Hadley felt perplexed. Why did he keep changing the subject? It was baffling.

Coleson cut to the chase, "Did you mess up at work? Are you lacking skills? Or did you embezzle funds?"

Upon hearing the accusation of embezzlement, Hadley’s gut reaction was: "No way! I didn’t do anything like that!"

Coleson spread his hands in a conciliatory manner. "There you go. This is a company, and I'm the CEO. I don’t let personal feelings interfere with business. Since there’s no misconduct, why would I fire you?"

Hadley was momentarily stunned, looking at the coffee on the table. Was it really just about making him coffee?

"Did you summon me to your office just for a cup of coffee?"

Coleson grinned wider. "Not at all. Here's your ID badge." He opened a drawer and placed Hadley's work badge, which she had left behind the other day, on the marble tabletop.

"Oh, I thought I'd left it at home," Hadley awkwardly took back her badge and thanked him, "Thank you, is there anything else, Boss?"

Coleson chuckled with a twinkle in his eye, "Keep up the good work, and Heritage Corp will treat you right." With that, he dismissed her with a wave of his hand. "Get back to it."

Hadley nodded, put her badge away, and turned to leave the office. She had an unsettling feeling that something wasn’t quite right. This CEO wasn’t at all as she had imagined. Maybe she’d misjudged him, and he really didn’t care about what happened at the pub.

As Hadley left, the door quietly closed behind her. Coleson clenched his jaw, slammed the table, and stood with a malicious grin, muttering under his breath, "Hadley, you started this, and you don’t get to walk away unscathed. Actions have consequences."

In the conference room, the new CEO made his entrance. The phrase "new broom sweeps clean" loomed over everyone, keeping them on edge. They feared their work might not meet his standards. It felt like a ticking bomb.

In a surprising move, Coleson waited till the reports were finished before speaking: "To mark my new position, I’ve booked a place. Everyone is welcome to join me for Happy Hour after work, on me. I look forward to seeing all of you there."

His announcement brought a collective sigh of relief followed by enthusiastic applause.

The venue Coleson reserved was a short drive from the office, located conveniently nearby.

The space was expansive and buzzing with energy. Some danced, others sang, and everyone was in high spirits. Hadley sat on the sofa sipping a soda, while Emir was roped into singing by Keianna.

Coleson quietly drank on the other side, his gaze occasionally drifting to the composed Hadley on the sofa. A cunning smile formed on his lips as he moved to join her. He shifted the ring on his thumb to his middle finger, picked up an empty beer bottle, and approached her.

"Let's play a game, everyone. Spin the bottle, and whoever it lands on drinks. Who wants in?"

Coleson’s suggestion drew a gathering of colleagues. Even if the game was a bit old-fashioned, nobody dared refuse the boss’s invitation. Hadley wanted to leave but found herself enveloped, so she reluctantly stayed.

Coleson signaled for drinks and set the bottle spinning.

The first spin targeted Luke, who accepted his fate and drank a beer.

The next spin landed on Coleson. Following his orders, the waiter brought vodka, and Coleson downed a glass.

Everyone was caught off guard when the penalty was vodka rather than beer.

"This makes it more thrilling. Beer is like water. And there’s a rule: first time, one glass; second time, two; third time, three, and so forth. Adds a bit of challenge."

Some began to regret joining. As Coleson spun the bottle again, their eyes watched anxiously.

The bottle slowed to a halt.

Coleson’s grin widened as it pointed at Hadley.

Hadley hadn’t expected it to target her and looked startled.

Playing the gentleman, Coleson handed her a glass of vodka with a teasing expression.

Hadley took a deep breath. It was just vodka; she’d handled her drinks before. She accepted the glass and drank it down amid cheers from her male colleagues.

She coughed slightly as the vodka burned her throat. Coleson’s grin became more satisfied. Hadley, the evening was just beginning.

He twisted the ring on his finger and spun the bottle again. It stopped on Hadley once more, causing relief among the other players.

Coleson poured two glasses of vodka with a bright smile. "I’ve heard bottles have favorites, Hadley. This bottle must be fond of you."

