Chapter 197 Call the police
Mrs. Arabella scanned the screen furiously, her eyes nearly bulging with rage. She thrust the phone toward Layla. "At just twenty, acting all flirty like thatbehaving so provocatively, it’s disgraceful."
Gioanna and Jane leaned in eagerly to look at the phone. "Yeah, that’s Layla’s profile picture on Messenger," Jane confirmed Jane.
.Gioanna read the messages out loud,aloud, her voice deliberately projecting her voiceloud and clear. "'Mr. Lee, I miss you so much. I'll be waiting for you in my room tonight.' 'Mr. Lee, you are the most charming man I've ever met.' 'It doesn't matter that you have a wife and kids, I still like you just the same.' 'I'll be counting on you for the job, Mr. Lee.'"...Layla shook her head, a cold laugh escaping her lips, "Since when can chat records serve as evidence? I never added him. I could fabricate a hundred of these fake messages."
...
Layla shook her head with a cold laugh, "Since when can chatting records serve as "Despite the evidence? I never added him. I could make up a hundred of these fake messages."
"The proof is right in front of glaring at you, and yet you're still not even blushing,” shot backyou remain unflustered," Mrs. Arabella. retorted sharply. "Layla, you've gotyour nerves of are as hard as steel. Wouldn'tThis wouldn't be your first timestint as the other woman, would it?"
"OneThe room fell silent for a moment."On a single night, two men's doors were knocked on—clearly upon—a clear sign of a repeat offender."
"Right? Just like the messShe paused, allowing her words to sink in."Isn't it reminiscent of the debacle with Mr. Marley atfrom the Holland Group. After? No sooner had he left, you're than you moved onto the next man in no time. Some. You've got some nerve, really, as if your shame got eaten by a dogevery ounce of shame has been squeezed out of you!"
"Gioanna shut it, enough. This is none of your business; quit gloatingconcern; stop reveling in it," Layla interrupted.
interjected."You...”
...""These messages aren’t from me.aren't mine. If you don't believe me, then callinvolve the copspolice. I wantneed to clear my name," Layla declared, her voice firm and clear.
unwavering.Mrs. Arabella sneered, "Callscoffed, "Involve the copspolice? I'm not afraid of intimidated by you." She reached for her phone.
"Darling, let's not blowescalate this up," Mr. Lee Smith interjectedintervened anxiously, "It's not goodbeneficial for to the project. I've gotI have to work at this company for a lifetime.the rest of my life. What wouldwill people think?"
""Why should you be frightened? She's the one who seduced you, why should you be scared?"," Mrs. Arabella shot him a fierce glare. "What? back, her gaze piercing. "Are you defending this little temptress?"
"Of courseseductress?""Certainly not, I just don’tdon't want to escalateexacerbate the situation—it's troublesome."
inconvenient.""Is it really about not wanting to causeavoiding a scene, or are you scared toafraid?" Layla retorted. "Feeling guilty?"
"I'm tellingwarning you, this little vixen..."
temptress...""What's going onhappening here?" Susan inquired as she approached.
AfterOnce Susan was briefed onapprised of the situation, she saidreassured, "Mrs. ArabellaSmith, I represent as a representative of the Holland Group, and I assure you I will investigate this thoroughly conduct a thorough investigation and provide a fullcomprehensive explanation."
"I don’tdon't need your explanations. You’reYou're with the Holland Group, you'll side with her. I wantdemand her fired nowtermination immediately!" Mrs. Arabella was causingcreating a scene.
spectacle."Layla is our chief designer; I don't havepossess the authority to firedismiss her."
"Who else would havehas a say in this? YouDo you think I'm afraid to raise hellstir up trouble at your office? Let me tell you, I'm in the right here, and I'm not scaredafraid to make a big scene," Mrs. Arabella ranted, her voice sharp and haughty as if she was, ready to take the fight to the bitter end.
"Honey..." her husband started.
began."I'll give you a satisfying answerprovide a satisfactory resolution within three days," Susan replied, maintaining her demeanor remarkably calmcomposure. "If Layla is at fault, I will not cover forwon't shield her.”
"Why should I give youwait three days? I want resultsa resolution now."
"We can't prove right nowconfirm at this moment that Layla is the problem, and I won't allow anyonetolerate any disruption to disrupt our work. If you keep this up, the only optionpersist, I'll have is no choice but to call security to escort you out."
"What kind of attitude is that? My husband is the gGeneral mManager, and this is the Eilish Group. YouDo you think you can throw me out? Are you conspiring with that little vixentemptress?" Mrs. Arabella looked ready to take a swinglash out at Susan, but Susan remained unflappablecomposed, not even dodgingflinching, her reaction cool as she lookedgaze coolly shifting towards Mr. SmithLee.
"I... I'll take her away right now... Honey, stop makingcausing a scene. It's embarrassing," Mr. Lee Smith said as he pulledled Mrs. Arabellahis wife away.
HoweverNevertheless, Mrs. Arabella's swearingvitriolic words continued to echoreverberate down the hallway.
