Sugar Daddy’s Little Princess

CHAPTER.3

Alice lay flat on her belly, kicking her feet. “22/1/2024.” She filled in the date on her planner and paused with her pen pressed to her mouth.

Alice had circled Wednesdays in her planner the moment she got her internship schedule. It had quickly become the best day of the week for her; Interns were given one day off out of the five working days to rest or, as the HR would say, “ to re-connect to your creative banks and no burning out”

For Alice, it wasn’t just a rest day. It was a day to strategise and think about what she really wanted to achieve in the span of this one year.

She had mapped her Wednesdays with care. Morning was for herself: a slow breakfast, a quiet stretch, sometimes a walk through the busy streets when she needed to clear her mind. By late morning, she was at the learning centre downtown for her professional certification classes. Passing the exams meant more than just a paper to her — it meant proving to herself, and maybe even to her family back home, that she could make something out of this internship beyond temporary paychecks and some work experience.

Her phone dinged. “Are you ready for your tour?” “Oh, Samuel. She rolled her eyes. He’s too dedicated to this touring job he assigned himself. Unlucky for me, I’m stuck with him since we have the same off days”

“Later in the evening, when the sun is down, " she replied..

With her schedule carefully tucked into her notebook, she felt a small thrill. Maybe she wasn’t in control of the whole internship, but at least she was in control of this day.

The next morning, reality came crashing back in the form of the conference room.

Nora gave her a quick nudge. “Big meeting day,” she whispered. “Stay sharp.”

Alice had never been inside the conference room before; the sight stopped her at the door. It didn’t look like a place for meetings at all—it looked like something borrowed from a hotel. The tables gleamed under soft lighting, the kind that made everything and everyone look a little richer. Neat rows of imported water bottles sat in front of each chair, the kind she’d only ever seen in stores but never bought for herself. Even the chairs were different, plush and embroidered instead of the stiff office seats she was used to.

The decorations made her pause. Elegant floral centrepieces lined the tables, their petals fresh and perfect. She wondered how much money they spent just on flowers that would wilt in two days. And then there was the food: pastries lined up in neat trays, bowls of fruit cut and arranged with care, even a box of chocolates that looked far too pricey to just sit out on a table.

Alice blinked, trying not to gape. If this is for an internal meeting, what would they do when entertaining foreign delegates or external people? Gold-plated forks? A private orchestra in the corner?

“Come on, Alice,” one of the interns whispered as they shuffled inside, a quiet reminder that gawking wasn’t part of the job.

She quickly fell into line, remembering her role. They were there to assist: set folders down, check seating arrangements, and make sure each director’s table had everything neatly placed. Her hands shook slightly when she picked up the stack of briefing papers — each page printed on thick, expensive stock.

As she moved down the row of chairs, she couldn’t help but steal glances at the directors filtering in. It was impossible not to notice how the air changed when they came in, like the room adjusted around their presence.

Deep down, she knew who she was waiting to see. That was when she saw him.

Ethan.

He walked in mid-conversation with another director, calm as if lateness was a problem that belonged to other people. His suit fit him like it had been sewn onto his body, and his stride was easy, unbothered. He carried no folder, no tablet; people moved aside as though the air itself made room for him. Alice tried to look away before their eyes could meet, but fate wasn’t so merciful.

He stopped by his seat at the far end of the table, and just as Alice passed by with a stack of materials, his gaze lifted. His eye didn’t wander; they stayed fixed.

“Good morning, sir,” she said quickly, dipping her head in polite greeting.

A faint smile curved at the corner of his mouth. “Good morning… Alice, isn’t it?”

Her chest tightened at the fact that he remembered her name. “Yes, sir.”

She turned quickly, pretending she still had a long row of chairs to cover. Don’t blush, don’t blush, don’t blush, what is wrong with me? she scolded herself, arranging papers a little too neatly on the next director’s seat.

Minutes later, as the meeting began and she took her position by the side wall, one of the senior associates tapped her shoulder. “Alice, take care of Mr Hale’s table. He prefers everything arranged precisely.”

Her feet carried her back toward the head of the room, pulse racing. Ethan was already seated, flipping through a report. She adjusted the pen and notepad by his side, placing them parallel to each other.

Then his voice reached her, low and casual. “Why haven’t you come by my office yet?”

Alice froze. She turned slightly, not sure she’d heard right. “Huh?”

He looked up at her then, his expression unreadable, almost amused. “Most interns stop by within the first week to have some tea. You, however, seem to be avoiding me.”

Her mouth went dry. She fumbled for words. “I… I’ve just been settling in. Trying not to overstep, sir.”

His eyes stayed on her a second too long, as if he didn’t buy the excuse. Then, with the faintest smile, he returned to his papers.

Alice could only manage a small, awkward smile before slipping away. Her heart hammered in her ears. Why did it sound like he was inviting her in, when all she wanted was to stay invisible? Was that something he said to every intern?. “Hmm, maybe he is just overly friendly” A flash of disappointment crossed her face.

The meeting dragged on, filled with discussions about policy, finances, and strategies far above her level of comprehension. But Alice didn’t waste the time. She studied the directors — who argued, who listened, who dominated the table. She watched which assistants stood close to their bosses, which interns made mistakes and which impressed. Every small detail felt like data she could store away for later.

She noted the way Linda and Nora contributed. Both women commanded respect without needing to raise their voices.

By the end of the meeting, she felt strangely proud of herself. She hadn’t spilled coffee, hadn’t fumbled papers, hadn’t drawn the wrong kind of attention. Slowly, she was starting to feel less like the clumsy new intern and more like someone who might actually belong here.

When the meeting closed, trays of neatly packaged souvenirs, materials, and refreshments were lined up for distribution. Each director had something set aside. Alice joined the interns in placing the small bags by the edge of the table.

When she reached Ethan’s seat, she carefully set the polished leather folder and the bag of refreshments down. She was halfway through turning away when his voice stopped her.

“Not here,” he said quietly, almost like an afterthought.

Alice turned back, confused. “Sir?”

He glanced at the items. “Bring them to my office.”

Her hands stilled over the table. For a second, she thought she might have misheard. But the way his eyes met hers — steady, direct — told her he meant every word.

Alice swallowed, forcing a polite nod. “Okay.”

As she picked up the items, she felt a strange mix of nerves and curiosity coil inside her.

Linda and Nora stayed back, whispering over their notes. As Alice reached for an extra file, Nora’s voice carried just enough for her to catch, “At least this one works. The last intern practically lived on her phone.”

“We’ll see. Most of them start eager, then fall apart once they realise sleeping with the men here isn’t enough to get them hired.” Linda answered more bluntly, glancing at Alice as she spoke.

Alice straightened, holding the file firmly. For a second, she thought of pretending she hadn’t heard. But instead, she walked over and extended the document to Linda.

“These are the corrected versions of yesterday’s reports. I reviewed them twice—there were a few numerical errors, but they’ve been fixed.”

Linda accepted the file, skimming through. Her brow softened just slightly. “You did this on your own?”

“Yes,” Alice answered calmly.

Nora’s lips curved into something that wasn’t quite a smile but wasn’t dismissive either. Linda gave a small nod. “Keep it up.”

It wasn’t praise exactly, but it wasn’t the cold indifference she’d gotten before either. For Alice, that was enough. A small c***k in the wall, proof she was being seen differently.

By the time she carried Ethan’s package down the hall to his office, her steps felt steadier.