After Divorcing my Captain Husband (Chloe and Michael)

Ariana had assumed that Chloe would never agree to work alongside her, given Chloe's personality.

She was even relieved, thinking that handling the project on her own wouldn't be too bad.

But to her surprise, Chloe showed up anyway.

Chloe took her time setting up her things, picked a desk that was away from others, and, after checking her computer thoroughly, finally plugged in her USB drive. "Ms. Nelson, I didn't expect you to show up!" Ariana said, leaning against Chloe's desk with a playful grin.

Chloe smiled, "It's work, why wouldn't I come?"

She wasn't the one who had been left out. As James had pointed out, she was better than Ariana. The project was a piece of cake for her, and she wasn't about to pass up this opportunity. Seeing Chloe's calm demeanor, Ariana felt a lump in her throat. She turned away, saying, "Well, since you're here, let's get started. We shouldn't waste any more time." Ariana had hoped to dominate the situation, given her status as a top hacker.

But she was caught off guard by Chloe's speed and efficiency.

Chloe's response times and problem-solving abilities far outstripped her own. Every time Ariana wanted to delegate a task, Chloe had already finished it and tossed a new challenge her way. Ariana went from being in control to being constantly on the back foot. The entire morning was a flurry of activity, yet she had no clear idea of what she was actually working on. At lunchtime, Chloe decided to grab a bite outside.

As she left, Ariana seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, surprised by Chloe's relentless work ethic.

Walking out of the room, Chloe spotted William.

"Aren't you supposed to be competing tomorrow?" She asked.

William smiled, "Mr. Portman sent me to cook a meal. It should be for you two."

The staff was minimal, and since William only needed to prepare two meals, it wasn't a hassle.

"He paid me well, and it was fun to do. It's all set up in the cafeteria, so you can just help yourselves."

William then glanced at Ariana, who had come out from behind Chloe.

And she deliberately bumped into her as she passed by.

Chloe nearly lost her balance, but William was quick to catch her.

"Are you okay?"

Chloe nodded. "I'm fine."

She knew that only those who felt insecure about themselves would try to get a leg up through petty actions like this.

"Is she your colleague? I heard she's been giving you a hard time," William remarked, having heard some of the backgrounds about their competition for the project. Chloe merely smiled, unbothered, "It's no big deal."

To her, it didn't affect her work efficiency or warrant dwelling on past issues. She had no reason to let it linger.

William squeezed Chloe's arm, adding mysteriously, "Don't worry, people like her will have their tough days ahead."

Chloe glanced at him with a light laugh. "I'll head over now. You take care of your stuff."

William watched as she walked into the cafeteria before heading off himself.

Inside the cafeteria, Chloe chose a table by the window and was about to dig in when a few flustered servers hurried over.

"Sorry, Ms. Nelson, but we've brought you the wrong dish. It was meant for that table over there. Apologies for the mix-up!" Chloe paused, surprised, thinking, "Aren't these dishes all made by William? Mine is different from Ariana's?"

"You can take it over there," Chloe said, dismissing the thought with a shrug.

It was just a dish. She wasn't overly concerned about it.

The server bent down and carried the dish away, and only then did Chloe begin to eat.

William's usual standard was evident in the taste and presentation - delicious and meticulously arranged.

In the afternoon, Chloe focused on her computer work, and Ariana appeared busy as well, though her expression was less than pleasant. Her assistant whispered in her ear, a worried look on his face, "Ariana, are you feeling okay?"

Chloe glanced over, noting that Ariana's complexion did seem off.