Chapter 77
“But sir, I found out that—” Oliver started to speak, but Matthew’s phone rang just as he was about to share information about the emerald ring. A subordinate handed the phone to Matthew, and with a sharp look, Matthew silently ordered Oliver to keep quiet.
Matthew stood up slowly to answer the call. He didn’t return until some time had passed. When he did, his glare at Oliver was icy. “Leave.”
“Sir?”
“Zephyr is in Melorian, Chaiseland!” Matthew snapped, his patience at its limit. “He’s going to Ricos tomorrow, then Puarvis the day after! Where the hell did you get this useless information!?”
He threw Marcus’ document into the air, and the papers scattered like snow.
Oliver was stunned. A subordinate then showed him a video. The figure in the video had his back to the camera, but he was dressed in expensive clothes. The background clearly displayed the landmark building of Melorian—the Rylands Square.
“T-That’s impossible!” Oliver stammered.
“Why is it impossible?” Matthew rolled his eyes. “I’d recognize the back of Zephyr’s head even if it was crushed! He’s been feeding the pigeons at Rylands Square whenever he’s free! He’s done it since he was a kid!”
Oliver swallowed hard, looking terrible. Could he have made a mistake? It made sense—there were many people who looked alike. Plus, judging by Zephyr’s tastes, how could he have married Cordelia? Still, that ring was too strange to ignore…
“Get your ss back to Jangasas if that’s all you have for me!” Matthew growled in frustration. “Don’t pretend like I’ve been backing you! Remember, we don’t know each other! The old man’s watching me now. I’m annoyed, and I don’t even know how to resolve this shtty situation!”
“Roger that.” Oliver hung his head, like a chastised child.
“Also…” Matthew’s gaze turned grim. After a pause, he added slowly, “Monitor this Marcus. Report to me if there’s anything at all.”
Oliver nodded and left, disappearing into the darkness of the night.
…
Cordelia’s life had improved greatly without Michael and Jesse in the office. Meanwhile, Karine’s status plummeted now that she no longer had Michael’s good word with the board of directors. Colleagues who had disliked Karine eagerly added fuel to the fire, venting their long-held frustrations.
In a recent meeting, the board of directors had announced that they were revoking Karine’s supervisor position and appointing Cordelia to replace her.
Cordelia moved into Karine’s old office, feeling a mix of emotions. She sat there, spacing out, not even noticing Annie knocking. Annie walked in, standing directly in front of her.
“What are you doing? It’s like you’ve lost your soul!” Annie chuckled, placing a document in front of her. “Please sign, boss!”
Cordelia smiled, quickly skimming through the document before signing her name. Since becoming supervisor, the number of documents she had to handle daily had increased. The weight of the responsibility was heavy, and she couldn’t afford to slack off.
“I see that you don’t look very good,” Annie said, concern in her voice. “Are you exhausted?”
“The workload is rather heavy,” Cordelia chuckled. “I didn’t realize how hard it was. Now that I’m in Karine’s position, I understand why it’s not easy being a leader!”
“Of course! The higher your position, the bigger the responsibility!” Annie whispered. “Oh, and Cordelia, don’t take the rumor going around the office too seriously, okay?”
“What rumor?” Cordelia asked, raising an eyebrow.