The Night I Left, He Turned Grey

Leila made her way to a street known for its breakfast spots, wandering from one end to the other before finally settling on a deli that served hot breakfast sandwiches.

She ordered a spicy sausage breakfast sandwich with extra hot sauce and asked for a side of jalapeños. She loved spicy food, but for Sean’s sake, she had kept her diet mild for the past four years.

After so long without it, even a single spicy sandwich was enough to set her mouth on fire. Still, she finished every bite and savored the heat. Then she started heading toward the office.

She still had a savory crepe in one hand and took small bites as she walked. Just as she lowered her gaze, a figure came rushing forward and slammed into her.

She was fine, but the girl who collided with her lost her balance completely, and the documents in her arms scattered across the ground.

Leila caught her with quick reflexes, steadying her by the waist and guiding her upright. "Are you all right?"

Cherry Cole blinked, her eyes landing on the woman in front of her. She had one hand holding a crepe, the other at her waist. Rimless glasses framed a calm face, her hair tied neatly in a low ponytail. Barefaced, delicate-featured, and faintly distant—she looked like she belonged in a lab. And that grip alone showed it. It took strength to haul equipment around in a lab!

"I-I’m okay." Cherry steadied herself and quickly crouched to gather her scattered papers.

Leila bent down to help, but her attention snagged on a line of data printed on one of the pages.

Cherry was still collecting her documents when she noticed a few key sheets were missing. Turning around, she saw them already in the hands of the woman who had helped her. She hurried over and took them back. "Thank you so much! I’m in a rush—I have to go!"

She took a couple of steps, then spun back around. "Oh, right—what’s your name? Once I meet my brother, I’ll treat you to a drink!"

Looking at the girl’s bright smile, Leila answered almost without thinking. "My name is Leila Jennings."

"Got it! Bye-bye!" Cherry waved and ran off.

Not far away, Renee watched Cherry disappear down the corridor, then turned to Leila with a slightly puzzled look.

So Leila hadn’t just been recommended by President Cole’s second aunt—she also knew the young lady of the company. And now she’d been personally summoned to the President’s Office. There was more to her than met the eye.

"Leila," Renee said with a polite smile as she approached. "Come with me."

Leila put away her fountain pen and greeted her courteously. "Hey, Renee." Then she asked about her new position and responsibilities.

"We’ll find out soon enough," Renee replied.

"Oh yeah?"

Renee only smiled and led her upstairs, heading straight for the President’s Office. On the way, they ran into Zachary, who had spent the entire night reviewing Leila’s background. He adjusted his glasses and offered a polite smile. "Hey, Miss Jennings."

Leila found that everyone was acting very strangely.

Renee also found it strange. Even Zachary addressed her as "Miss Jennings." Shouldn’t he just call her Leila or Jennings?

"Miss Jennings, please wait a moment. The President is currently occupied," Zachary said.

...

Meanwhile, in the office, Cherry Cole slammed a stack of research data onto Nathaniel’s desk. "The professor says my data is wrong, but which part exactly?! I’ve checked it for half the night. My eyes are going blind! If I can’t find it, I won’t graduate. You have to help me."

Nathaniel pinched the bridge of his nose. He took the papers, skimmed them, then pulled out a single sheet and pointed. "Didn’t you circle it yourself?"

"What?" Cherry leaned in.

"You even noted the issue and the solution here." He pushed the documents back toward her. "Don’t come to me again with this joke."

Cherry stared at the page. "I didn’t circle that... Wait. So this is the problem!"

Nathaniel’s expression turned dry. "Right. Must’ve been a ghost who did this."

"I remember now!" she suddenly said. "It was that pretty lady I ran into downstairs! Nath, is she from the Research and Development Center?"

"Who are you talking about?" Nathaniel asked, already signaling her to move aside as she was blocking his light.

Cherry bounced on her heels. "Leila Jennings! She said her name was Leila Jennings. She has that research vibe. She must be from R&D, right?"

At the mention of the name, Nathaniel’s gaze paused for the briefest moment. He reached for the phone and dialed.

Zachary answered almost immediately and heard Nathaniel asking, "Is she there? Bring her in."

"Miss Jennings, the President is ready for you now."

Zachary opened the office door. Leila stepped inside alone, and the door closed softly behind her. She glanced back instinctively, and then a familiar voice rang out. "You’re the pretty girl!"

Leila turned and looked up. She saw Cherry standing by the desk, while a man in a black shirt sat behind it.

He had a dark red tie, a sharp posture, and a wristwatch from the same brand she had once planned to buy for Sean with her bonus. His gaze was steady, fixed directly on her.

Something about him felt familiar—but she just couldn’t place it. Perhaps she had seen him in some journals? After all, he was the President of Cole Group, someone who was often featured in financial magazines.

"Greetings, President Cole."

"Hey, Pretty Leila!" Cherry rushed over, holding up the data sheet. "You’re the one who fixed this for me, right?"

Leila gave a small nod. "Just call me Leila."

"I know, Leila! Thank you. You helped me so much! Way more than my brother, honestly. Leila... Leila—wait." Cherry’s expression suddenly froze as she slowly turned toward Nathaniel. "Isn’t she the one you... Last night when you got home."

"Ahem." Nathaniel cleared his throat. Cherry immediately clamped her mouth shut.

Leila’s eyes narrowed slightly. ’These two siblings are... strange,’ she thought.

Nathaniel stood and took the papers from Cherry. His chin lifted slightly as he looked at Leila. "You’re familiar with a bionic robot?"

"No," Leila replied. "I’m just a junior clerk." And she only studied chips.

Nathaniel didn’t press further on that. "You helped my sister. From today on, you’ll work in the President’s Office."

’What?’ Leila thought.

’Really?’ Cherry thought. Could she have caused this much impact on someone else’s career?

"President Cole, I’ve already resigned," Leila said, instinctively glancing toward the door. Didn’t she tell Renee about that?

"I’m aware of that. Before your resignation takes effect, you’ll work here for this month," Nathaniel said, giving her a deep stare.

Zachary had found some information about Leila for him. Her husband, Sean, was involved with Sarah Lynch, who had suddenly returned from her overseas studies half a month ago and managed to get into the research institute. There was a strong possibility that she was there for the project.

People with high connections always got their trusted ones into projects that were about to succeed. And Sarah had never been good at keeping secrets.

So Sean, Sarah, and Leila were all connected to one project. And Nathaniel thought it was necessary to keep Leila by his side.

"It’s a promotion and a raise," Nathaniel added.

That was what Sarah had offered her this morning, Leila thought—and that was what she needed too. So she took the offer.

"Understood, President Cole."

"Are you done? I’m taking Leila for coffee." Cherry suddenly popped between them and smiled. "Nath, you want to join us?"

"Okay." Nathaniel nodded.

’S-Seriously?!’ Cherry thought. She was just being polite. She wasn’t actually offering coffee to her brother.

But soon, the three of them walked into the elevator together.

Cherry was wedged between two quiet people and felt like she was caught between two ice walls. She took a bold move and linked her arm through Leila’s. Leila was a little startled but didn’t pull away.

"Which floor is the café on?" Nathaniel asked.

Cherry snapped, "Are you serious? It’s your company, and you don’t even know where the café is?"

Leila suddenly looked sidelong at Nathaniel as she heard this. Nathaniel’s mouth curved and said, "You finally remember?"