Chapter 98: Chapter 98 Became The Poor Colleague In Everyone’s Eyes

Then her expression brightened slightly.

"But it’s almost lunchtime," she added warmly. "How about we eat together?"

As Lily spoke, her eyes naturally drifted toward Ashley’s face again. The more she looked at her, the more she felt protective of the beautiful newcomer. She simply didn’t want Ashley to feel isolated or unwelcome in such a hectic environment.

And Ashley, seeing the genuine kindness reflected in Lily’s expression and demeanor, also found herself warming up to the girl a little.

But the moment Ashley remembered Apollo waiting for her, a trace of regret appeared on her face as she gently declined Lily’s invitation.

"Lily, I can’t eat with you today," Ashley explained apologetically. "I already promised my brother that I’d meet up with him and share the lunch I brought."

Hearing that, Lily’s earlier assumptions about Ashley only became even more firmly rooted in her mind. She immediately imagined Ashley carefully trying to save money by bringing homemade lunch and sharing it with her older brother, who she assumed probably worked somewhere nearby.

And honestly, Lily could understand it.

Their company was located in one of the busiest and most expensive business districts in the city, surrounded by towering corporations and high-end restaurants where even a simple meal could cost a small fortune.

If Ashley came from an ordinary family background, then bringing her own lunch from home was probably the most practical choice.

Far from looking down on her, Lily instead felt even more sympathetic and protective toward Ashley, admiring how hardworking and grounded she seemed despite her circumstances.

Lily nodded sympathetically. Though she genuinely wanted to be kind to Ashley, she herself wasn’t particularly wealthy either.

She was merely surviving on her monthly salary while juggling countless expenses of her own, so even if she wanted to offer to treat Ashley to lunch, the reality was that she simply couldn’t afford to do so casually.

"Oh, I see," Lily replied with a bright smile. "Then let’s have lunch together some other time instead!"

Not once did her enthusiasm toward Ashley lessen. Lily wasn’t the type to feel superior over someone else’s financial situation, nor did she enjoy looking down on others. If anything, she found Ashley even more likable the more she interacted with her.

There was something naturally graceful and soft-spoken about Ashley, the kind of elegance that felt deeply ingrained rather than deliberately practiced. In fact, if not for her understated clothes and seemingly ordinary lifestyle, Lily might have genuinely mistaken her for a young lady from an influential family.

Without Ashley realizing it, she had somehow already earned the image of being the "poor colleague" in the office. Of course, she wouldn’t discover that amusing misunderstanding until much later.

Meanwhile, Lily continued enthusiastically guiding her around.

After giving Ashley more detailed introductions about the company and explaining the kinds of tasks interns were usually expected to handle, Lily even brought her along while delivering freshly printed documents for some of the busiest employees rushing to process urgent reports and contracts before the deadline.

As they moved through the floor together, Lily patiently showed Ashley around the different departments sharing the same level.

She pointed out the printing room, the break room, the comfort rooms, the emergency exits, and several restricted office sections, making sure Ashley would know her way around and wouldn’t accidentally wander into unauthorized areas later on.

The entire time, Ashley quietly observed everything around her while listening attentively, memorizing the company layout, workflow, and interactions between departments far more carefully than any ordinary intern would.

And just like that, an entire hour slipped by.

One by one, employees began standing from their desks as lunchtime finally approached. Ashley rose as well, gathering her bag and carefully lifting the large bento box. By now, she was starting to worry that the food inside might have become soggy, the texture and taste ruined after sitting for too long.

Still, she couldn’t exactly slip away unnoticed.

Lily had been subtly keeping an eye on her the entire time, as though worried Ashley might feel lost or struggle to adapt to the environment.

She reminded Ashley of an overly attentive older sister, or perhaps even a nagging mother, constantly fussing over small things yet doing so out of genuine concern and kindness. It was the kind of personality Ashley unexpectedly found herself growing fond of.

At the same time, the past hour within the office had opened Ashley’s eyes far more than she anticipated.

The more she observed the company’s operations, workflow, target markets, and the sheer volume of transactions flowing through the Sales department, the more stunned she became internally. Though her expression remained composed and restrained, inwardly she was completely blown away.

This company was at least a hundred times larger than the one she used to manage within the Black Mountain Pack.

And unlike before, this corporation didn’t merely operate within one territory; it had branches extending across multiple countries, connected through an enormous network involving endless logistics, partnerships, and financial systems.

Managing such a massive enterprise should have been unimaginably complicated, filled with countless risks and challenges.

Yet despite all that, the company functioned with remarkable order and efficiency.

The realization made Ashley look at Apollo with even greater respect than before. Only now was she beginning to truly understand just how powerful and unimaginably wealthy the Gildenvale family really was.

Since Ashley had no intention of letting others discover her connection to the company’s CEO, she used the opportunity to gently send Lily away. Pretending that she needed to text her brother to confirm their meeting place, she encouraged Lily and the other interns to head out first after overhearing them discussing lunch plans at a nearby restaurant.

Considering the travel time, the expected queue, and their limited lunch break, Ashley knew they wouldn’t have much time to spare. It became the perfect excuse not to keep them waiting around for her.

And so, once most of the office had emptied and the floor grew quieter, Ashley calmly made her way toward the elevators.

Standing before them, she subtly glanced around first to ensure no one nearby was paying attention. Only then did she step toward the private executive elevator reserved exclusively for the CEO, an elevator capable of reaching the top floor directly without interruption.

Her eyes lifted briefly toward the discreet golden plaque above it, confirming its restricted use before she stepped inside and pressed the button for the highest floor.

Meanwhile, on Apollo’s side, he had already managed to send Ophelia away first.

The moment he received Ashley’s message informing him she was coming up, Apollo discreetly signaled his assistant with a look. Understanding immediately, the assistant quickly offered to accompany Ophelia out for lunch at a nearby restaurant.

Apollo had already guessed that Ashley likely only brought enough food for the two of them, and more importantly, he didn’t want Ophelia and Ashley to unexpectedly meet inside his office and create unnecessary tension between them.

So, taking advantage of the lunch hour, he smoothly arranged for Ophelia to leave first before Ashley arrived.

"Brother, aren’t you eating with me?" Ophelia finally asked before being gently escorted out of the CEO’s office.