Vespera snapped back to her senses and looked at Dominic, whose sharp eyes pierced through her like a sword. It felt as if she had been stalled midair and flung straight into a pot of boiling oil. She wanted nothing more than to bury herself.

“I’m sorry, I won’t do that again,” she mumbled, lowering her head.

“Let’s hope so,” he retorted, his voice cold as he retracted his gaze. She was embarrassed. Sitting across from her, Gerard felt slightly awkward. He didn’t understand why Dominic was in such a foul mood. Vespera had only been a little distracted, and changes weren't easy to put behind her so quickly. It wasn't that big of a deal. She had just gone through major life changes, including acting in an online meeting.

After a while, the flight attendant cleared away their breakfast and served coffee. Dominic rested for only ten minutes before starting another meeting. He was either in a meeting, on a call, or reviewing documents for the next five hours. Gerard stayed on standby, sending him the documents he needed via email. If something required immediate attention, he reported it verbally.

Once this round of meetings and calls ended, another began. Despite being on a plane, they were just as busy as they would have been in the office. Noticing that Gerard was finally free, Vespera called him to the back of the cabin to ask about the work arrangements for this business trip. She needed to get up to speed as soon as possible to match Dominic’s work tempo.

He sent her the schedule for the next few days. The trip was to Seloria, primarily for an inspection of the branch office. Aside from that, they had meetings with the local permanent staff and key business partners.

“This is only our first stop. Over the next six months, we’ll be inspecting all branch offices worldwide,” he said in a hushed tone.

“Olur,” she nodded in understanding.

Dominic had only recently returned to take over as president. Establishing a firm reputation was a smart move. Even as the heir, there were bound to be people questioning his management skills. A strong track record, a firm stance, and an internal cleanup were necessary. As they say, with a new king comes a new court; some were bound to be disloyal.

“Is there a specific reason Seloria was chosen as the first stop?” she asked curiously.

She had spent some time researching the Tavian Group. It was a classic family business, with wealth accumulated over ten generations. It had started as a moneylending organization before evolving into a private bank. In the 1980s, they expanded into real estate, later branching into renewable energy, entertainment, and the internet. The internet sector alone had six publicly listed companies. The Selaria branch specialized in renewable energy. Compared to other branches worldwide, it didn’t stand out much. She couldn’t quite understand why Dominic had chosen to come there first.

“Well, no specific reason. It’s closer,” he answered after a slight pause.

She didn’t know how to respond. It sounded like a joke. For a man who owned a Gulfstream G650, there was nowhere he couldn’t fly to—except the moon.

Gerard started telling her about the job arrangements for the next few days while quietly complaining.

“Back in Ameridia, I could handle everything on my own. But now that we’re back at headquarters, it’s been so busy I wish I could split myself in two. Mr. Reid is ridiculously picky. Even Mr. Chandler, his butler, has also been doubling as his secretary. But now that you’re here, we can finally catch our breaths.”

She smiled lightly, a faint dimple appearing at the corner of her lips. Since he stood so close, he couldn’t help but be momentarily dazzled by her beauty. He finally understood that true beauty shines through, whether in simplicity or splendor. With light makeup, she looked ethereal. But with full makeup, she became bewitching.

“Gerard, why don’t you go get some popcorn from Mia?” Dominic’s detached voice came from behind them. Mila was his personal flight attendant.

He stood with one arm crossed over his chest, a document in his other hand. Behind his glasses was an aloof gaze.

“Popcorn? Do you want some?” Gerard asked, confused. To his knowledge, he never had a habit of eating popcorn.

Dominic put down his documents, glanced down, and leaned against the cabin wall.

“Well, your conversation seems to be going pretty well. I figured some popcorn would suit the occasion.”

Gerard and Vespera were dumbfounded by his sudden remark. Dominic certainly had a nuanced way of delivering reprimands.