Chapter 362: Know Your Worth
Every position Ellis had applied for was highly competitive. She didn’t consider herself a “professional interviewer who could ace every round,” so when Avery from the Fox Group actually wanted to offer her the job, she was genuinely surprised. She’d run into Mr. Maxwell a few times already. Surely, she’d left him with the impression of being clumsy, at best. And in that second-round group interview, she definitely hadn’t been the strongest performer. But none of that really mattered. Her own sense of the situation might not line up with how others saw her.
So, she got on the phone and discussed the offer in detail with Avery. After hanging up, Avery looked down at her notes. Ellis had passed all background checks. Both Hudson Group and Tate Group had given her glowing feedback, and her previous performance showed strong capabilities. With Cleveland finding nothing unusual in her personal history, the decision to extend an offer had been clear.
But what they didn’t expect was that Ellis didn’t accept it right away. She hadn’t flat-out rejected it, but she made it clear that the proposed salary wasn’t ideal. After thinking it over, Avery went straight to Cleveland.
“Mr. Cleveland, I just spoke with Ellis. She said the salary we offered isn’t high enough.”
Cleveland had assumed Ellis would be a sure thing. To hear she thought the pay was too low genuinely caught him off guard. “Seventy thousand a year, plus bonuses and profit-sharing—and she still thinks it’s not enough?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Correct,” Avery replied. “I was thinking of bumping it up to 120,000. Do you think Mr. Maxwell would approve?”
Cleveland almost wanted to say, “Even I don’t make 120,000 a year.” If Ellis walked in with that kind of salary right off the bat, he’d definitely feel… something. But none of this was up to him. If Mr. Maxwell was willing to pay her that much, Cleveland would have to suck it up.
“Hold on,” he told Avery. “Let me go ask him.”
Moments later, Cleveland walked into Maxwell’s office and laid out the situation. Maxwell asked, “What was she making at her last job?”
“According to Avery’s background check, Ellis was making $140,000 at Tate Group. But frankly, that salary was inflated. And…” Cleveland paused, unsure whether to bring up Ellis’s history with Hudson Group.
She was the former Mrs. Hudson. It wasn’t exactly a secret. Her background was ridiculously easy to dig up. People couldn’t help but gossip—about how a wealthy socialite divorced her golden-boy husband, walked away from the family empire, and started working like an average person. To outsiders, it made no sense.
Maxwell cut in, “Go ahead. What makes you say it was inflated?”
“Apparently, Madam Lois at Tate Group offered her that salary because Ellis used to be the Hudson Group’s boss’s wife.” Cleveland wasn’t entirely sure if that was 100% true. People at Lois’s level didn’t exactly go around explaining their reasons. Everything was just speculation.
At first, Maxwell had suspected Ellis was planted near him by some rival faction within the family. But after seeing her file, a woman who willingly walked away from Hudson Group’s power and wealth wouldn’t be someone chasing scraps. There was no reason for her to be a pawn. And truthfully, Maxwell had been impressed with her work at Tate Group.
Compared to Cleveland, Ellis was clearly the better fit for the assistant position. She was sharper, more competent, and experienced enough to handle chaos on her own—exactly the kind of help he needed. Once she joined, Cleveland’s duties would be handed over to her, and he’d be transferred to a different department. If the issue now was salary, then fine—raise it.
Maxwell gave the order. “Offer her $210,000. Make it happen.”
Cleveland was stunned. That high? Mr. Maxwell didn’t even blink. Avery had only planned to raise it to $120,000—Maxwell had just nearly tripled the original number. Right now, Cleveland had no time to be jealous. Salary wasn’t always about ability. Ellis got lucky—Maxwell had taken a liking to her.
“Yes, Mr. Maxwell,” Cleveland replied, then rushed out to find Avery and deliver the message.
Ellis, for her part, was no longer the confused, broke divorcée who had no clue how to support herself. Her time at Tate Group had sharpened her skills, and she was confident in her abilities now. With that growth came higher expectations—especially in terms of salary. And since she had multiple offers in hand, it made sense to hold out for the best one.
She wasn’t thrilled with the Fox Group’s original offer, but she still left the door open. She wanted to see what their ceiling looked like before making a final call. If they couldn’t meet her expectations, she’d move on. She didn’t expect Avery to call her back so quickly.
Ms. Harper Avery said as soon as the call connected, “I spoke with Mr. Maxwell. He’s approved a new salary—$210,000 annually. Would that be acceptable to you?”