Chapter 3
Lovisa went on, "As long as you're working at Sliver Tech, you're under me!"
Everyone in the office was hanging around, waiting for the next juicy scene.
They were all waiting to see Lovisa put me in my place.
I grabbed the last file and stood up.
I stood a good bit taller than Lovisa.
I gave her a cool look and said, my voice flat, "Done talking? If you're finished, I'm out of here."
"Done talking? If you're finished, I'm out of here."
Lovisa was momentarily stunned by my response, not expecting me to react that way.
Her anger flared even hotter.
"You... just you wait! The layoff list is about to drop, and you'll be right at the top!"
I didn't spare her another glance. I picked up my box and headed straight for the archives.
The archives were down in the basement level of the office building.
It was dark and damp, the air reeking of moldy paper.
Only one person was there: Joanne Piers, who was about to retire.
She glanced at me, sighed, and didn't say a word.
This place was truly a forgotten corner.
Exactly what I needed.
Now I had all the time in the world to dig into the company's financial reports and project files.
The more I read, the heavier my heart felt.
Sliver Tech was a total train wreck, way worse than I ever imagined.
Several projects were bleeding money like crazy.
And the internal management was a total disaster.
Matthew's plan to lay off half the staff was brutal, but it was the fastest way to stop the bleeding.
It seemed that casting that vote was the right decision.
By the afternoon, the company forum was blowing up.
The layoff list had just dropped.
The whole company was buzzing with anxiety. Everyone was on edge.
Some folks were breaking down in tears, others were swearing up a storm.
My phone was blowing up with messages.
It was a bunch of coworkers I used to be friendly with, all texting me at once.
[Yvette, check the forum! Lovisa's on the layoff list too!]
I raised an eyebrow.
Well, I didn't see that coming.
Lovisa might not have been much good at her job, but she was the cousin of Matthew's secretary, and she was a total master at sucking up.
I checked the forum.
The layoff list was front and center, staring me right in the face.
Lovisa's name jumped out at me immediately.
But mine was nowhere to be found.
It didn't take long before Lovisa's call came through.
The moment I picked up, she was hysterical, screaming and freaking out.
"Yvette! Did you do this?
"What did you tell Mr. Leigh about me, you bitch?"
I held the phone away from my ear.
"Ms. Lane, you might want to watch your mouth," I said, my tone icy.
"Oh, and by the way, looks like you're about to lose that supervisor title."
"You!"
She was so angry she was literally speechless.
I couldn't be bothered to waste another second on her, so I hung up.
At last, some peace.
But I had no idea the real trouble was just getting started.
As I was about to head home that evening, my phone rang with an unknown number.
"Is this Ms. Jennings?" The caller sounded polite and formal.
"I'm Mr. Leigh's assistant. He'd like to invite you to dinner at the Hilton Club, right across from the office."
I was stunned for a moment.
Matthew wanted to have dinner with me?
Was he setting me up for some kind of ambush?
Maybe sensing I was about to say no, the assistant quickly added, "Mr. Leigh said it's about the new shareholder."
My heart skipped a beat.
Had he figured it out?
At Hilton Club, one of the fanciest private clubs in town.
I stood before the ornate wooden door, took a deep breath, and steadied myself.
When I pushed the door open, the private dining room was quiet as a tomb.
Matthew was already waiting inside.
He'd ditched his usual suit for a dark casual shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows.
He looked less like a business shark and more like someone relaxed at home.
But his eyes were still as sharp as ever, watching me like a hawk.
"Have a seat," he said, pointing to the chair across from him.
The table was laid out with a spread of fancy dishes.
All of them were my favorites.
My heart sank.
He must be investigating me.
"Isn't it a bit strange for a CEO to invite someone from the bottom rung out for dinner?" Matthew said.
He poured me a cup of coffee, his movements graceful.
"Honestly, it is."
I didn't touch the coffee.
"I'm guessing you didn't invite me here just for dinner, did you, Mr. Leigh?"
Matthew smiled.
But his smile never reached his eyes.
"You're sharp, Yvette.
"Way sharper than what your file says."
He leaned in, and his presence was so intense it felt like the air was getting heavy.
"I gotta say, I liked what you did at the shareholders' meeting.
"Being the first to step up and support me when everyone else was silent... That took guts."
I didn't say anything and just sat there and listened in silence.
I knew this was only the prelude.
"Honestly, I'm pretty curious.
"You're just a regular employee, barely scraping by on a few thousand dollars a month.
"So where'd you find the nerve to take on all the shareholders?"
Here it came.
He was starting to probe.
I met his gaze head-on, not backing down for a second.