Chapter 33
Quincey was bent on wrecking Whitney’s life, set on trashing her career and her love life.
Meanwhile, Alison and Megan kept asking Thiago to check on Quincey. But every time they pressed him, he’d duck out, claiming he was busy at work. Truth was, he didn’t even want to see Quincey. He was up to his neck, playing detective on Whitney’s affairs.
After Quincey took that tumble, he checked the security tapes. Turned out, Whitney was telling the truth–Quincey’s fall was a solo act. She had meant to push Whitney.
Noticing that Whitney had changed big time, Thiago wanted to know what she had gone through in the past year. His subordinates told him Whitney and the Greene family were close, having dinner at their place almost weekly. When he thought of who Whitney might be with, Hayden’s face popped up–they’d been spotted together a bunch, and Whitney hosted Hayden’s art show.
But he couldn’t pin down the deal between them. His gut said Whitney and Hayden must be an item. The more he stewed on it, the more his head ached. Part of him didn’t want it to be true,
As he was wrestling with his thoughts, his office phone blared. He picked up with a curt, “Talk to me.”
“Mr. Mackenzie, one of our technicians suddenly resigned, and he was in charge of our most important project recently,” Jeremy told Thiago what he had just found out. “I suspect our business rival had poached him.”
“Where’s he working now?” Thiago didn’t like the timing.
Jeremy answered honestly, “I did. It’s a small company.”
“And did
walk with any top–secret stuff?” Thiago drilled down.
“He had his hands all over our key project proposal. I’m sweating bullets over whether he’ll spill, Jeremy confessed. “But there’s more–I’ve got an update about Whitney.”
At the mention of Whitney, Thiago’s stomach knotted up. ‘Her again?‘ He questioned, “What is it?”
Jeremy voiced his thoughts, “Indigox Corporation has decided to work with Whitney’s studio, and they asked to confirm whether we’re
giving up on the project.”
“Is it fixed?” Thiago asked.
“Looks like it, boss. Feels fishy, huh? Do you want me to step in?” Jeremy prodded. Jeremy was betting Whitney played her cards, with the Greene family maybe in the mix at that little biz.
Thiago was on the fence, still remembering when he got Whitney all wrong. He didn’t want to mess up and point fingers without proof. “Let’s hang tight, see what Whitney’s next move is. We can’t jump the gun with no evidence,” Thiago decided.
Jeremy felt helpless at Thiago’s words. He thought that ever since Thiago met Whitney again, Thiago had lost his old decisiveness and was now hesitant about anything to do with her. He used to think Whitney was useless, but now he found her horrible.
“But-“Jeremy tried to object.
However, Thiago interrupted, “No buts. Just do as I say.” He then hung up the phone.
After he hung up the phone, Megan burst into his office. She had overheard their conversation and wasn’t happy about Thiago’s decision. She also thought that he had become more unsure, especially on matters regarding Whitney. “Thiago, it’s crystal clear Whitney’s messing with us. I warned you, she’s gunning for revenge,” she pushed.
Chapter 33
Thiago already felt troubled, and Megan’s accusation added fuel to the fire. He snapped, “Shut up! What have I told you? Forget about Whitney! Were you even listening?”
Megan was a little scared when she saw Thiago losing his temper. Clutching her purse, she tried, “Thiago, I’m looking out for you.”
“Looking out for me? If you hadn’t started trouble with Whitney before, we wouldn’t be in this jam,” Thiago lost it, leaping up and pointing at Megan. “Cut the Whitney gossip, or I’ll pack you off overseas, and you know I’ll do it.”
Megan never left the country because all her friends and her crush were here. “I got it now, Thiago. I won’t mess with Whitney again,” she pledged, then bolted from the room.
Thiago w
was so angry that he unbuttoned his suit, threw it behind him, and plopped onto his chair. He turned on the computer and clicked on a photo of Whitney before they divorced,
Did he regret it? All he knew was that he didn’t want the split, and he wasn’t sure if she was the one he wanted.
The next day, Whitney hit the office bright and early, double–checked the latest design, and gave all the papers a second look before signing. She played it super safe, always.
Cindy knocked on the door and came in with a document she had just prepared. “I have good news this morning. It seems you have a good reputation these days.”
Whitney looked up at Cindy, reached out to take the document, glanced at it, and then ecstatically raised her head. “This project is ours? That’s great! How did you get it?”
“I’m not sure. The rivals for this project are the leading companies, like Mackenzie Corporation,” Cindy explained.
Whitney took a careful look at the terms of the contract and ensured nothing was wrong with it. “When are we signing the contract?” she
asked.
“I think they’ll call you later to confirm it. Just make sure to play it cool until it’s a done deal. Stuff happens, you know?” Cindy cautioned.
But Whitney was over the moon. “I’ve got faith in our design.”
Just then, the phone rang. Whitney picked up the phone and realized the caller was the person in charge of the project, Louis Barney.
“Ms. Collins, I’ve heard a lot about you,” Louis said.
“Hello, Mr. Barney! I’ve perused your contract and am grateful for your recognition,” she replied politely.
Louis laughed, “Actually, we’ve seen your design early on. We chose you because of your wonderful performance in Mr. Greene’s art exhibition. Not just the design of the art exhibition, but the way you work and your attitude were admirable.”
“I’m flattered, Mr. Barney. In fact, I know of several companies that are better than me,” she replied humbly.
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