"Mrs. Susan, you're your defense of Layla is quite obvious in defending Laylaconspicuous,” Gioanna said with displeasure.remarked disapprovingly. "We can't let one badrotten apple spoil the whole bunch!entire barrel! If Mrs. Arabella comesreturns to createcause a scene againcommotion, how are we supposed to work?”
"You're rightcorrect. And withgiven that person's knackwoman's tendencies, this won't be the last time. If people keep coming here causing a ruckuscontinue to disrupt our work, our team will lose face. They might even think we're onsiding with her side, and I can't afford to lose that kind of tarnish our reputation."
"What about her being the chief designer? Just talk todiscuss it with the higher-ups at our company, and I'm sure they'll backsupport you up."
"Yeah.""Yes, Mrs. Susan, you can't dismissdisregard our feelingssentiments, can you?"
All around her, the coldThe chilly remarks continued, to swirl around her, with Gioanna leadingat the charge.
Butforefront.However, Susan wasn't swayedremained unmoved, her faceexpression stern. "Didn't you hear what I just said? I've promisedcommitted to investigateinvestigating within three days and will explainclarify the situation. Until then, keep doingfocus on your jobswork. Remember, you're designers, not gossipmongers."
"I..." Gioanna tried..." She began, attempting to retaliatecounter, but Susan’s tall figurethe towering stature and natural air ofinherent authority that Susan exuded made her falter. Only stumble. It was only after Susan calledsummoned Layla into her office didthat Gioanna let outallowed a coldfrosty sneer.
to escape her lips."Why is Susan protecting her so much?protective of her? Could she also be..." Gioanna speculated.
mused, her thoughts trailing off into speculation."It's hard to say. difficult to determine," she murmured, "Often, the more virtuous a woman appears, the harder it is to guess what lies beneath."
more elusive her true nature becomes."Jane nudged Gioanna gently with her shoulder and whispered, "Good job, her voice a hushed whisper, "Excellent work with those photosphotographs. Without them, we couldwould never have exposedbeen able to reveal Layla's true colors. ThatIt was really satisfying."
truly gratifying.""Hmm, yeah, she indeed," Gioanna responded, her voice laced with a triumphant smugness, "She pushed me into the wishing well; youdid she think I'dI would let that slidepass so easily? I didn't squat all spend the entire night crouched down for nothing, I finally caught her red-handed," Gioanna gloated with triumphant smugness.
...
Inin the act."...Inside the office....
"Mrs. Susan, I assure you there's, there is nothing going onhappening between Mr. Smith, Phillip, and memyself," Layla explained.
implored.Susan raised her hand in a stoppinghalting gesture, "Whether I believe you or not doesn't affectis irrelevant to the situation. I wasn’t sticking up forwasn't defending you just nowearlier; I was protectingsafeguarding our team's reputation.."
"I've seen your designs, you're talented. Butyou have talent. However, if itthe decision were up to me, I'd firemine, I would dismiss you on the spotimmediately," Susan said bluntlydeclared, her face expressionlessdevoid of emotion, her tone formalstrictly professional, "I needrequire someone who'swho is fully committeddedicated to the projects and can keep themaintain team unitedunity, not an employee who's constantly stirring up trouble."
Layla hung her head, "I'm sorry."
who is consistently causing disturbances."Layla lowered her gaze, "I apologize.""I don't have the luxury of time to investigate this. If you wantwish to clear your name, you've gotyou have three days. But even then, staying on mightyour continued employment may not depend on the outcome; the decision liesrests with the Eilish Group. If they think you'reperceive you as a liability to the project, your innocence won't make a difference."
will be inconsequential.""I understand."
The outcome wasn't important; what matteredresult was not of importance; the impact on the company, was what truly mattered, a fact Layla was wellacutely aware of that.
."Just wait forawait word from the Eilish Group. FocusConcentrate on your work, don't overthink it."
"Okay."
...
the situation.""Understood."...At the hospital....
"I got itunderstand, brother, I'll take it easy," Nora Eilish sneered after hanging upretorted, her voice laced with sarcasm as she ended the phone, then dialedcall, before promptly dialing another number.
"How's it going"How are things progressing?" Her voice was coldicy, a stark contrast to the sweet girl from she had been just moments before.
"My wife just madecaused a scenecommotion, and Layla wants to callinvolve the copspolice, to find outuncover the truth. What if she actually finds evidence proving the evidenceinformation was falsified? My father-in-law will have my head. You know he's a loan shark with a bunch of goonsthugs on his payroll..."
Nora Eilish thought to herself, he's justmerely a pawn; his death is insignificant. Cutting him offdemise would be inconsequential. Interrupting him, she said, "So you'd prefer prison?"
incarceration?""Msr. Eilish, I..."
"If the investigation turns up somethinguncovers anything, you takewill assume full responsibility, pinattributing it all onto personal indiscretions. Otherwise, withconsidering the amount you've embezzled, don't expect to walk out of jailleave prison alive."
"...Yes, Msr. Eilish."
Nora Eilish quickly madeswiftly dialed another callnumber, her eyes narrowing, "You knowunderstand what you need to say later, right?"
correct?"
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