Hadley reluctantly picked up the glasses and drank them.

Guided by Coleson’s manipulations, the third spin also landed on her. Watching Coleson refill the vodka glasses, she was bewildered, her gaze questioning his smug grin.

Seeing Hadley hesitate, Coleson goaded, "Bottoms up."

Hadley exhaled and reached for her glass.

Suddenly, the glass was taken from her. She turned to see Emir standing there.

"I’ll drink for her," he said calmly.

Everyone was surprised, then burst into cheers as coworkers gathered around.

"Woo~!"

"Way to steal the spotlight!"

"You're the man, Emir!"

Coleson shrugged, feigning indifference. "Hadley, your drinking is telling. But if Manager Emir wants to drink for you, that’s fine since you’re a woman."

The remark was taunting. Hadley calmly glanced at Coleson, then picked up a bottle of vodka and poured herself a drink. With defiance, she downed the three glasses one after another.

"Woo~!" Applause erupted in response.

Coleson had anticipated she’d let Emir step in, but with some light provocation, she showed surprising resolve. He clapped, acknowledging her, "Nice job. Want to keep playing?"

Hadley’s cheeks flushed as she slightly turned her head, shooting him a sidelong glance, "Strange, aren't we already playing?"

Emir Holmes could sense that the new manager had a vendetta against Hadley Marshall. He reached out discreetly to give her a subtle nudge of caution, but Hadley ignored him.

Coleson Reynolds noted her defiant posture and smirked to himself, determined to show Hadley what defeat looked like. He adjusted the ring on his middle finger and prepared to spin the bottle again.

With confidence shining in her eyes, Hadley took off her hoop earring and slipped it onto her ring finger. To everyone's astonishment, the bottle landed in front of her once more. This was the fourth time in a row, and whispers of disbelief spread through the room. Could it be that the bottle had indeed marked her, as the manager hinted?

Without hesitation, Hadley accepted her fate and began downing drinks, ignoring Emir’s attempts to intervene. Her cheeks flushed, and beads of sweat formed on her forehead. Seeing her determination, Coleson hesitated and stopped pouring the fourth drink. But Hadley grabbed the glass herself, raised it high, and emptied it with a fearless tilt of her head. Watching her, Coleson felt a twinge of guilt and decided to ease off this time.

He was about to spin the bottle again when Hadley abruptly placed her hand over it. "What's the matter? Giving up already?" she taunted, which suited Coleson just fine.

Swaying slightly, Hadley stood up. "Why should I back down? It's my turn to spin the bottle anyway," she declared. Before Coleson could respond, she snatched the bottle with a disdainful glance in his direction, challenging, "Afraid to play, Mr. Manager?"

Coleson chuckled, "You've been losing. Bring it on!" Hadley, her face a charming red, looked particularly captivating as she gripped the neck of the bottle and spun it.

All eyes followed as the bottle twirled, eventually stopping and pointing straight at Coleson. He was incredulous, "Impossible!"

With a satisfied grin, Hadley picked up a bottle of vodka, filled a glass, and commanded, "Drink up, kiddo."

Caught up in the game's twists, the crowd gasped. Emir, noticing Hadley's excitement and slurred words, whispered in her ear, "He's the manager. You're drunk. Let's talk tomorrow; I'll take you home."

Hadley frowned and brushed off Emir's hand, muttering, "There is no tomorrow; you won't see me then." She was aware Coleson was intentionally making life difficult for her, but her focus was on standing up to him. "Mr. Manager, let's finish this game."

She leaned forward and spun the bottle again, and to Coleson's disbelief, it pointed at him once more. "No way, even rookies don't get this lucky," he thought.

Hadley laughed triumphantly, "Looks like the bottle has picked you this time." Coleson, frustrated, lifted his glass. A brave colleague nearby suddenly offered, "Mr. Manager, let me drink for you."

Hadley raised an eyebrow, shaking her finger lightly. "Drinking and integrity are best friends, right? But if some young lady wants to drink for you, who am I to object? I’m generous like that."

