Chapter 282
"Don't act like you have a choice," I thought bitterly. "You made your bed."
"Alright, Mr. Foster," I said, my voice carefully neutral.
Leaving Linda's office, I headed straight for Katherine's. She looked surprised to see me.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"I'm the director's assistant now," I said flatly.
Katherine's jaw dropped. "What? No, you can't be. You can't accept this position."
I walked over and pulled her into a hug. "Did he do anything to you after the wine tasting?" I asked, my voice tight with concern.
She pushed me away and walked over to the door, locking it carefully. "Remember to do that from now on," she said, her voice low.
I nodded, my heart sinking. There were no secrets in this company.
"He hit me," she said quietly.
"Where?" I growled, my blood running cold. "That bastard! What gives him the right?"
"Did he hit your face?" I asked, noticing her makeup was heavier than usual, and her left cheek seemed slightly swollen.
Katherine turned her head away. "It's fine now," she mumbled.
"That bastard!" I muttered through gritted teeth. It had been two days since the wine tasting, and the swelling hadn't completely subsided. He must have hit her hard. "I'll make him pay for that, tenfold."
"Linda and Joseph are in cahoots," Katherine said, her voice shaking slightly. "They made some kind of deal. That trap was meant for me. He suspects me even more now. You need to leave, John. Resign as his assistant. Leave Skyliho Group. It's not safe here anymore."
"I can't leave you here alone," I said, my resolve firm.
"This isn't the time to be impulsive," she pleaded. "I know you're worried about me, but you staying here will only make things worse. Don't you see?"
"What do you mean?"
"Steven is using you to keep an eye on me," she said, her gaze intense. "He suspects you too."
"me? Why?"
"He doesn't trust anyone," Katherine explained. "That's why the position of director's assistant has always been vacant. He would never allow someone he didn't trust to be so close to him."
I was stunned. Steven's words, his friendly demeanor, it was all a facade. He had been playing me all along.
"That's all the more reason for me to stay," I said, my voice hardening with determination. "If I resign now, it'll look like I'm guilty. He'll think we're involved in something, and that's when things will get really bad."
I told her about Linda's proposition, even playing the recording of our conversation.
Katherine's eyes narrowed. "You recorded her?"
"Of course," I said. "That woman is playing a dangerous game. Little does she know, we're already one step ahead."
"One step ahead?" she echoed, raising an eyebrow.
"Well," I said, my cheeks flushing slightly. "You know what I mean."
She chuckled, her mood lightening a little. "So, you're going to use this opportunity to get close to Linda and gather evidence against her?"
"Something like that," I said, grinning.
I pulled her into a hug. "I told you I'd help you get out of this mess," I whispered. "No matter what it takes."
"But it's too dangerous," she protested. "His office is probably bugged. It's too risky."
"We'll figure it out," I reassured her. "As long as I'm close to him, we'll find a way."
Katherine looked at me, her eyes softening. "If you can pull this off, John," she said, her voice husky with emotion, "I'll be indebted to you forever."
"Your word?" I asked, my heart pounding.
"My word," she confirmed, a small smile playing on her lips.
"No take-backs," I teased.
"No take-backs," she echoed, her smile widening.
I couldn't resist any longer. I leaned in and kissed her. It was a chaste kiss, but it spoke volumes of the emotions swirling within me.
We couldn't afford to be complacent. Katherine called in her assistant and instructed her to cooperate with me. To make the act convincing, Katherine even suggested I "seduce" her assistant.
I couldn't help but laugh. The assistant was attractive, but she paled in comparison to Katherine.
Back in my own office, I drew the curtains and did a thorough sweep for hidden cameras. I couldn't be too careful.
Just as I was pondering my next move, my phone vibrated. It was a message from Nicole.
[Are you there? Can we talk?]
She had been sending me messages all weekend, some of them quite suggestive, but I had ignored them all. I wanted to keep her on edge.
[Have you made up your mind?] I texted back.
[Yes, I'll tell you everything,] she replied, her voice trembling in the voice message she sent.
I listened to her confession, my blood turning to ice. It was a vicious scheme.
Jenny, as the director of the marketing department, was responsible for approving and overseeing all projects. Nicole, following Linda's orders, had been falsifying accounts, making it seem like Jenny was embezzling funds.
There were over twenty transactions, each relatively small, but they added up to a significant amount. The largest one was related to the Winest Company project, the one I had been involved in. According to Nicole, I was also implicated.
This could lead to hefty fines, dismissal, and even jail time.
And to make matters worse, she revealed that Paul was also involved.
Fury coursed through me. Paul, my supposed friend, had been working with Nicole to frame me. He had benefited from the Winest Company project, and now he was trying to throw me under the bus.
Mia, the seemingly flighty one, had been genuine, while Paul, the one who had presented himself as honest and trustworthy, had been the one playing a dangerous game.
I was filled with a cold rage. I had been played for a fool.
[Someone put you up to this, didn't they?] I texted back, my fingers flying across the keyboard.
[No, I just wanted a promotion,] she replied, her voice unconvincing.
[Don't lie to me,] I warned. [If we're going to do this, we do it on my terms. Be honest with me, or I'll hand over all the evidence to Jenny. Then you'll be the one facing the consequences.]
[Wait! I'll tell you everything,] she pleaded. [It was Mr. Foster. Linda put me up to it.]
Linda? Why would she want to frame Jenny? And why drag me into it?
[Why?] I demanded.
[I don't know,] she insisted. [I was just following orders. Please, you have to believe me!]
I stared at the phone, my mind racing. This was bigger than I had imagined. I was caught in a power struggle between Linda and someone else, and I had no idea what the stakes were.
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