Chapter 287
"Quick, some paper," I rasped. "I need to clean up."
Nicole dabbed at her face with the tissues, her eyes downcast, then hurried out of the office without a word. What a little minx.
I cleaned myself up, lit a cigar, and blew a few plumes of smoke under the desk to mask any lingering scent. Then, I opened the window and the door, letting the cross breeze air out the room.
Pulling out my burner phone, I reviewed the recording. Over half an hour of audio, crystal clear. And best of all, the money shot, captured in all its glory. I'd made sure to keep my face out of the frame, focusing only on her from the neck down.
The satisfaction was intoxicating.
I sent her a message.
[Good girl. That's one down, two to go.]
Her reply came a moment later.
[You're playing dirty, John.]
I sent her a short clip from the video, just a few seconds long. Her eyes widened in the video, her face a mask of panic.
She quickly messaged back again, and our exchange continued without a pause.
Nicole: [John, you're despicable!]
I: [Despicable? I'm just protecting myself. Behave, and I promise no one else will ever see this. Besides, you're wasted on just one man.]
Nicole: [What do you want from me?]
I: [No demands. Just obedience.]
She conceded: [Fine. But that video stays buried.]
Switching to my other phone, I messaged her other account.
I: [Oh no, this is bad.]
Nicole: [What happened?]
I: [Did John forgive you?]
Nicole: [No.]
Unable to bear her leisurely pace of replying, I couldn't help but give her a call.
"What did he do? He made you do what?" I gasped. "I told you not to get involved with him like that."
"I didn't want to," she insisted. "He forced me, threatened me. Said he'd make me regret it if I didn't obey."
How dared she blame me for her own action?
Little did she know, she was still playing right into my hands.
"You've really angered him," I said, my voice grave. "He doesn't react like this unless it's serious."
"What should I do?" she pleaded. "Help me."
"There's not much you can do now except lay low and try to regain his trust. He's a powerful man, Nicole. A good relationship with him could be very beneficial." I paused, letting the implication hang in the air. "And in the future... try to use your feminine wiles to your advantage. Seduction can be a powerful tool."
"So, I should win him over instead of fighting him."
She was a quick study.
"Exactly. He could be a valuable ally."
"Alright," she said, her voice resolute. "I'll do it. I'm in too deep to back out now. But you have to promise you'll be there for me."
"Always," I assured her.
I hung up the phone, a wave of satisfaction washing over me. Just as Amelia entered the office, carrying a box of her belongings. As expected, Linda had orchestrated everything perfectly.
Amelia settled down across from me. She wasn't conventionally beautiful, but there was a quiet magnetism to her, a warmth in her eyes that drew you in.
"John," she began, her voice low. "Now that we're on the same side, I'll be frank."
This was it. The moment of truth.
"Go on, Amelia. I'm listening."
"You're the assistant to the director now, a position of power. Your loyalty should lie with Ms. Wilson. We're a team."
She paused, her gaze hardening. "You have no idea how difficult things are for her here. Some people want her gone, and they'll stop at nothing to discredit her."
"Who?" I asked, my voice tight.
She pointedly glanced at the door next to us.
"Walton?"
She clamped a hand over my mouth before I could finish. "Don't say his name. Just know that the competition here is fierce, ruthless. There are no lines they won't cross."
"I've never seen anything like it," I admitted.
"Just trust me on this," she said, her voice low. "Now that you're in the general office, working directly under Walton, you need to be Ms. Wilson's eyes and ears. Speak well of her, defend her when you can."
"Of course," I said, meeting her gaze. "You have my word."
She offered a small smile. "Thank you, John."
With Amelia's help, the next few days passed relatively smoothly. I settled into a routine, carefully cultivating a good working relationship with Amelia.
Three days crawled by, each one an exercise in patience. I was stuck upstairs, tethered to Steven's unpredictable schedule.
At least Amelia's presence kept Nicole at bay. Not that she hadn't tried. Lily had bombarded my other accounts with messages and friend requests, but I ignored them all. My other persona claimed helplessness, unable to intervene.
Thankfully, Holly had everything under control at WY Media.
Finally, Friday arrived, and with it, the promise of Amelia's return to her own office.
But on Thursday afternoon, Ms. Charlotte summoned me to her office.
Linda dismissed herself, leaving us alone. "You've been doing excellent work, John," Ms. Charlotte praised. "Your reports have been very insightful."
"Just doing my job," I replied, my tone neutral.
More like fulfilling my end of a rather uncomfortable bargain.
"And how are things progressing with Ms. Jones?" she asked, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
"We're getting there," I said vaguely. "Trust takes time."
"Perhaps you need a little push in the right direction," she suggested, her lips curving into a knowing smile.
"What do you have in mind?"
"You'll see," she said, her voice laced with intrigue.
I returned to my office, a sense of foreboding settling over me. As I stepped inside, Amelia's voice, sharp with anger, cut through the air.
"This is outrageous!"
"What's wrong, Amelia?"
"What do you think?" she spat, her eyes blazing. "They've gone and reassigned my office. Turned it into a storage closet!"
"What? Where are you supposed to work now?"
"Where else?" she said, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "Here, with you."
So that was Linda's plan.
I had to hand it to her, the woman was resourceful.
"I'll go have a word with the chairman," I offered, already anticipating the futility of it all.
"Don't bother," Amelia said, her shoulders slumping. "She has the final say on office assignments. Even if the chairman knew, he wouldn't interfere."
I could practically hear Linda's triumphant laughter echoing in my ears.
I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the inevitable. "Well, Amelia, it looks like we'll be seeing a lot more of each other."
And with that, I resigned myself to helping her move her belongings into my already cramped office.
As we finished arranging her desk, it was almost time to leave for the day.
"Thank you for your help, John," Amelia said, her voice softer now. "Dinner's on me tonight."
Dinner?
Was this wise?
I quickly messaged Katherine, expecting a firm veto. Instead, her reply surprised me: [Go for it.]
[Are you sure?] I typed back, my fingers hovering over the keys.
I: [What about the plan?]
Katherine: [Improvise. Besides, a little seduction never hurt anyone.]
I sighed, pocketing my phone. "Alright, Amelia. Lead the way."
As we made our way down to the lobby, a stroke of bad luck struck. Lily was in the same elevator, her eyes widening as she spotted me with Amelia.
She'd been trying to contact me relentlessly these past few days, but I'd maintained radio silence. My other persona had assured her there was nothing he could do.
Lily edged closer, pressing into me from behind. Thankfully, the elevator was crowded enough to provide cover.
But I couldn't shake the feeling that I was walking a tightrope, and the net was about to disappear.
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