The Billionaire's Secret

Chapter 03

As Aiden Thompson stepped into the company entrance, he subconsciously glanced at Grace Li's skirt and noticed a small snag in the fabric. It wasn't obvious, but upon closer inspection, it was there. He didn't mention it, though, and instead asked, "Do I need to wait for HR to come back?"

Grace Li checked her watch. "They'll probably show up right on time. Let me take you to the office first."

"Alright," Aiden replied.

Aiden followed Grace Li into the office. The rectangular room had six workstations, each separated by half-height dividers. At the far end, there was a single wooden desk, twice the size of the others—that was Grace Li's spot.

Grace pointed to an empty desk next to Ryan's. "This will be your workstation from now on. Take a seat for now, and once HR gets back, you can complete your onboarding."

"Got it." Aiden nodded and sat down, picking up a folder left behind by the previous occupant to skim through.

Before long, Olivia walked in with a coffee cup in hand. Her eyes lit up when she saw the new colleague. She set her coffee down and walked over to Aiden.

"Hey, new guy!" Olivia greeted him with a warm smile, her dimples showing as her eyes crinkled with excitement. "I'm Olivia!"

"Hi," Aiden replied, his tone calm and measured.

"What's your name?" Olivia's enthusiasm didn't waver.

Aiden pulled out his phone, typed his name into the notes app—Aiden Thompson—and showed it to her.

Olivia nodded approvingly. "Nice name. Very classy."

In contrast to Olivia's bubbly energy, Aiden remained reserved. Olivia had more to say but, noticing his lack of interest, decided to back off. "We're on the same team. I've been with Nova Capital for two years. If you have any questions, just ask."

"Thanks," Aiden replied with a slight smile.

"No problem!" Olivia waved cheerfully and returned to her desk.

Once Aiden finished the onboarding process, Grace Li gave him a tour of the office, explaining the company's structure. Nova Capital had four partners. Benjamin Harris held a 60% stake and was the managing partner with the final say on decisions. Of the other three partners, one was a founding partner who mainly provided funding and stayed overseas, while the remaining two oversaw daily operations and sat on the investment committee.

The company had 40 employees in total. Excluding the administrative, HR, finance, and legal teams, the investment department consisted of 26 people divided into three teams, each led by an investment director. Grace Li was one of them, specializing in consumer sector projects.

After the tour, Grace handed Aiden a file for a new project—a chain of trendy restaurants in the planning stages. She intended to mentor him personally so he could quickly get up to speed.

In the afternoon, Grace and Ryan were scheduled to attend a meeting at a client's office. Grace decided to bring Aiden along to observe. As they walked to the elevator, Ryan, carrying his briefcase, suddenly realized he was a full head shorter than Aiden.

"Man, Aiden, you're not two meters tall, are you?" Ryan asked, craning his neck.

"Six foot two," Aiden replied.

"Doesn't seem like it. Are you wearing lifts?" Ryan joked, glancing at Aiden's shoes.

"No," Aiden said flatly.

"Definitely are!" Ryan teased.

Grace turned back with a smirk. "Ryan, maybe you're just short."

"Hey, I'm five foot eight!" Ryan protested.

Grace pressed the elevator button and shot him a look. "I'm five-seven in heels, and we're about the same height. You sure about that five-eight?"

Ryan sheepishly made a zipping motion across his lips. "Alright, alright, let's change the subject." Grace chuckled softly.

Aiden glanced at Grace, surprised at how approachable she was despite being a team leader.

In the elevator, Grace stood near the buttons, while Ryan stood beside Aiden, sneaking another look at his shoes. They were flat-soled leather shoes, no lifts. Ryan noticed their unique, vintage style and asked, "Hey, Aiden, where'd you get those shoes? They're pretty cool."

Aiden smiled faintly. "Picked them up at a thrift store. Thought they looked interesting and didn't cost much."

Ryan touched the fabric of Aiden's suit jacket, noting its smooth texture. "This suit thrifted too?"

"Yeah. I like finding vintage stuff—it's comfortable and has character," Aiden explained.

Ryan chuckled. "In this line of work, dressing too quirky might get you some side-eye. Old-school clients like their suits plain and proper."

Grace cut in. "Ignore him. As long as you look sharp and professional, you're fine."

Ryan raised his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. But I'm serious—Olivia wore something flashy to a pitch meeting once, and people couldn't stop staring."

"That's their problem," Grace said firmly. "Aiden, just wear what feels appropriate. Don't overthink it."

"Got it," Aiden said with a small nod.

When the elevator doors opened, Ryan trailed after Aiden like a sidekick, muttering, "Wait, you went to Oxford for your MBA, right? Why're you into thrift shopping?"

Aiden replied, "My family had some money, but now I'm paying off student loans. Oxford MBA tuition isn't cheap."

"Ah, makes sense," Ryan said, crafting a mental story about a wealthy heir turned self-made man. "Happens to the best of us. Don't let it get you down."

Grace rolled her eyes. "Ryan, you're terrible at pep talks."

"What? I'm just being supportive!" Ryan said, clapping Aiden on the shoulder. "Aiden, keep your head up!"

Aiden glanced at him, unimpressed, and chose not to respond.

For the meeting, they took Grace's BMW 3 Series. She unlocked the car with a click of her key fob.

"I'll drive," Ryan offered. Grace handed him the keys and got into the backseat, opening her laptop to review some documents.

Grace glanced at Aiden in the passenger seat. "You have a driver's license, right?"

"Yeah."

"Good. For long trips or client visits, we'll take turns driving. Makes it less tiring."

"Sure," Aiden agreed.

Ryan started the car and, as they pulled out, said, "Aiden, you're so reserved. You don't talk much."

"Am I?" Aiden asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Totally," Ryan said earnestly. "But I get it—student loans, stress, it can make anyone a bit moody. But life's long. You've gotta learn to—"

"Ryan," Grace interrupted, not looking up from her laptop, "shut up and let me work."

Ryan sighed dramatically. "Why're you so nice to Aiden but so mean to me?"

Without missing a beat, Grace replied, "Because you don't deserve it."

"Harsh!" Ryan exclaimed, feigning hurt.

Aiden's lips twitched in the faintest smile. He hadn't expected a private equity firm to be this relaxed. His first day had left a good impression—an approachable boss and quirky, well-meaning colleagues. Not a bad start at all.