Chapter 57: TROUBLES ON HER ONCE AGAIN
Astrid settled into her space, sipping her morning coffee in her hands. She had skipped breakfast due to the morning’s events, and now her stomach growled in protest. Lunchti couldn’t arrive soon enough.
As she savored the rich aroma, a satisfied smile spread across her face. Mattie’s tears still lingered in her mind, a sweet victory for the first ti.
Her gaze drifted to Manny, who chatted with coworkers nearby. The distance between them was noticeable, no one bothered to engage with Astrid, and she was fine with it.
Astrid’s focus returned to her emails as she began scrolling through her inbox.
Just then Manny’s approach broke the silence. "Hey, Astrid, can I borrow your stapler?" she asked, her smile warm and friendly.
Astrid’s eyebrows arched in surprise. This was the first ti Manny had ever spoken to her with such kindness.
"Here you go," Astrid said, handing over the stapler.
Five minutes passed before Manny returned, her expression sheepish.
"It isn’t working. Could you please help
staple these files to the front desk?" Manny’s voice softened, and she added,
"Please..."
Astrid’s eyes narrowed, skeptical of Manny’s sudden change in deanor. Yet, sothing in Manny’s plea echoed.
"But this is..." Astrid trailed off, deciding to help despite her reservations.
Astrid went to the front desk like Manny wished and helped stapled the file, a few minutes later she was back.
"Here you go," Astrid said, handing Manny the files.
Manny snatched the files from her, with expression transford, her friendliness slipping. She gave Astrid a cold shoulder, and Astrid sighed inwardly.
"Thanks," Manny muttered, before turning away.
Astrid watched Manny retreat, and shook her head... she had weird hope for so seconds.
She’d expected Manny’s true nature to resurface.
With a resigned shrug, Astrid returned to her seat, her thoughts drifting to the familiar pattern of people using her kindness.
She began arranging the files Ryan had sent to her in the morning when suddenly she heard a bang on her desk startling her.
It was none other than Julian, it made her wonder what the heck she had done this ti around.
"Go... Good morning," she managed to let out, the fear evident in her eyes.
Julian shut his eyes, his veins popping like he was trying to control himself. "Co with ," he instructed and stord into the office.
By this ti the whole eyes had turned to that of Astrid, she had managed not to cause a scene the previous day but couldn’t today.
She gently found her way out of her seat and headed to Julian’s office hoping what she did was sothing she could get back in touch with.
She walked in to see Ryan giving her the pity gaze before walking out of the office leaving them both.
His back facing her as she took in a deep breath.
"What is the aning of this?" he thundered, holding up a confidential docunt as she turned her.
The file, labeled "Project Eclipse," was stamped "Eyes Only" and contained sensitive client information.
"I...I don’t know..." Astrid stamred, trying to understand what files it was.
"I received a report that you left this docunt on the printer," Julian said.
Astrid’s mind raced. She hadn’t printed anything confidential.
"I didn’t print that, I swear," Astrid protested.
Julian’s face turned stern, "First is
almost losing a big client now it’s this?"
"Security will investigate. If found guilty, you will face disciplinary action." Her eyes widened in shock.
"What... I haven’t even..." a glare from Julian shut her mouth.
"This is files having a big project involving the Adams and Logans, so you can’t dodge this." Astrid was more than furious, and at the sa ti sad.
She looked down, "I don’t care whatever you do, if found guilty then you can punish ... but rember I wasn’t taught much before starting, I am prone to mistakes." With this, she walked out of the office leaving Julian speechless.
Ryan walked right back in, "Boss..." he called and he sighed in frustration.
"You shouldn’t be hard on her," Julian whipped his head up and he bowed instantly.
"I have called Miles, and he will be here anyti soon, we need to be fast with this project... we don’t know the eyes on it, and..." he sighed again ready to flare up but he gulped down his coffee drink to help calm himself.
"She should have been careful and not make the fuvking mistake," he announced in irritation.
"Boss, Manny told you this right, Julian glanced up at him, "Why don’t you investigate her instead, Mrs. Logan said she didn’t print the docunt."
Julian stared at him and he nodded his head, "Do so... if in any case he found guilty, she would be penalized for it, and would return every fuvking loss I would face in the future."
As Astrid got back to her seat, Manny whispered, "Oops, looks like soone’s in trouble."
Astrid’s eyes narrowed at her statent, then she decided to proceed with her job when she noticed the sa file Julian had held to her on her table.
Then everything dawned on her. Manny set her up when she went to staple her files
"Why is Gorgeous, so mad?" she heard from front of her desk making her glance back at the voice to see it was Miles.
Seeing him in the office this morning she knew it was about the docunt since Julian had told her it was a project between them both.
"Good morning," Astrid greeted him softly, hoping this wouldn’t make their friendship sour.
"Let’s go for lunch together, when I am done," Miles announced with a wink before walking out.
She exhaled sharply as she glanced at Manny, now getting mad.
"You aren’t behind this are you?" she asked and Manny squinted her gaze.
"Are you trying to implicate
in your troubles? Oh please, you can get out quickly because you are the boss’ wife but not ." She announced, to the hearing of the remaining staff.
Astrid rose from her chair, "I didn’t print any file, but if you did it to set
up... get this in your mind that you wouldn’t ss
up and go Scot free."
She was tired of being bullied, she would get back at anyone who ssed with her.
Then she stord off from position, she might be a High school dropper but not an idiot, and she stord over to the CCTV room.
The mont she got to the door she t with Ryan, "What are you doing here?" he asked, stunned.
"I want to know who did it," she didn’t miss the gaze on Ryan, "It isn’t on it, you can’t find anything, I just checked it out." Astrid looked down sadly.
"Alright, "
"But I do have a strong belief you never did, boss wouldn’t go hard on you trust ."
It wasn’t the first ti she heard this statent. Always making her believe because she is his wife so she would get away with it.
"He should punish
if I am wrong, I hate the entitlent," she declared and she walked back to her position only to et Miles also standing there.
"Miles.." she called and he turned to her with an eye wink.
"I asked for permission, so let’s go out for lunch." She looked around, seeing the gazes shot at her and also the murmurs from around.
She also wasn’t expecting Miles to be in a good mood when he ca back, especially because it was her fault.
"Mi..."
"I am not taking a no for an answer," he responded, and before she could say he found his way to the seat moving toward her position and packing her belongings.
"What are you do...?" She asked but before she could complete her sentence he pulled her out of the company.
At the sa ti? Julian walked out of the office looking irritated.
"Boss.." Ryan called and everyone was back to their business, not daring to make a sound in the presence of their boss.
"There is no proof of who had put it in there, it’s like soone had ssed with the footage," Ryan announced and Julian sighed, his eyes still on the figures walking away.
Julian then recalled how she had easily retaliated against Mattie in the morning, then a smile appeared on his face.
He recalled she had stood on not printing it so it ant she was set up.
"Let it be for now, she would handle the person who did it if she isn’t the one."
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