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"Yes or no, Ms. Jones."
"No, of course not!" Her unusually shrill gasp had the other employees in the hallway glancing at her oddly, and Pippi felt like skulking away in shame.
"Then why do you look so guilty?"
"What—-" It hit her then, and as soon as she turned her gaze upwards, her eyes unerringly spotted the CCTV camera mounted on the ceiling. Cupping a hand over her mouth to keep anyone from accidentally hearing her, she demanded in an incredulous whisper,"Are you spying on me?"
"I'm guarding what belongs to me, that's all." The words, uttered in a low, edgy tone, completely threw her off. On one hand, he was being unreasonably suspicious. But on the other hand - didn't this mean he was being jealous...over her?
"A—-" She stopped in time, but she was feeling doubly frustrated by her failure to keep the fact that she was on a first-name basis with Acheron Simonides a secret. And to think she was the one worried about Acheron slipping up!
"I read your file with HR."
"What?"This time, Acheron's words had her halting in her tracks, which consequently caused the person behind her to crash into Pippi's back. Face flaming, Pippi stammered an apology and, no longer confident of her ability to function normally, hastened towards the nearest fire exit.
As soon as the heavy doors closed behind her, the words she had been holding back burst out of her in a beseeching rush. "Can we please talk after work?"
"We're just talking."
"But I'm at work."
"And I'm your boyfriend as well as your boss—-"
"Which no one's supposed to know," she pointed out helplessly.
"Then it's time that should change."
"What? No!"
"Why not?" Acheron's tone was cutting. "Or should I even bother asking when the answer's obvious?"
Pippi nearly threw her hands up in surrender. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Your file in HR said you've turned down three promotions in the past two years."
"I did—-"
"And yet you accepted the chance to work for Evans without a qualm."
Pippi's lips opened and closed.Bollocks.Only now did she realize that Acheron harbored the same suspicions Gareth Evans had expressed earlier on.
"Care to explain what makes the transfer to Evans' office different from the rest?"
Of course,Pippi thought. 1,158 reasons in fact, which was also the exact amount she was required to pay next month if she wanted Vik to stay in medical school. She usually had enough set aside for the rainy days, but Great-Aunt Agatha's stroke a few months ago had been a massive strain on everyone's finances.
It was why, upon mustering the courage to approach Mr. Collins for an advance, the older man had suggested she accept a project-based transfer instead. It would mean an immediate raise, and it would be more than enough to cover next month's expenses.
"Your silence isn't making you look good,mikrí mou."
I know, Pippi thought, and she had the childish urge to cry. While she hadn't hesitated to speak the truth to Mr. Collins or even Mr. Evans, she just couldn't make herself confide her worries to Acheron.
If she did, she knew he was cunning enough to find a way to help her, and if that happened, then what would that make her?
A gold-digger, that's what.
The urge to cry grew stronger, and speaking coherently became a challenge.
Acheron's brooding gaze didn't stray from the monitor even as Charlie came into his office after knocking on his door.