Coleson, clearly irked, filled a glass of vodka and downed it in one go, while Hadley, fueled by drink, no longer feared anyone or anything.

In the following rounds, as Coleson kept muttering "Impossible, impossible..." the bottle unfailingly landed on him. "Damn it," he swore, but a loss was a loss, and drink he must.

Coleson paused midway through his third drink, unable to continue. Hadley leaned in, her words slightly slurred, "Trying to mess with me, kid? Who am I? I’m unbeatable! Can't drink anymore? I'll drink for you." Before Coleson could react, Hadley grabbed the two remaining glasses from the table and downed them boldly, "Two at once, hooray!"

"That's amazing!"

"Capture it and post it on Twitter!"

Having finished, Hadley leaned forward again to speak but accidentally let out a belch, causing Coleson to recoil. Her eyes were heavy and unfocused as she swayed, "Admit it, kid. You've lost."

Drunkenly, she removed the earring from her finger, "Thinking that spinning the bottle with your ring is clever—it’s not even as good as my earring," she slurred, placing it in Coleson's palm. "Kid, practice at home more," she advised, punctuated by another hiccup, her body giving in, nearly collapsing backward. Emir, ever the gentleman, caught her just in time.

Hadley was thoroughly intoxicated as Emir helped her out of the bar.

Outside, Eloise Cunningham, not pleased with Emir’s decision, followed after them. "Why are you taking her? Can’t someone else do it?"

"I have a car, and Hadley’s hammered. I need to make sure she gets home safely."

Ignoring Eloise's protests, Emir helped Hadley into the car as Eloise stomped her foot in frustration. In the car, Emir struggled to recall Hadley's address, vaguely remembering it was in the East End, but unsure of the exact location.

As Emir drove toward the East End, he hoped Hadley might regain some awareness. "Hadley, Hadley, where in the East End do you live?" he asked.

She frowned, annoyed by the interruption, and replied weakly, "East End... Lakeview Gardens..."

"Can you be more specific? Which building and apartment number? Hadley? Hadley?"

"Stop bothering me... I want to sleep... No shower for me..." In her drunken haze, Hadley began to pull at her coat.

"Hey, Hadley, don’t take that off." Emir said, alarmed, tapping the brakes sharply.

Hadley, caught off guard, lurched forward into the dashboard. A soft groan escaped her.

Emir drew a sharp breath, concerned, and gently nudged her, "Are you alright?"

"Leave me alone..." she muttered, eyes remaining shut, drifting back into sleep.

His hand resting on her shoulder, Emir tried to steady his errant thoughts—her warm, soft form close enough to stir unwelcome fantasies. But seeing her peacefully asleep, he shook off his musings with a determined shake of his head.

He sighed, realizing his only option was to get her to Lakeview Gardens and then use her phone to contact a friend or family member for the exact address.

The drive to Lakeview Gardens wasn't far, and soon Emir parked within the complex. He tried to gently rouse Hadley, supporting her as he did. Yet, she slumped against him, lacking any balance.

Hadley Marshall was deep in slumber, leaning unsteadily against Emir Holmes for support. Emir was focused on finding her phone to contact her family quickly.

Meanwhile, Josiah Marshall emerged from a convenience store clutching a bottle of wine when the glare from Emir's car headlights caught his attention. Reflexively shielding his eyes with his hand, he saw something that instantly enraged him: his daughter, appearing tipsy and seemingly vulnerable to an unknown man. He dropped the bottle and, despite wearing slippers, dashed to the car, yanked the door open, and pulled Emir out.

"You punk!" he yelled, landing a punch before Emir could even react.

Stunned by the blow, Emir stumbled back, trying to regain his balance. Josiah quickly circled the car to the opposite door, shouting, "Hadley! My daughter!"

Without Emir's support, Hadley was slumped against the car window. Josiah opened the door and she tumbled out, groaning, "It hurts..."

Josiah crouched to aid his daughter as Emir, nursing his injury, approached cautiously, "You must be Hadley's father? Sir, I think there's a misunderstanding."

Josiah propped Hadley up, glaring at Emir, "I saw you with my daughter, and she looks drunk. You got her drunk to take advantage of her, didn’t you? You should be careful!"

