At 10 AM, the company held its monthly senior management meeting. Only those at the level of Investment Director or higher were eligible to attend.
Grace Li was surprised to see Scarlet Harris at the meeting. But she wasn't too shocked—after all, in this kind of corporate environment, unusual situations aren't all that rare, and no one else in the room seemed to raise any questions.
As usual, the main agenda of the meeting began with each Investment Director reporting on the progress of their current projects. Then, everyone would discuss hot industry topics and clarify the company's main investment direction for the future.
Grace Li had already prepared her report the day before. She presented the current status of her projects in a clear and organized way, and when Benjamin Harris and the other partners asked questions, she handled them effortlessly, showcasing her professionalism and confidence.
After hearing Grace Li's report, Benjamin Harris turned to Scarlet Harris and asked, "Scar, do you have anything to add about the inhaled drug project that GloryPath Capital mentioned?"
Scarlet Harris smiled confidently and responded smoothly, "After digging into this a bit more, I believe the risks are too high. From an investment standpoint, it's not worth putting our money into."
Benjamin Harris nodded, then said, "Tell us why you think so."
"Well, first off, the technology barrier in the inhaled drug field is really high. It requires a perfect combination of the drug and the device that delivers it. That means the drug has strict requirements for its ingredients, formulation, and other factors, while the device must be highly compatible with the drug. This calls for a really strong R&D team. However, according to the preliminary due diligence report from GloryPath Capital, the project team currently lacks a competitive R&D group and the core technology needed. They plan to build this team after securing funding, which brings significant risks for investors. On top of that, most of the patents for inhaled drug formulations and devices are controlled by major European and American pharmaceutical companies. Even if they manage to build a solid R&D team, it would be incredibly difficult to break through those patents. Just look at a similar project in California last year. Even with a strong team, they still failed because of patent restrictions. That's a warning for us."
After hearing Scarlet Harris's explanation, Benjamin Harris gave a proud smile, clearly impressed by his daughter's logical analysis. "It seems like this project is too risky for us to get involved in," he said.
A partner sitting to Benjamin Harris's left chimed in, "Scar just graduated, but she's already got such sharp business acumen and can analyze things from multiple angles. Very impressive."
The other executives nodded in agreement. "Yeah, when I graduated six months ago, I couldn't even write a decent industry report without making tons of mistakes."
Despite the compliments, Scarlet Harris was enjoying the praise inside but still maintained a humble attitude, smiling as she replied, "Oh, come on! I'm just lucky to have such great examples to learn from around here."
While Benjamin Harris was clearly proud of his daughter, he maintained a stern fatherly demeanor and said in a serious tone, "That's true. You've got a lot to learn still."
"I'll work hard, Dad," Scarlet Harris responded obediently.
Listening to their exchange, Grace Li couldn't help but chuckle inside. After all, what Scarlet Harris had just said was practically the same information she had shared with her just half an hour ago. But Grace Li didn't feel the need to expose this. It didn't threaten her own work, so she thought, "This is a bit shady, but I guess it's not worth making a big deal out of, as long as it doesn't affect my work. But I'll keep an eye on her."
Benjamin Harris then wrapped up the discussion, "Alright, since this project has so many flaws, I'll reach out to Mr. Tang at GloryPath Capital and let him know."
After the meeting, Grace Li walked out of the conference room with Scarlet Harris following closely behind.
"Grace Li, can I talk to you for a sec?" Scarlet Harris called out.
Grace Li stopped and turned. "What's up?"
"My dad asked me to check out a theme park project in New Haven. I was wondering if you could lend me someone to come with me."
Grace Li guessed who she wanted to ask for, but still asked politely, "Who do you want to borrow?"
"Aiden Thompson." Scarlet Harris had already come up with a reason, "It's about an hour and a half drive from New York to New Haven, and Aiden could drive for me. That way, I can discuss the project with him on the way."
Grace Li tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Although she had already anticipated this request, she wasn't thrilled about the idea. Whether for work reasons or personal feelings, she didn't really want Aiden to go with Scarlet. But she couldn't just say no outright, so she replied tactfully, "Well, Aiden's kind of tied up with this project I gave him. I'm not sure if he'll have the time, you know?"
"It's fine. We can go whenever he's free," Scarlet Harris insisted.
Grace Li sighed. "I can't really make that call for him. Why don't you just ask him directly? If he's available, I have no problem with it."
"Alright, I'll ask him myself," Scarlet Harris said, then walked over to Aiden Thompson's desk.
"Mm," Grace Li responded and turned back to her own desk. She couldn't help but glance at Aiden Thompson and wondered, Will he say yes to her request?
After lunch with a client in a fancy restaurant in Manhattan, Grace Li didn't return to the office until 2 PM. When she got back, she noticed Aiden Thompson's desk was empty, and his computer was turned off.
