Chapter 611 The Person Behind
Ashley rolled her eyes at Vivienne and asked with feigned ignorance, "Ms. Mae, what brings you here?" despite knowing full well the reason.
Vivienne brushed her bangs aside and replied smugly, "I'm here because His Highness approved it himself. He said I'm a rare talent who will help the company flourish!"
Ashley pursed her lips, silently watching Vivienne's self-aggrandizement.
Noticing Ashley's lack of reaction, Vivienne pushed further, "Let me tell you a secret—the other day, His Highness kissed me! He even promised we'd spend an unforgettable night together when the opportunity arises."
'What an idiot!' Ashley thought to herself, but outwardly she just smiled. "Is that so? Thanks for the heads-up. I'll have to keep a close eye on him day and night to make sure you never get that chance."
Vivienne, who had intended to provoke Ashley, found herself provoked instead. Her chest heaved with anger.
"Jason," Vivienne snapped, "Ashley was over two hours late. According to company policy, she should be fined!"
"Don't you all agree?" she appealed to the surrounding staff.
"Yes, absolutely..." her colleagues chimed in supportively. Seeing this, Vivienne's lips curled into a satisfied smirk.
Ashley maintained her composure as she observed the scene.
Jason, sweating nervously, intervened, "Well... Ms. White probably encountered some difficulties, which explains her tardiness. Let's forgive her this once."
"Ms. White, please be more mindful in the future and try not to let it happen again, okay?" he added gently.
Internally, Jason was panicking, 'Vivienne must be trying to get me in trouble. This woman is literally the prince's wife—who would dare dock her pay!'
The staff was shocked by Jason's complete reversal in attitude. He had previously been Ashley's harshest critic, and now he was defending her. Everyone found it suspicious.
"Why is Jason suddenly taking Ms. White's side?"
"This Ms. White must be something else—not only has she seduced Prince Totti, but she's got Jason wrapped around her finger too."
Jason's face flushed red hearing these whispers. "All of you, shut up! Stop this nonsense!" he shouted. "The matter is settled. Everyone get back to work!"
The staff dispersed quickly, leaving only a disgruntled Vivienne behind.
"Jason," Ashley said, "I overslept and was late. Please follow company policy and dock my pay accordingly."
"Of course, Ms. White."
From the sidelines, Vivienne scoffed, "Stop with the act!"
Ashley shot her a fierce glare before turning to Jason with confusion. "Jason, what's going on? Why the sudden change in how you're treating me?"
She wondered why Jason's attitude had shifted so dramatically. Could he have been the third witness that day? Was he the one who reported her near-assault to Ethan?
Ashley recalled seeing Jason that day—she'd initially thought he might have been following her. His sudden change in behavior made sense in that context.
Jason smiled. "It's nothing. I just realized how impressive it was that you completed a year's worth of reports in a single day. I respect your abilities and wanted to treat you better. I hope you can forgive my previous behavior."
Ashley smiled back. "I never took it personally, so don't worry about it. I should get back to work now."
"Go ahead."
Ashley walked past Vivienne and returned to her office.
Vivienne muttered bitterly, "Ashley thinks she's so special! I'll drive her out of the Discussion Group eventually!"
She stormed off to her own office but couldn't focus on work. With calculating eyes, she watched her colleagues busy at their desks. Grabbing a water cup, she began wandering around the Discussion Group offices.
At each location, she discreetly searched for a safe, but after checking every office, including the private ones, she found nothing.
Her gaze finally settled on Ethan's office. With a flash of inspiration, she grabbed a random document and knocked on his door.
"Come in," came a cool voice from inside.
Vivienne entered and placed the document on his desk. "Your Highness, this document requires your review."
"Leave it there," Ethan replied without looking up, focused on his paperwork.
Having finally gained access to his office, Vivienne scanned the room for a safe but found nothing. Disappointment flickered in her eyes.
Sensing she hadn't left, Ethan looked up. "Anything else?"
Vivienne smiled sweetly. "Your Highness, would you like to have lunch together?"
"No," he refused without hesitation, clearly not concerned with sparing her feelings.
Vivienne adopted a wounded expression. "Your Highness, you've already rejected my affections. Now you won't even have a simple lunch with me?"
"If you're this idle, you can work overtime tonight. And if you don't leave right now, you'll be working overtime for a week straight!"
Vivienne stomped her foot in frustration. "I can see I'm bothering you. I'm leaving!"
Ethan scoffed, ignoring her tantrum.
He opened the document she'd brought and, seeing its contents, angrily tossed it aside. The loud noise startled Vivienne.
"Wait!" he called.
"Your Highness? Have you changed your mind about lunch?" she asked hopefully.
"Bring me a cup of coffee."
"Right away."
Vivienne left, dejected.
Ethan stared at the document, his gaze intense. How incompetent was Vivienne to bring him meeting minutes from last week that he'd already reviewed?
He seriously doubted she had actually graduated from Aivalia's prestigious university as she claimed.
He made a phone call: "Ian, investigate all information about Vivienne's years in Aivalia."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Moments later, Vivienne returned with coffee. "Your Highness, here's your coffee."
"Set it down."
Ethan, with a calculating gleam in his eye, deliberately stood up and walked to his desk. He pressed something, causing the wall behind his desk to slide open, revealing a large hidden room.
Vivienne was both surprised and elated. So this was why there were no safes in the company—there was a secret door here.
But why would Ethan reveal this in front of her? Was he testing her?
Ethan secretly observed Vivienne's reaction and smirked. "I thought you'd left. Why are you still here? Let me warn you—if you breathe a word about this secret door to anyone, you're dead."
Vivienne quickly assured him, "Your Highness, don't worry! I won't tell anyone. I'm leaving now!"
After she left, Ethan crossed his arms, looking bored. "Stealing my key to open the safe—how stupid. She doesn't even realize she's been exposed!"
If he weren't trying to uncover who was behind her, Ethan would have dropped the charade long ago.
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