**Chapter 4: The First Clash**  

Ellie's second week at Hunter Fashion Group was no less demanding than the first. Lucas Hunter's expectations were as relentless as ever, and Ellie found herself working longer hours just to keep up. But she was determined to prove herself, even if it meant sacrificing her social life and sleep. On Wednesday morning, she arrived at the office early, her hands clutching a cup of coffee as she prepared herself for the day ahead. She had a mountain of work waiting for her, including the preparation of materials for an important meeting with a potential investor. Lucas had made it clear that this meeting was a top priority, and Ellie was determined to get everything perfect. She spent the morning reviewing the investor's profile and compiling a detailed report on the company's financials and recent projects. It was a lot of information to process, but Ellie was confident in her ability to handle it. When she finally finished the report, she printed it out and placed it neatly on Lucas's desk, along with a summary of the key points. "Mr. Hunter, I've prepared the materials for the investor meeting," she said, standing in the doorway of his office. He glanced up from his computer, his expression unreadable. "Good. Leave them there." Ellie nodded and walked back to her desk, feeling a small sense of accomplishment. But her relief was short-lived. 

Later that afternoon, Lucas called her into his office, his expression stormy. 

"Miss White," he said, his voice sharp. "What is this?" 

He held up the report she had prepared, his eyes blazing with anger. 

Ellie's heart sank as she realized something was wrong. "It's the report for the investor meeting, Mr. Hunter. Did I—" 

"This is incomplete," he said, cutting her off. "You've left out critical information about the investor's previous projects and their impact on the industry. How am I supposed to present this to them?" 

Ellie's cheeks burned with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Mr. Hunter. I thought I had included all the relevant information. I must have missed something." 

"You *thought*?" he said, his tone icy. "This is unacceptable, Miss White. I expect you to double-check your work before presenting it to me. Do you understand?" 

"Yes, sir," Ellie said, her voice trembling. "I'll fix it right away." 

He dismissed her with a wave of his hand, and Ellie walked out of the office, her head down. 

She spent the next hour revising the report, her hands shaking as she typed. She couldn't believe she had made such a careless mistake. 

When she finally finished, she printed it out and placed it on Lucas's desk, along with a note apologizing for the oversight. 

But the damage had already been done. 

The next day, during the investor meeting, Ellie's mistake came back to haunt her. 

Lucas was presenting the report to the investors when one of them pointed out a discrepancy in the numbers. 

"This doesn't match the data we've seen from other sources," the investor said, his tone skeptical. 

Lucas's expression darkened as he realized the mistake. "I apologize for the oversight," he said, his voice tight. "I'll make sure we get you the correct information." 

The rest of the meeting was tense, and Ellie could feel the weight of Lucas's anger even from outside the room. 

When the meeting finally ended, Lucas stormed out of the conference room and headed straight for her desk. 

"Miss White," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "What the hell happened in there?" 

Ellie's heart was pounding as she stood up, her face burning with shame. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Hunter. I thought I had fixed the mistake, but I must have missed something." 

"You *thought*?" he said, his tone scathing. "This is unacceptable, Miss White. You've embarrassed this company in front of a potential investor. Do you have any idea how much damage you've done?" 

Ellie felt tears prickling at the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. "I understand, Mr. Hunter. I'll take full responsibility for the mistake." 

"You're damn right you will," he said, his eyes blazing with anger. "But that's not enough. You need to start taking your job seriously, or you won't last here. Is that clear?" 

"Yes, sir," Ellie said, her voice trembling. 

He turned and walked away, leaving Ellie standing at her desk, her hands clenched into fists. 

She felt a surge of anger and frustration, but she forced herself to take a deep breath and calm down. 

She had made a mistake, and she would own up to it. 

But she couldn't let it define her. 

She spent the rest of the day double-checking her work and making sure everything was perfect. She was determined to prove to Lucas that she was more than just a careless assistant. 

But the tension between them was palpable, and it made the rest of the week even more challenging. 

On Friday afternoon, Lucas called her into his office again. 

"Miss White," he said, his tone neutral. 

Ellie walked in, her heart racing. "Yes, Mr. Hunter?" 

"You've completed the tasks I assigned you this week," he said, his expression unreadable. 

Ellie nodded, unsure of where he was going with this. "Yes, sir." 

He studied her for a moment, then nodded. "Good. Keep up the work." 

And with that, he dismissed her, leaving Ellie staring after him in stunned silence. 

It wasn't exactly praise, but it was the closest thing to a compliment she had gotten from him all week. 

And for now, that was enough. 

As she stepped into the elevator and headed home, Ellie allowed herself a small smile. 

She had survived another week. 

And she was ready for whatever challenges came next.