Chapter 8 He's Here

• Laura.
• Is he serious?
• Project Phoenix is my idea, which I shared during a departmental meeting. It's only natural that I take charge of the project. Not Patricia.
• "But director," I call Jace, fuming but expressly keeping my face blank. "That's my idea..."
• "It is, but I'll take over the project, Laura. Do you have a problem with that?"
• I turn to Patricia, seeing the smug smirk on her face.
• That tells me she planned this whole thing. She's trying to use her position against me.
• My head whips back to Jace, apprehension rising inside me, "That's unfair, Mr. Jace. It took me sleepless nights to come up with the idea. I should handle the project."
• Patricia scoffs at me, crossing her arms over her chest. "Who cares you spent sleepless nights trying to come up with the idea?"
• She walks close to me, hiking one of her brows. "I'm above you, Laura Bells, and in this department, what I desire stands."
• My teeth clench and grind as I burrow my furious gaze at her.
• Project Phoenix is my first promotional project since I joined the company, and she's trying to take it from me?
• I curl my fingers into fists, and Patricia sees it and cackles.
• "What? You're going to hit me, Laura?"
• "She wouldn't dare." I look at Cersie, clearly recognizing her voice. She's Patricia's handbag. So, I'm not surprised she's butting in to support her. "She's just a lowly junior staff member in this department after all. Did you really think that by introducing this idea you'll automatically climb up to the head of department level?"
• They both laugh at their meaningless jokes. The others watch, fighting to hide their smile or pity.
• It's not the first time they're openly humiliating and bullying me, stealing my ideas, and personalizing them.
• That's one of the reasons I don't share ideas during the meetings again.
• I only shared Phoenix just because it's a promotional project idea. I mean, I've worked in this company for three years, and I truly want to get the promotion.
• Promotion means an additional paycheck.
• I can't imagine this bitch stealing my work again and crushing my dreams.
• "No, that's not right," I yell, turning to Jace Woods. I expect him to say something about this.
• This is purely white-collar theft, and I won't stand it.
• "Gosh, could you shut it?" Patricia barks, fanning her face. "Your blabbering is literally causing me to sweat, and I hate it." She sighs, rubbing her temple.
• "No. I'm not letting you steal from me again, Patricia,"
• The words escape me, laced with venom. I've never had such an urge to murder someone before, but right now, it's all I feel.
• How could she be so shameless?
• The director watches us, his face expressionless.
• What kind of a director is he? Jesus, why's nobody doing something about this office bully?
• "Talk again and I'll make sure to have you removed from this department..." She drags her gaze down my body, her face turning into a sneer. Then the corners of her lips curl, "Although, I'll be merciful enough to keep you with the janitors. After all, you look like them."
• I feel so horrified at her words, it causes my cheeks to turn into a blatant shade of red when I hear others laughing, especially Cersei.
• "She dresses like a pig. I don't even know why the HR allowed her to be here with us in the first place. Ugh! She makes me want to retch," Cersei's mock voice rings.
• My chest heaves in anger mixed with shame.
• Patricia waves her hand over my frame.
• "That's the point. With the kind of investor we're expecting today, someone like you can't attend to him. I will and I should," She twirls around, sashaying her waist.
• My gaze flicks over to Jace, and I'm shocked to see him licking his lips.
• That's the moment it all makes sense to me.
• She slept her way into this with Jace.
• No wonder he's just watching her wordlessly as she steals my work. Again.
• Patricia continues her show of superiority, earning revered looks from Cersei and the others.
• "The company needs this money, and I'm the only one with the power to coax Mr. Michael Stone into investing in it,"
• "I don't care, Patricia, but I'm not letting you take my work,"
• Her eyes widen at my defiance. She thrashes her hands and growls, hackles rising.
• "Really? Then watch me, take it!"
• She storms over to me, pushing me over the floor, and I land with a thud, my voice breaking into a shriek. I didn't see that coming.
• She pulls my bag away from me. I'm yelling, struggling to stand up while Patricia ransacks my bag, pulling out the file for the project which I've been working on for months.
• She flings my bag back at me, smiling. She raises the file, purring, "Hello, kitty, now I have it. What will you do about it?"
• I curse under my breath, pulling my stray hairs behind my ear. Pain ricochets from my butt to the rest of my body, rattling me.
• "I hate you!" I spit.
• "That's enough drama, ladies," Jace breaks the tension, finally.
• Kudos to him! Talking now after watching me get robbed.
• "Ms. Bells," he grunts, eyes on me.
• I struggle back to my feet, chest thrumming from my effort to breathe.
• I burn my eyes on him as he rumbles. "We appreciate you for introducing the..." he air quotes. "Unique idea. But Ms. Patricia Williams will take over from it, seeing that she's more capable of handling the project."
• The disappointment I feel now makes me want to quit my job here.
• But if I do that, what other company will employ me, and soon?
• My bills will definitely be choking me before I can get another job.
• And there's no guarantee I'll get another crypto company to work.
• It was by chance that I got Cryvex three years ago, and that's because it was a new company and they needed workers.
• Getting work in a crypto company requires connections, which I genuinely don't have.
• "That's right, Jace," Patricia echoes, sarcasm dripping from her smile.
• "So, now that we've established that. Patricia will be handling the presentation once the investor arrives..." Jace trails off when his cell phone rings.
• He pulls it out, tapping the answer button.
• He mutters a few words and cuts the call. His eyes slide back to us.
• "Everyone, the investor is here. Let's head to the meeting room."
• Everyone complies, strutting through the aisle to the meeting room.
• We all settle on the rectangular conference table. I nip my bottom lip at the pinprick of pain I feel.
• "I heard Mr. Stone is such a hot man. And so stinkingly rich,"
• I curl my lips in disgust and stare at Cersei as she rants to Patricia.
• "I know. I've seen him on the news a handful of times. He's so personal. Doesn't put himself in the media like others. That's why I wanted the role. At least, I can have personal time with the state's richest daddy," Patricia fans herself, clearly blushing.
• Huh!? So, she isn't doing this because she wants to handle the project, but because she wants to get close to the investor?
• I know she's shameless, but not to this extent.
• They continue to chatter, their words annoying the shit out of me.
• The noise in the room quietens the moment the door to the meeting opens.
• "Oh, my God, he's here," Cersei squeals, clasping her hands together.
• At the door, the CEO, Mr. Paul Blaze, walks in with someone else in his tow.
• He's wearing a long black coat over a spotless black suit and black pants. The black fedora hat on his head covers half of his face, as does the dark sunshade he's putting on.
• A thick aura envelopes the room the moment he enters, making me curious to see his face.
• He removes the fedora hat and his glasses, revealing his face, and my heart completely stops beating at the sight of him.
• Dizziness makes my head spin as I lock eyes with him.
• Shark.
• The man who had been haunting my dreams.
• TBC.