Chapter 4 4

Fiona lingered at the cemetery longer than she had planned. The rain had stopped, but the air was still heavy with mist as she made her way back to town. She was aimless, unsure where to go next, when her phone buzzed with a new message.

Henry:

Ms. Woods, Mr. Solomon has been in a foul mood all morning. Once you're done, please come back quickly and save us!

Fiona stared at the message for a moment. It wasn't surprising-Darwin's moods were legendary, and the office often bore the brunt of them. She sighed. Perhaps it was better to return and complete the handover quickly. The sooner she was out of his orbit, the safer she and her secret would be.

She booked the first flight back to Bay City.

The next morning, Fiona walked into the office. She was greeted not with quiet productivity but with an impromptu gathering of staff members who immediately surrounded her.

"Ms. Woods, you can't resign! What will we do without you?"

"Seriously, Mr. Solomon was terrifying yesterday. I didn't even dare to breathe too loudly!"

"Please, Ms. Woods, reconsider. We'll all fall apart if you leave!"

Their voices were a mix of pleading and panic. Fiona offered a polite smile, but before she could respond, the exclusive elevator doors chimed open.

The group scattered like leaves in the wind, quickly lining up at the elevator entrance.

Darwin stepped out, his imposing figure clad in a tailored black suit. Bella Robbins followed behind him, her expression bright and cheerful.

"Mr. Solomon, good morning!" the staff greeted in unison.

Fiona stood at the back of the group, her usual calm demeanor intact.

Darwin's gaze landed on her, lingering for a moment. He gestured towards Bella without emotion. "This is my new secretary, Bella Robbins. Teach her well."

Fiona's eyes flickered briefly to Bella, noting the striking resemblance to Lilian. It was even closer than her own. She nodded. "Of course, Mr. Solomon."

Bella beamed. "Fiona, thank you for all your hard work. I'll do my best to learn quickly!"

"You're welcome," Fiona replied evenly, her tone polite but detached.

Darwin's sharp eyes scrutinized her face, searching for any sign of resentment or jealousy. He found none. Her indifference irritated him.

"Coffee," he barked, before striding into his office, his expression dark.

A few minutes later, in the break room, Fiona set out the supplies to make coffee.

"Miss Robbins," she began, "Mr. Solomon is quite particular about the taste of his coffee. So-"

Before she could finish, Bella interrupted, crossing her arms and fixing Fiona with a smug look. "Stop showing up in front of Darwin. Every time he sees you, it ruins his mood. He's my man now, and when he's upset, it pains me."

Fiona paused mid-motion, her expression unreadable. "Miss Robbins," she said calmly, "I've already resigned. If you're so concerned, I suggest you focus on learning quickly."

Bella's confidence wavered at Fiona's lack of reaction. She had hoped to provoke her into an outburst, something Darwin could use to discard her completely. But Fiona remained as cool as ever.

Bella's frustration boiled over. "What are you so smug about? You're just someone Darwin got tired of and threw away!"

Fiona's eyes lifted, sharp and unwavering. "Miss Robbins," she said slowly, "is this the first time we've met? Or have you hated me all along?"

Bella's bravado faltered. "What are you talking about?"

"Is it because Darwin hasn't taken you to his bed yet?" Fiona's tone was calm but carried a cutting edge.

Bella's face flushed crimson. "Nonsense!"

Ignoring her denial, Fiona continued, "In the secretary's office, you'll find two manuals. One is for his professional preferences; the other for his personal ones. They detail everything about Darwin's likes and dislikes."

"What are you trying to say?" Bella asked suspiciously.

"That how much you can learn-and whether you can please him-is up to you. I don't care as much as you think. It's just a job to me. I always finish my work professionally."

Bella glared at her, but Fiona had already turned back to grinding the coffee beans. After a moment of hesitation, Bella hissed, "If you're lying, you'll regret it."

Fiona smiled faintly, pushing the finished cup of coffee towards her. "Miss Robbins, let me warn you as well. Stay away from me. Don't provoke me, or you'll regret it."

The coldness in Fiona's tone sent a chill down Bella's spine. She had underestimated her.

As Fiona left the break room, someone called out, "Ms. Woods, the head of Sales Department 1 is looking for you!"

She walked briskly to the secretary's office, where Tony Potter, the sales director, was waiting. He looked irate, a stack of papers clutched in his hands.

"Ms. Woods," he snapped, "I can't believe you made such a massive mistake! If we hadn't scheduled the meeting ahead of time, we'd have lost this deal completely! I suspect you tampered with the contract deliberately before resigning. Did you take money from a competitor to sabotage us?"

Fiona's eyes narrowed. Tony was known for his fiery temper, but his accusation was outrageous.

"Calm down," she said evenly. "Explain the problem."

Tony slammed the documents onto the desk, jabbing at the circled figures in red ink. "Look at this! The decimal points have been moved-twice! The data is all wrong, and the commission structure is ruined. Are you going to deny it?"

Fiona examined the papers carefully. It didn't take long to notice that the changes were subtle yet deliberate.

"This data wasn't like this when I finalized the contract," she said firmly.

"Bullshit!" Tony roared. "You're the only one who handled this file. The sales team wouldn't sabotage their own commissions to frame you!"

He slammed his hand on the desk, his face red with anger. The sound echoed in the room, but Fiona stood her ground.

"Let me investigate," she said calmly, meeting Tony's glare. "If I made a mistake, I'll own up to it. But if someone tampered with my work, I'll find out who."

Tony hesitated, her composed demeanor giving him pause.

"You have one day," he said gruffly. "If you don't find the truth, I'll escalate this to Mr. Solomon myself."

Fiona nodded, already piecing together a plan in her mind. Whoever was behind this had clearly underestimated her.