The more Cynthia thought about it, the funnier it became. A smirk tugged at her lips as she put on a mask of fake sympathy. “Linsey, I get it. You came from nothing and thought your looks could land you a golden ticket. But wow-you really bet on the wrong horse.”
She let out a dramatic sigh. “Collin’s practically invisible to the Riley family. Even with Huntley behind bars, they’d pull every string to get him out before ever acknowledging Collin. And if it really came down to it, they’ve got plenty of other heirs to choose from. Let’s be real-what wealthy family would ever put their legacy in the hands of a cripple?”
Linsey’s expression darkened, the air around her turning razor-sharp. She fixed Cynthia with an icy stare. “Say that again. I dare you.” She lifted her coffee cup slightly, fingers tightening around it. Clearly, Cynthia hadn’t learned her lesson last time-probably because Linsey hadn’t spilled enough.
The moment Cynthia spotted the coffee in Linsey’s hand, a shudder ran through her. She instinctively backed away.
“Linsey, I’m warning you-don’t do anything reckless!” Cynthia’s voice wavered, her eyes locked on the cup as if bracing for impact.
Linsey’s expression remained unreadable. “Then keep your filthy mouth shut.”
A heavy silence settled over the office. Right then, Coen walked in. Ignoring the tension in the air, he looked straight at Linsey. “My office. Now.”
“Alright,” Linsey responded.
As Coen walked into his office, Cynthia’s smugness returned full force. “Well, Linsey,” she drawled, “Looks like you’re about to get the boot. I’m so excited to see this train wreck.”
Having delivered her little jab, Cynthia sauntered back to her desk without another word.
Linsey’s lips tightened. She headed towards the manager’s office. Was Coen seriously considering firing her because of some online garbage?
“Coen?” she said, closing the door behind her, a knot of nervousness twisting in her stomach.
Standing before his desk, she asked, “You wanted to see me?” Predictably, Coen immediately launched into the online rumors.
“I wanted to talk about these rumors swirling around about you online,” he stated.
Linsey’s heart sank. She was terrified he had actually bought into that crap. “Coen, it’s a complete misunderstanding,” she blurted. “Please, you have to believe me. None of that stuff online is true.”
Coen scrutinized her for a moment. “It’s weird,” he muttered. “You’re not exactly famous. Why would anyone bother spreading rumors about you?”
He paused, then added, his tone turning serious, “I have a feeling someone’s behind this, deliberately trying to cause trouble. Linsey, you need to deal with this, and fast.”
Linsey nodded quickly. “I will.”
After a beat, she hesitated. “Coen, is the company going to fire me because of this?”
Coen raised an eyebrow. “What kind of company do you think we’re running here?” he asked, his voice firm. “We don’t fire people just because they’re having a rough time. You’ve been here long enough.”
“You know me better than that, don’t you?”
Linsey forced a small smile. “Of course, Coen. You’re always fair.”
Coen seemed pleased with her answer. He chuckled. “Don’t sweat it. I’ll handle this. You just focus on finishing Anthea’s design. Don’t let this whole mess distract you from actual work.”
Linsey was genuinely taken aback. She hadn’t anticipated Coen’s support. It was a pleasant surprise, to say the least.
Coen then casually admitted, “Don’t get too carried away with the thanks. With Anthea singing your praises, we have to keep our clients happy, naturally.”
He then playfully nudged her. “Seriously, Linsey, why the hell didn’t you mention you were so tight with Anthea?”
Still a little bewildered, Linsey answered honestly, “I’ve only met Anthea once, actually. We mostly talked shop-you know, design stuff. We’re not exactly besties or anything.”
Coen gave a knowing nod. “Ah, I see. Anthea must have seen something special in your work, then. Makes sense. Alright, off you go. Just make sure you nail this design for Anthea, okay?”
“Got it, Coen,” Linsey replied, still a little puzzled by the whole interaction, but definitely relieved.
After their little chat, Coen, in an unusually friendly and upbeat mood, personally escorted Linsey to the door.
“Oh, by the way,” he said, as they neared the exit. “You mentioned you twisted your ankle yesterday. How’s that holding up?” He genuinely seemed concerned.
The other office drones exchanged surprised glances, clearly thrown by Coen’s sudden display of actual human decency. It wasn’t exactly his usual style.
Everyone had expected Coen to explode, to have Linsey escorted out without a second thought. But instead, he looked… concerned. The rumors about her had already swept through the office like wildfire-there was no way he hadn’t heard them.
“I’m feeling much better now,” she said, keeping her voice steady.
Coen gave a small nod. “Good. Then head back to your desk and get some rest.” His tone was gentle, almost careful.
As soon as she settled into her chair, a few coworkers inched closer, their curiosity barely concealed. One of them finally asked, “Linsey, why is Coen being so… nice to you? We thought-“
The sentence trailed off, thick with unspoken questions. But Linsey knew what they meant. They weren’t just asking about Coen. They wanted to know why she still had a job.
Linsey met their prying eyes with a faint smile, effortlessly sidestepping the unspoken question. “I’m sure Coen has his reasons.” When it became clear she wouldn’t say more, their excitement withered into disappointment. They exchanged glances, their lips twisting in frustration at the lost gossip.
A short distance away, Cynthia watched, her nails biting into her palm. Not only had Linsey emerged unscathed, but Coen had openly shown her concern. The injustice of it burned in Cynthia’s chest, slow and simmering.
Beside her, a colleague hesitated before leaning in. “Cynthia, do you have any idea why Coen is treating Linsey like that?”
Cynthia’s jaw tightened. Her voice was sharp enough to cut. “Why?”
The colleague’s eyes gleamed with intrigue as they leaned in, lowering their voice. “Word is, Coen had dinner with Anthea last night, and she personally insisted that Linsey stay. That was why he didn’t push her out. Think about it-someone like Anthea? No way Coen would dare go against her.”
Cynthia’s breath hitched, disbelief flickering across her face.
Linsey, that lucky! Even now, Anthea was shielding her.
Cynthia inhaled sharply, her expression twisting with frustration.
Meanwhile, Linsey shook off the whispers and headed to the conference room, determined to buckle down and finish the final product with her team.
During her lunch break, Linsey found her thoughts drifting back to Anthea standing up for her.
She hadn’t lied to Coen-since taking on Anthea’s design project, every conversation between them had been strictly business. Anthea was always poised, neither particularly warm nor distant. Their relationship was purely professional, the kind shared between a designer and a client.
Had she really intervened just because she admired Linsey’s work?
It wasn’t out of the question…
Then, out of nowhere, a different name surfaced in her mind-Collin. Could Collin have had a hand in this? He did mention that Anthea was an old friend of his mother’s.
Linsey turned the thought over in her mind, but no matter how she looked at it, the pieces didn’t quite fit.
In the end, she decided the only thing to do was thank Anthea directly. “Mrs. Blakely, I really appreciate you speaking up for me with Coen. Thank you for giving me the chance to stay.”
Ten long minutes passed before Anthea replied. Her message was brief, her tone as composed as ever. “I simply didn’t want to replace a designer at such a crucial point. Your work speaks for itself-otherwise, I wouldn’t have bothered.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.