Blake was determined to find out what had happened yesterday. The pleasant social gathering had nearly turned disastrous for her.
She had previously thought Cecilia was generous for giving her a credit card to spend freely, but she realized later that it was a trap. Blake found such deceptive tactics utterly repulsive.
She knocked on Cecilia’s office door and entered as the latter invited her in.
“I’m sorry for being late this morning; my phone died. It won’t happen again,” Blake apologized.
Holding a document, Cecilia reassured Blake, “Don’t worry. Kevin already covered for you this morning. But before I hand you this copy of the approved transfer request, I want to know your relationship with Kevin. Don’t even think about hiding anything. I can tell if you’re lying.”
Blake was caught off guard by Cecilia’s question. She replied, “Ms. Samford, there’s nothing between me and Mr. Harrison. We’re not even friends.”
Cecilia chuckled, “Not even friends? From what I heard, Kevin is very strict with his department. Yet, he seems to treat you differently. You made a mistake with a meeting document once, and he only docked a day’s pay instead of firing you. Clearly, he has a soft spot for you.”
Blake denied it vehemently, “That’s not possible. He’s like a psychopath who toyed with my feelings!”
In a moment of impulse, Blake revealed her true feelings.
Cecilia watched her closely and uttered, “Oh?”
Blake continued, “He said he wanted to date me but then got close to Ms. Parker. We broke up after just a day. I don’t care for such a fickle man.”
Cecilia pondered, resting her chin on her crossed hands. She asked, “Oh, the mayor’s daughter, Audrey?”
“Yes, that’s her!” Blake said. Cecilia revealed, “Kevin requested your transfer to work as an assistant to Liam in Start Reading Literary. Do you feel uncomfortable working with me, or do you think that I’m targeting you?”
Blake shook her head and said, “Not at all! I’m honored to work for you. And you treat me much better than Kevin, who always docks my pay. But something is in my mind, and I can’t figure it out.”
“Is this about yesterday’s incident?” Cecilia asked.
Blake nodded.
Cecilia stood up and approached Blake, explaining, “Yesterday, I went to the restroom and saw you enjoying yourself, so I didn’t disturb you. You played a big part in securing that contract. Don’t worry. You’ll be compensated more than what Kevin offers.
“There are many other men in the world. We can move on to the next if one doesn’t work out. Why hang onto one, right?” Cecilia said, seemingly with an ulterior motive. She adjusted Blake’s collar. Her closeness and perfume made Blake feel uneasy like Cecilia was a predator.
“Yes, I feel the same way,” Blake agreed, feeling a bit unsettled.
Cecilia sneered as she thought, ‘Kevin, I thought you were just a loyal dog to Zach. I didn’t expect you to go to such lengths to protect a woman like Blake. Yesterday was just a test; today, you’ve already requested her transfer. Interesting.”
