Chapter 9 Not Letting Her Go

Heavy rain greeted Quinley as she left the restaurant, driven by gusts of wind that seemed determined to drench anyone in their path.

Without an umbrella, she found temporary shelter and contemplated her situation.

She shouldn't have provoked Percy. Some people were naturally petty yet dangerous to offend.

What was she thinking? She was merely a speck of dust in the grand scheme, powerless against greater forces.

But life offered no do-overs. Everyone paid for their impulsive decisions eventually.

After waiting fruitlessly for the downpour to ease, Quinley made a desperate choice.

She darted into the rain, heading for the subway station 900 feet away. Despite her sprint, she was soaked by the time she reached the platform.

Just as she boarded the train, her phone rang. It was Adela Gomez, who had temporarily taken over Quinley's position at Apex Global Group.

"Ms. Elikin, is this a convenient time to talk?" Adela asked formally.

Quinley wiped rainwater from her forehead. "Go ahead, I can talk."

"That Brighton Alliance contract—you handled it before leaving, right?"

"Yes, I did."

This had been Quinley's final project before departing Apex Global Group. As Zachary's secretary, her responsibilities extended beyond managing his schedule to overseeing critical projects.

The collaboration with Brighton Alliance involved urban renewal—modest in scale but complex in execution. The board had been skeptical, but Zachary insisted on proceeding.

The project could potentially help Apex Global Group establish commercial complexes throughout Rosewood City, expanding their business empire.

Adela sighed hesitantly. "Ms. Elikin, please come to the office tomorrow morning. It's important."

Her tone suggested trouble.

"Has something happened with the project?" Quinley asked carefully.

Though Quinley had joined Apex Global Group two years after Adela, she'd been promoted faster.

When leaving, Quinley had strongly recommended Adela to HR for her position. Grateful for this support, Adela felt indebted to her.

"I don't have all the details, but just before closing today, Finance received notice from Brighton Alliance about problems with the first contract payment." Adela sighed.

"Mr. Jennings was furious, though he didn't say much—just asked me to have you come in tomorrow."

She paused before continuing, "But you're always so meticulous, Ms. Elikin; this kind of error seems unlikely from you. Just prepare yourself. If there's anything you can do, perhaps reach out to your contacts at Brighton Alliance tonight."

Adela was typically discreet—a professional requirement for executive secretaries—but she'd made an exception to warn Quinley.

"Thank you, Ms. Gomez. I appreciate it."

After hanging up, Quinley's mind raced. She immediately tried contacting her liaison at Brighton Alliance, but received no response to calls or messages.

The next morning, Quinley arrived early at Apex Global Group Building. Adela was already there, waiting to escort her upstairs.

Everything looked familiar—the same place, the same people—yet it felt strangely foreign now.

Inside the elevator, Adela finally spoke. "I've made some inquiries. Apparently there's an issue with the contract figures. Finance will be meeting with you. You should prepare your response carefully."

"I will. Thank you."

Quinley nodded, grateful for Adela's warning.

"Ms. Gomez, please call me Quinley from now on."

Adela offered a slight smile. "I'm used to Ms. Elikin. It feels more natural."

As they exited the elevator, Adela's demeanor shifted back to professional formality—the mark of an executive secretary. Her authoritative presence mirrored Zachary's own.

Adela led Quinley to the reception room where Peter Martin, the Finance Director, was already waiting impatiently, pacing with one hand in his pocket.

"Mr. Martin," Quinley greeted as she entered.

He didn't respond, merely frowned and pointed an accusatory finger at her.

"Look what you've done, Quinley!"

When she had been Executive Secretary, Peter had treated her with utmost respect, always addressing her warmly as "Ms. Elikin." How quickly things changed once power shifted.

Quinley's calm gaze swept over Peter's furious face. "What exactly have I done? Perhaps you would enlighten me, Mr. Martin."

She pulled out a chair and sat down, her expression cool but commanding, neither submissive nor aggressive.

Peter grabbed the contract and threw it toward her. "See for yourself."

The bound document slid across the table and fell to the floor. Quinley bent to retrieve it, quickly scanning the contents.

Her memory was excellent—she generally remembered everything she handled.

The contract's text appeared correct, but the amount was wrong: $12 million instead of $120 million. A zero had been dropped, creating a tenfold discrepancy.

A basic error with massive implications. Quinley suddenly understood Peter's rage.

"This contract has been altered," she stated with certainty, closing the document.

"Of course it has! Why else would I call you back? Do you realize how much your careless mistake has cost the company? Brighton Alliance is using this error to demand concessions!"

Peter was relentless, spittle flying as he berated her as if she were the indisputable culprit.

"Mr. Martin, I can guarantee there were no errors in my work. I reviewed this contract word by word. Before signatures and seals were applied, the figure was clearly $120 million."

Peter placed his hands on his hips and snorted derisively.

"How strange. Are you suggesting I changed it?"

"All I know is that I didn't," Quinley replied, maintaining her composure.

Showing weakness wasn't the same as admitting defeat. Zachary had taught her to stand firm when justified.

Peter was aggressive, but Quinley refused to be intimidated.

Still, since the matter involved her work, she couldn't simply walk away, even though she'd left the company.

"If not you, then who? Why else would you suddenly resign from your prestigious position as Executive Secretary? You knew you'd made a catastrophic mistake!"

Quinley's abrupt departure had indeed seemed suspicious. It was natural for uninformed colleagues to speculate.

Facing Peter's accusations, she chose not to explain herself.

"Mr. Martin, I will resolve this matter for the company."

She stood and walked toward the door.

Peter pointed at her retreating figure. "I'm not finished! What kind of attitude is this? Let me tell you—if this isn't resolved properly, we'll see you in court!"

The prospect of legal proceedings against her former employer was something Quinley had never imagined, especially over unfounded allegations.

Human nature could be disappointingly cold, though such treatment hardly surprised her anymore.

As she left the reception room, she encountered Zachary emerging from the conference room. His face was stern, his cold gaze sweeping over her without lingering for even a moment.

Wednesday was Apex Global Group's regular meeting day, attended by all executives.

Quinley had no time to step aside before colliding with the stream of executives leaving the conference room.

"Isn't that Ms. Elikin?" someone murmured, though the voice quickly faded.

While Quinley hesitated over how to greet them, they averted their faces, pretending not to recognize her as they hurried past.

Once they had all departed, Quinley headed toward the elevator, purse in hand, fingers interlaced over her stomach. Though dejected, her slender figure remained poised, showing no sign of defeat.

"Ms. Elikin."

Just as she was about to enter the elevator, Adela caught up with her.

"Mr. Jennings wants to see you."

Quinley paused, surprised by the request.

At the familiar office door, she knocked three times. Hearing no response, she knocked again.

"Come in." Zachary's voice finally answered.

Quinley entered, stopping three feet from his desk. "Mr. Jennings, you wanted to see me?"

Zachary leaned back in his chair, his expression inscrutable, his deep eyes fixed on her like an unfathomable pool.

Quinley met his penetrating gaze with a faint smile.

"You are not to leave Apex Global Group until this matter is resolved," he stated firmly.

Whether Zachary was using business to keep her close for personal reasons, Quinley couldn't tell.

But she refused to be manipulated.

"I will provide a resolution for the company as quickly as possible, Mr. Jennings. I trust you won't prevent my departure afterward."

The frost in Zachary's expression deepened.

"You have my word," he replied, accepting the challenge.