Chapter 249
Michael turned around, pushing his gold–rimmed glasses up the bridge of his nose. as he looked at Niamh.
Niamh stepped in front of him, her expression all business.
“That emerald necklace you broke? It was designed by one of my employees, not me. You owe them an explanation.”
Michael found her seriousness almost amusing. He shrugged, flashed a careless smile, and turned away, completely ignoring what she’d just said.
Niamh let out a quiet sigh.
“Seems like it’s not just me you have a problem with. You’re just plain rude, Michael. Zero manners.”
Michael paused mid–step, glancing over his shoulder with a smirk–as if admitting she was right, while also mocking her for being annoyed by someone she couldn’t get rid of
Before he could turn back, Niamh suddenly grabbed his wrist and the collar of his shirt, catching him completely off guard. In one swift motion, she flipped him over her shoulder, sending him crashing onto the floor.
Sophia and Natalie, standing nearby, stared slack–jawed, utterly stunned.
Michael lay on his back, staring at the ceiling. The shock and confusion on his face outweighed any pain–had he really just been thrown by Niamh, of all people?
He blinked, vision blurry–his glasses had flown off in the fall.
He’d been in plenty of fights before. Sure, he’d taken a beating once or twice, but being tossed over the shoulder by a woman? That was definitely a first.
Michael found the whole thing bizarrely entertaining. Still sprawled on the floor, he broke into a wide grin and started laughing–quiet at first, then harder, until his shoulders shook with mirth.
Niamh stood to the side, eyeing him uncertainly, debating if she should call an ambulance. But she remembered from her self–defense and martial arts classes that this throw didn’t cause serious head injuries. Michael shouldn’t be brain–damaged from it… right?
After a minute, Michael’s laughter faded. He sat up and, as his vision cleared a little, saw someone holding out his glasses. He put them on, and Niamh’s form
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came back into focus.
“So, which one of your employees did I offend by breaking their necklace?” he asked.
Niamh didn’t answer. She just glanced over at Sophia and Natalie.
According to Preston Winslow, Michael had a reputation for bouts of rage–he didn’t care if you were male or female if you got in his way. Niamh just wanted to stand up for Sophia, not to have Michael target her any further.
Michael caught the hesitation in her eyes and seemed to understand her concern.
Without another word, he strode across the room toward Sophia and Natalie.
“I’m sorry…” he said.
Both women froze, staring at him in disbelief. Even Niamh looked taken aback.
Michael didn’t care which of them had designed the necklace. He just apologized, his tone unexpectedly sincere.
As he brushed past Niamh on his way out, he murmured, “Nice throw.”
After he left, Sophia and Natalie crowded around Niamh, their curiosity getting the
better of them.
“Niamh, who was that guy?”
Niamh glanced toward the door and replied blandly, “…Just a patient.”
The Thomas Group.
Terence was summoned to Jonathan’s office.
As the lead attorney on Jonathan’s legal team, Terence considered himself highly capable; after all, you didn’t last long at The Thomas Group without real skill.
Yet-
“This still won’t do. Take it back and redo it,” Jonathan said, tossing a file onto Terence’s desk without ceremony.
There was no need to ask what the document was or how it needed to be changed. Terence had made that mistake before–ask too many questions, and you’d find yourself out the door.
Most of the time, Jonathan was a good boss–his instructions were clear and decisive, never wishy–washy, never capricious.
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Terence had once enjoyed working with Jonathan.
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