Mr. Finnley seemed to relish putting me down and was always resorting to crude tactics. While I didn''t have concrete evidence, I was almost certain he was behind this. He''d been at the barst night, courtesy of the "CEO sister''s" invitation. If I seeded in securing the Gray Realty project, his position would truly be on shaky ground. He let out a dismissive snort. "I can''t care less about your private life. But when it starts affecting the department and thepany''s image, that''s where I draw the line." Before I could respond, Astrid tugged on my sleeve and handed me her phone.


    Another post on thepany''s internal forum featured the incriminating photo of Zack and me supposedly "kissing". This time, the anonymous poster used me of leading a messy personal life, hinting at involvement with multiple men. They also painted me as antisocial, iming I avoided department gatherings to hang out with my "lovers". Alongside their ims, they posted a photo of the design team at the barst night-everyone was there except Astrid and me. Of course, Astrid''s status as an intern meant most didn''t notice her absence, leaving me as the sole target.


    It was a ssic smear campaign. Spreading juicy gossip was the easiest way to ruin a woman''s reputation anywhere in the world. Clearly, Mr. Finnley had perfected the art and used it like a pro.


    I smirked inwardly, more amused than impressed. In a corporate environment back home, such petty tricks wouldn''t even make the cut. If Mr. Finnley could climb to a supervisor position back at home, I''d consider it a personal loss.


    "So, how are you going to exin this one? Why is it always you who ends up causing problems?" Mr. Finnley''s voice wasced with faux indignation.


    Before I could respond, Annie muttered just loud enough to be heard, "What ame move."


    "What did you say, Annie?" Mr. Finnley raised his voice, clearly displeased.


    Annie rolled her eyes. "I''m not deaf, you know. You don''t have to shout. I said it''s ame move. I''ve used the same trick before, so try to get more creative next time." Her bluntness left the office in an awkward silence, with colleagues exchanging uneasy nces.


    Astrid quickly chimed in, her tone


    sharp, "Exactly. Anyone can see Rinatta''s being framed here." She


    turned to Mr. Finnley. "As the supervisor, aren''t you supposed to protect your team and contain situations like this? If the project fails, what happens to everyone''s bonuses?"


    She raised her voice slightly, ensuring the whole office heard. "This project alone means at least tens of thousands in bonuses for the team, right?"


    As soon as money was mentioned, the mood shifted. Eyes lit up as people began talking at once.


    "Tens of thousands? Sounds about right. Is that a year-end bonus or quarterly?"


    "If wend this, there might even be a bigger bonus at the end of the year! We have to secure this deal with Gray Realty."


    "Can''t we get that post deleted? Doesn''t management have the authority? It''s too distracting and hurts morale."


    Suddenly, the tide had turned. Everyone seemed eager to focus on securing the project as the potential payout was far morepelling than office politics. Except for Mackenzie, whose sour expression revealed her displeasure. "Honestly, it''s just a few thousand bucks. Look at you all, scrambling like it''s a fortune."


    Astrid didn''t let herment slide.


    "Then don''t take it. I won''t either. We''re just interns, right? That way, the rest of the team can have a bigger share. How noble of you."


    en Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    "Why should I miss out?" Mackenzie shot back, her jaw clenched.


    Astrid shrugged nonchntly. "Because you''re the heiress of a prestigious family, of course."


    Thatst jab hit its mark, breaking Mackenzie''sposure entirely. She stormed out of the office, mming the door behind her.


    Astrid stuck out her tongue at me yfully, clearly enjoying the scene.


    I could only shake my head in exasperation, While a few thousand


    dors didn''t mean much to someone


    Hike Astrid, it was a


    swnovel


    different story for someone


    pretending to be a wealthy heiress.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!