Her first thought was that Aiden had gone to New Haven with Scarlet Harris.
She casually asked Olivia, who was nearby, "Hey, Olivia, did Aiden step out?"
Olivia nodded. "Yeah, he hasn't been back since this afternoon."
"Did he say what he was up to?"
"Nope, didn't mention anything."
Grace Li went back to her desk, took out her phone, and saw that Aiden Thompson had sent her a message.
Aiden Thompson: Grace Li, I'm out for a bit this afternoon.
Grace Li instinctively typed: Where to? But then she thought that might sound too direct, and she didn't want to come across as overly curious. So she deleted it and typed: OK.
She put her phone down but found it hard to focus on her work after that.
Grace Li thought to herself, If Aiden agreed to go with Scarlet to New Haven, he probably sees potential in her. In this city, where everyone's chasing their dreams and personal gains, it's not unusual for people to be drawn to those with resources. Scarlet's got money and charm, and honestly, they'd make a good match in a material sense. But what about me? Aiden's kindness might just be part of his professional demeanor or his general charm. I've been overthinking this and letting my emotions mess with my judgment. I'm 30, living in a fast-paced, opportunity-driven country, and I'm acting like some lovesick teenager. I need to snap out of it and focus on what really matters: my own goals and my worth.
She continued, In American dating culture, people tend to be more open and move quickly. If Aiden is interested in Scarlet, it could get serious really fast. And here I am, hesitating and overthinking. I need to be more assertive and not let this bother me. I have my own life, career, and social circle, and people value me for who I am.
This is ridiculous.
Grace Li, you're 30, get it together! In this fast-paced society that values independence and self-worth, how could you be so caught up in your emotions about a guy?
"Boss."
Grace Li snapped out of her thoughts. At some point, Olivia had walked up to her desk. Quickly regaining her composure, Grace asked, "What's up?"
Olivia held out a stack of freshly printed papers with both hands. "You asked me to do a research report on low-alcohol beverages, right? I've finished it. Here's the printed version."
Grace took the papers. "Thanks, I'll take a look."
She reminded herself not to let her emotions be affected by Aiden Thompson anymore. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself and began flipping through the report Olivia had prepared.
The first working day after New Year's Day had been packed with a senior management meeting that took up most of the morning. Grace had stayed late to catch up on her tasks.
By eight o'clock, most of her coworkers had already left the office. Grace often found herself among the last to leave.
At half past eight, the office was quiet. Grace's workstation was by the window, and when she turned her head slightly, she could see the dazzling lights outside. The most vibrant part of New York's CBD stretched out before her eyes.
Every time she saw this view, she felt how small she was—just a tiny part of these towering concrete buildings.
"You're still here, as expected."
A voice came from the doorway. Grace turned her head.
Aiden Thompson, clad in a black suit, stood in the office. He carried a briefcase in one hand and a small paper bag in the other.
Grace forced a smile. "Wow, you're back super late. Rough day?"
Aiden shrugged. "Missed the 7 o'clock PATH train, so I had to catch the next one. What a bummer."
Grace blinked in surprise. "PATH? Where were you headed?"
"Jersey City." Aiden, noticing her confusion, spread his hands and explained. "The project you asked me to follow up on is near the PATH station there. It's a quick commute, so I figured the train was the best option."
Grace nodded, finally recalling the project she had assigned him. If he'd been in Jersey City this afternoon, it meant he hadn't gone to New Haven with Scarlet Harris.
For reasons she couldn't quite name, her mood lightened.
Aiden gestured to the paper bag. "Hey, I brought some food. Hungry?"
Grace walked over and took the bag. Inside was a small box containing a slice of cheesecake.
"What's this?" she asked, intrigued.
"New York-style cheesecake," Aiden replied. "I saw it at a bakery near the station and thought it looked too good to pass up."
Grace opened the box, and the rich smell of cream cheese wafted out. She loved cheesecake. "No way! You know I'm a sucker for cheesecake. What made you think of getting this?"
Aiden grinned. "I was swamped with research until way too late. Didn't have time to eat, so I grabbed some snacks. And I remembered you raving about cheesecake once, so…"
Grace took a bite, the creamy texture melting in her mouth. "Oh my gosh, this is amazing. You've got great taste."
Aiden watched her eat with satisfaction. "Keep it. It's all yours."
Grace looked at him, surprised. "You sure? You haven't eaten yet, right?"
"Nah, I grabbed a sandwich on the train. This was for you. Consider it a little pick-me-up after a long day."
Grace's eyes softened. "Really? That's so thoughtful of you. I'm really touched."
She said "Thank you" quietly, a soft smile on her lips, trying hard to hide just how much this small gesture meant to her.