The Intern Punishes Her Billionaire Boss Chapter 03

The Intern Punishes Her Billionaire Boss Chapter 03 Who Is Your Superior?

A deathly hush descended upon the room.

Several of the senior designers, whom I’d hand-picked during the interview process years ago, now sat like statues, eyes downcast, feigning intense focus on their work.

Ivy’s face soured. She had clearly expected someone to back her up, but not a single person did. The silence caught her completely off guard.

She clenched her jaw and thrust her chin out defiantly. “As the CEO’s special assistant, I’m in charge of monitoring all employees. Clearly, I’m your superior! If you have a problem with that, you can take it up with Mr. Cole!”

“Very well,” I nodded, reaching for my phone. “I’ll have him come right over.”

A collective gasp rippled through the onlookers. Everyone thought I’d lost my marbles. An old-timer, supposedly just coasting along, was actually daring to challenge the CEO’s authority?

Ivy smirked triumphantly. Paying her expression no mind, I scrolled through my contacts and hit the call button for Julian.

The phone connected after just two rings. “Hello?” Julian’s voice, as always, was composed and steady.

“Julian, come to the Design Department,” I said, my tone matter-of-fact. I didn’t bother with formalities or explanations, treating him more like a subordinate.

There was a brief pause on the line, then he replied, “Alright, I’ll be there shortly.”

I ended the call and gently placed my phone on the desk.

Ivy folded her arms across her chest and snorted. “Putting on a show. Just wait until Mr. Cole gets here. Let’s see how you talk your way out of this.”

I didn’t respond. Instead, I re-arranged my chair and sat back down, watching her with a calm, unruffled air.

In under three minutes, Julian’s imposing figure emerged at the entrance of the Design Department. As the leader I’d groomed, he’d developed a commanding presence that seemed to suck the oxygen out of the

room.

Ivy immediately scurried over to him, her voice dripping with false distress. “Mr. Cole, thank goodness you’re here! Scarlett flagrantly broke company rules by munching on snacks, sipping water, and playing on her phone at her workstation. I fined her three thousand as per the new regulations, but she not only refused to accept it, she talked back to me and even had the audacity to call you! She has no respect for you or the company’s rules!” As she spoke, she shot me a sidelong, taunting glance.

Julian’s eyes landed on me, and his brows knitted together ever so slightly. His gaze was a complex mix of annoyance, scrutiny, and something else I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Over the past three years, he’d evolved into a shrewd businessman, all cool calculation and decisive action.

“Scarlett, what’s the story here?” he asked, his voice cool and unreadable.

I met his gaze evenly. “Just as Assistant Ivy described. I had a bit of water, a soda cracker, and checked my phone for a few minutes.” I paused, then picked up the plate of cookies and slid it towards him. “Mr. Cole, you may not be aware, but I have hypoglycemia. I asked the Administration Department to keep these on hand for me at the company.”

“As for the phone,” I held up the screen, still displaying the chat from the client group. “Mr. Zhang from Vanke just sent a thank you note in the group and mentioned he’d refer a new client to us. I thought it was good news the team should know right away to boost morale. I’m not sure if that counts as ‘playing on the phone’?”

Julian’s expression darkened.

Ivy, sensing an opportunity, jumped in. “Mr. Cole, don’t be swayed by her excuses! Company rules are non negotiable. We can’t make exceptions for her! She’s using her seniority to undermine your authority. If you don’t come down hard on her, how can we enforce the company’s policies in the future?”