Emir took a deep breath, staying calm, "Sir, I'm Hadley's boss, Emir Holmes. She drank too much at a party, and I offered her a ride because I have a car. I was just trying to find her phone to call her family since I wasn’t sure of the exact apartment."

Supporting his daughter steadily, Josiah couldn't ignore Emir's sincere explanation. Hesitating, he asked, "Are you really Hadley's boss?"

Eager to make a good impression on Josiah, Emir quickly pulled out his ID from his suit pocket and said firmly, "Yes. I'm the manager of the Design Department at Skyline Enterprises, Emir Holmes. Hadley told me she lives at Lakeside Gardens, but she was too intoxicated to give me the exact address."

Realizing Emir's honesty, Josiah's anger subsided. He reconsidered, noting that if Emir intended harm, he wouldn’t have brought Hadley home. Feeling embarrassed, Josiah mumbled, "I'm sorry, young man. I didn’t mean to..."

Emir, relieved that Josiah believed him, replied, "No problem, sir. It was a misunderstanding. You should take Hadley home. She’s had quite a bit to drink. Take care of her; I'll be on my way."

Josiah thought about inviting Emir in for coffee but, considering the late hour and Hadley's groggy state, decided to let Emir go.

Hadley slept soundly through the night, not even stirring when River Marshall, her mother, tried to wake her twice in the morning. Turning over, Hadley ignored the calls to get up.

"Hadley? It's time to get moving! You'll be late," River urged.

Hadley mumbled, pulling the duvet over her head and slipping back into sleep. "Get up, Hadley!" River, now impatient, opened the curtains and pulled the duvet away without hesitation.

Light flooded the room and Hadley finally opened her tired eyes, rubbing them, "What? I wanted to sleep more."

"You can't. It's already bright out. Get up, clean up, have breakfast, and head to work."

Still half-asleep, Hadley allowed River to guide her out of bed. As she stumbled toward the door, not really paying attention, she bumped her head against the door frame, wincing, "Ouch! Stupid door." With that, she kicked it in frustration.

River chuckled, "You’re just like your dad, jumping to conclusions without knowing the full story."

Noticing the pointed comment, Hadley turned, puzzled, "What's Dad done?"

River entered the bathroom, squeezing toothpaste onto a brush, "Last night, your dad thought your boss, Mr. Holmes, was taking advantage of you, yanked him from the car, and punched him."

"What?" Hadley cried in disbelief, "Dad's so impulsive!"

River laughed, handing her daughter the toothbrush, "He was just worried about you. What's done is done, so I bought some ointment. Take it to work to smooth things over. Your dad said your boss seemed decent and friendly. Explain and apologize properly, and I doubt he’ll hold it against you. And, remember, as a young lady, don’t let this happen again."

Seeing her mother's stern expression, Hadley nodded, "Got it."

Hadley quickly freshened up and applied light makeup. With time short, she thought of skipping breakfast but was stopped by River, who handed her a bagel and the ointment, reminding her to apologize to her boss.

In a rush, Hadley squeezed onto the bus, finally having a moment to nibble on the bagel River had packed. Next to her, a young woman on a phone call seemed to be arguing with her boyfriend about a job interview. "You’re acting like a child," the woman said sharply. "I’m working hard for our future."

The words hit home for Hadley, reminding her of the previous night when, in her drunken state, she had criticized Coleson Reynolds and told Emir there was no tomorrow for her. The memory caused her to pause mid-bite, closing her eyes with a sigh. Her reckless words and actions weighed heavily on her mind. Lost in thought, she barely noticed the bagel in her hands seemed heavier with each passing moment.

As the bus reached her stop, Hadley got off, still holding the uneaten bagel. Looking up at the imposing Skyline Enterprises building, she recalled her first day walking into its grand lobby, amazed at how different a high-end office felt, especially the Design Department with its artistic flair; it was like stepping into a dream.

"Argh..." she sighed, trying to ease the knot in her stomach. She had really messed up last night, and after upsetting the general manager, she couldn't see how she could keep working at the company.