Celestine was a far cry from the timid pushover she’d been just a few months ago. Back then, she’d let anyone walk all over her; now, there was a steely edge in her voice.
“Audit,” she said coolly. “I’ll need you to come with me. Without your authorization, no one’s going to let me through.”
Stein felt a cold sweat creeping down his temple.
“Ma’am, you’re giving me too much credit. I don’t have that kind of power,” he replied quickly. If he agreed to this, the rumors would spread like wildfire, and trouble would follow. Years at Chester’s side had taught Stein the value of caution–he survived on it.
Clearly, something unpleasant had happened downstairs when Celestine arrived. He’d have to find a way to smooth things over later.
Celestine shot him a look he couldn’t read, then strode off toward accounting.
Stein started to follow, but just then his assistant rushed out of the conference room, waving a stack of papers. “Stein, there’s another contract that needs your signature.”
He glanced over his shoulder at Celestine’s retreating figure, hesitated, but stopped to review the contract, reading every line before finally signing it.
“Hey, Stein, isn’t that the star from accounting over at Fordham? What’s she doing here?” the assistant whispered, eyes following Celestine.
Only Stein knew the truth about Celestine and Chester’s secret marriage–everyone else was in the dark.
“She’s Mrs. Fordham. Watch what you say and do around her from now on,” Stein warned, handing over the signed contract. “Especially lately. If she comes to the office, give her whatever she asks for. Don’t cross her.”
The assistant’s eyes went wide, hand flying to cover his mouth. Had he just said. something out of line?
Stein hurried off toward/accounting. As he reached the door, he heard harp, furious yell from inside.
“Celestine, you hit me?! Is this how the CEO’s wife treats key employees at Fordham Group? You sure know how to throw your weight around!”
1/2
08.08
Chapter SuS
Stein instantly recognized that shrill voice–it was his cousin Merlin, Anxiety flared in his gut.
He stepped into chaos. Shredded papers littered the floor, and in the center of the mess stood Celestine, staring down Merlin, whose cheek was blazing red from a slap.
Stein rushed to Merlin’s side, trying to keep his voice calm. “What happened?”
Merlin, emboldened by Stein’s arrival, pointed to his cheek and complained loudly, “Stein, you’re just in time! The CEO’s wife barged in demanding our most confidential reports. I tried to talk her down, but she slapped me without warning! How are we supposed to work like this?”
The rest of the staff looked uneasy, shifting nervously and refusing to chime in.
“If you hate the job so much, no one’s stopping you from quitting,” Pete muttered sarcastically from across the room. “Maybe Fordham Group should screen out idiots like you–unless you’re a spy.”
His offhand remark hit a nerve Stein had tried to keep hidden.
“Mr. Selwyn, our hiring practices are above board, Stein said, forcing his tone to stay neutral. Getting Merlin–a cousin with zero credentials–into the company had cost him dearly back then.
If Celestine was just throwing her weight around, maybe he could still fix this.
“Ma’am, Merlin was only following company policy. He got carried away; please don’t take it personally.”
Celestine stood by the shredder, her laughter cold and sharp.
“Oh? So Merlin was following protocol when he deliberately destroyed five years‘ worth of confidential reports?”
