand what she needed without her having to carefully spell everything out herself, as if the two of them were somehow thinking on the same wavelength.

And honestly...

The feeling was strangely warm.

It was the first time Ashley had ever experienced what it felt like to be quietly taken care of without needing to ask for it first.

And just like that, after their conversation, several days passed in the blink of an eye.

Soon, Aunt Lavinia had already arranged everything for Ashley’s trip, and now the airplane carrying her had finally landed in Maple Leaf City, far away from the Gildenvale family’s home city.

"Ash, are you tired?" Gage asked while effortlessly pulling both his and Ashley’s thirty-kilogram suitcases through the airport terminal. "Do you want to rest at the hotel first?"

As for why Gage was accompanying Ashley in the first place...

Well, although Apollo had agreed to let Ashley come to Maple Leaf City, he had never once truly intended to allow her to travel there alone.

After all, Maple Leaf City was notorious for being chaotic beneath its rapidly developing exterior. Gangs, underground dealings, territorial disputes, and countless hidden dangers lurked around nearly every corner of the city.

It was practically a breeding ground for trouble.

Which was why Apollo had already made arrangements from the very beginning.

Instead of sending an entire security team that would only make Ashley stand out conspicuously in such a lawless environment, Apollo chose to send Gage with her instead.

Because if the local gangs saw Ashley moving around the city surrounded by obvious bodyguards, they would immediately conclude she came from an influential background. And once that happened, people with malicious intentions might begin entertaining dangerous ideas like extortion, kidnapping, blackmail, or worse.

Apollo absolutely did not want Ashley placed in that kind of situation.

So after considering everything carefully, the best option became obvious.

Gage.

Coincidentally, Gage was currently on vacation leave, making him the perfect escort for Ashley. Not only was he powerful enough to deal with most threats by himself, but he could also naturally stay beside Ashley under the simple identity of being her older brother without attracting unnecessary suspicion.

Compared to a visible security entourage, Gage’s presence was far subtler while still being just as effective.

With him beside her, Ashley could move around Maple Leaf City far more freely without constantly drawing attention to herself.

And only by knowing Gage was with her at all times could Apollo finally feel somewhat at ease about letting his younger sister enter such a dangerous place.

So before they departed, Apollo personally pulled Gage aside and heavily patted his shoulder, the force behind it carrying far more warning than brotherly affection.

"Take care of her," Apollo said in a low voice, his sharp gaze locking onto Gage with almost threatening intensity. "And make sure not even a single strand of her hair gets touched."

Then his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Or else you’ll answer to me. Understand?"

At that moment, the oppressive aura Apollo carried as the head of the Gildenvale family surfaced completely, pressing down heavily even on his own brother.

Normally, Apollo rarely displayed that side of himself openly around his siblings. But whenever it involved Ashley’s safety, his authority and protectiveness became impossible to hide. Even Gage, who was already accustomed to Apollo’s personality, could clearly feel the pressure radiating from him during that moment.

"Don’t worry," Gage replied seriously without the slightest hesitation. "Leave her to me."

Then, carrying both their luggage, he immediately followed closely behind Ashley as they headed toward the airport departure area.

Truthfully, the other brothers had also wanted to accompany Ashley to Maple Leaf City. However, Apollo rejected the idea almost immediately.

Because if all of them went together, nobody would know who exactly was supposed to protect whom anymore.

After all, every single one of his brothers was practically a walking trouble magnet in their own way.

Bringing all of them along would only attract unnecessary attention and chaos around Ashley instead of helping her move discreetly through Maple Leaf City.

So after weighing everything carefully, Apollo concluded that sending only Gage was still the safest and most reliable option.

As a result, the remaining brothers could only stay behind at home sulkily and complain inwardly while watching Ashley leave.

Meanwhile, Apollo buried himself back into endless company work almost nonstop after their departure.

As for Ophelia...

She had finally succeeded in officially taking up her secretly arranged position as an intern within the company, only for Apollo to eventually uncover the entire matter after personally contacting the head of the HR Department regarding Ashley’s internship arrangement.

And only then did Apollo finally realize that the whole misunderstanding from earlier had originated because the HR Department head had completely misunderstood the situation from the very beginning.

「In The CEO’s Office...」

"Sir, you called for me?"

The head of the HR Department respectfully bowed the moment he entered the office, carefully lifting his eyes toward Apollo, who sat behind his desk in his leather chair.

At that moment, Apollo’s imposing aura as the head of the Gildenvale family and CEO of the corporation was especially heavy, making the HR Department head instinctively break into nervous sweat under the pressure.

"Yes," Apollo replied calmly. "I need you to prepare an intern position for my sister. She’ll be returning soon."

He spoke casually without explaining much further.

"Huh?" The HR Department head blinked in confusion before hurriedly speaking again. "But sir, your sister already requested an internship position from me before. Didn’t you know? She already started working a few days ago—"

Midway through his sentence, his voice abruptly stopped.

Because for the first time, he saw genuine confusion appear on Apollo’s face.

Apollo’s brows furrowed tightly almost instantly.

"Are you talking about the time she was mistakenly brought to the Sales and Marketing Department and treated as the new intern?" Apollo clarified slowly, his gaze sharpening.

Instead of clearing things up, Apollo’s words only made the head of the HR Department even more confused.

At this point, it genuinely felt as though the two of them were talking about completely different people.

"Sir... um..." the HR Department head began cautiously, nervously adjusting his glasses as cold sweat formed on his forehead. "I know I promised Miss Ophelia to keep the matter confidential, but since you’re now asking about the same thing, I think it’s better to explain everything clearly so there won’t be any more misunderstandings between the two of you."

Apollo’s eyes narrowed slightly.