Leo's Perspective

  Date: February 3 , 2025

  Leo had no personal stake in the new hire competition. He was a senior—this wasn’t his problem. But watching the fresh batch scramble for a shot at recognition? That was always entertaining.

  The CEO took the stage, giving the usual speech about innovation and disruption. The second he mentioned that the competition was compulsory, Leo caught movement from the corner of his eye—Ada gripping her notebook just a little tighter.

  He smirked. “Thinking of winning, Spoon Girl?”

  She didn’t answer, but he could see it. The seriousness.

  Leo leaned back, amused. He didn’t care who won. But watching her try? That could be fun.

  Nathan’s Presentation: A Poorly Executed Betrayal

  Leo hadn’t paid much attention to the juniors’ projects. But when Nathan stood up and presented Ada’s idea, barely changed, something in Leo’s expression shifted.

  It wasn’t amusement.

  It was irritation.

  Leo hated cheaters. He hated work thieves even more. If you weren’t good enough to come up with your own ideas, you didn’t deserve to be here.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  He glanced at Ada. She wasn’t saying anything, wasn’t making a scene—but she knew. He could see the way her posture had tightened, how she was calculating instead of reacting.

  Good.

  If she had let this slide, he would have lost interest in her entirely.

  He leaned back in his chair, his voice deceptively light. “Well, that’s interesting…”

  Ethan didn’t react, but Leo could tell he was watching too.

  Samantha, on the other hand, looked ready to throw hands. “You’re not just leaving it like this, right?”

  Leo didn’t look at Ada, but he already knew the answer.

  She wasn’t.

  Late Night: Quiet Support

  That kid Nathan laughed loudly as Leo rolled off another joke. Another typical, sad little ass-kisser.

  Leo smiled warmly and clapped a hand on the young man's shoulder.

  "Thanks alot, Leo," Nathan gushed. "I totally appreciate it."

  "Any time," Leo waved away the thanks. "Gotta recognise talent when we see it. Who knows? You could be my boss one day." So much bullshit.

  But Nathan lapped it up. Leo could tell that the little piece of crap even believed it. It was as if the universe was just giving Leo reasons to do what he was doing. Not that Leo needed convincing. If Nathan had half a brain, he would be wondering why the hell anyone would offer to help him right now, and also wondering who the hell Leo even was. As it stood, it seemed like Nathan absolutely had no brain. No brain, and no scruples. Leo was absolutely certain he was doing the company a favour. He gave Nathan another random well wish and roamed away, heading towards the door with his bag slung over his shoulder.

  Leo had spotted Ada still at her desk hours ago, and he was not surprised to see her still there, fingers flying across the keyboard, her screen filled with code.

  He didn’t stop, didn’t say anything. Just kept walking. As he passed her desk, he dropped a bag of M&Ms onto it.

  “You got this, Spoon Girl,” he muttered before heading out.

  It wasn’t teasing. Not this time.

  End-of-Day Thoughts

  Leo usually didn’t lose sleep over juniors.

  But Ada?

  She wasn’t what he expected. He’d assumed she’d crumble. Get overwhelmed. Complain about Nathan.

  She didn’t. She just got to work.

  That? He respected.

  She wasn’t just a new hire anymore.

  She was one of their own.