Chapter 71
This time, Jolene showed me harder than before. I stumbled backward, my balance tipping dangerously. I braced myself for a fall, only to collide with a solid chest.
Tuning my head, froze.
It was Ales. Of all times, he had to walk into the office right now.
The moment Alex’s dark, stormy gaze swept over the scene, my heart dropped.
“Mi Hastings!”
The previously noisy office became so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Everyone avoided eye contact, suddenly engrossed in their work. Only a few colleagues greeted him quietly.
1 could feel my pulse hammering as 1 quickly stepped away from Alex, my stomach churning with dread.
“Are you incapable of standing up for yourself?” Alex asked sharply, his brows loited in imitation, “She pushes you, and you just stand there?”
“L” My voice tabered as I glanced at Alex, guilt and embarrassment swirling inside me. “L. didn’treact fast enoug
Alex’s eyes swept over me, his expression readable. He took a single, deliberate step forward, stopping in front of polene. Without a word, he extended his hand
“You’re fired,” Alex said flatly as he placed the necklace back in its box
Jolene’s face went blank with shock, but she quickly straightened, raising her voice in protest, “On what grounds?”
“First, you assigned your work to a new hire and then tried to take credit for it,” Alex began, his tone cold and controlled.
“Second, as the supervisor to the office assistant, you invaded your boss‘ privacy and disclosed personal matters publicly.” He raised the necklace slightly to emphasize his “Third, Hastings Group does not tolerate employers who incite internal conflictor division.”
With each word, Jolene’s complexion paled further, but her eyes still burned with anger.
“Hastings, are you firing me to protect Serena? She’s just a newble with no qualifications or skills. And yet you took her to the gala?” she questioned, her voice laced with
Though the others dared not say anything, Icould sense that they, too, had their doubts. Some were even resentful.
“I am protecting Serena, Alex said calmly.
The enteroffice tell into stunned silence. Everyone turned their eyes to Alex.
He turned and placed the necklace in my hands. “Serenals my sister. We’re family. Of course, 1‘ protect her.”
Read wiched over me for a fleeting moment, but it was quickly followed by an inexplicable ache as if something in my heart had shattered.
point
poor looked at us in disbelief.
The stark differences between Alex and me–our looks, personalities, and even the way we carried ourselves–had led everyone to assume something entirely different about our Hearing the truth directly from Alex left them all shocked.
Chapter 21
