An Exposed Secret

Scarlett raised an eyebrow and broke the silence, asking, "Is there something or someone I don’t know about?"

Elena smirked and replied, "No, there is no one. You are such a nosy friend."

Despite her suspicions, Scarlett chose not to push the matter any further.

Scarlett changed the topic with an excited declaration, saying, "You won't believe what I found out today! Have you ever wondered about the true identity of Gianna Jones or if she has any notable relatives?"

Elena was at a loss for words as she stared blankly at her friend. As far as she knew, Gianna Jones was an only child whose parents had tragically died in a fire accident. Gianna had worked hard to put herself through technology school by taking on a part-time job as a student. She had always dreamed of becoming a software developer and landing a job at a top-tier tech company was a dream come true for her.

Elena looked at her friend with a perplexed expression and said, "I only know a little about her."

"Actually, she is the niece of Mr. Taylor, and she was placed under your supervision to learn from you and acquire the necessary skills to lead the team. It's no surprise that her name was announced."

"Not only has she taken up her new position, but she also seems to be fully prepared for it, giving out directives as if she were the company's CEO. It seems that you have been inadvertently training her for this role for the past three years," Scarlett explained.

Elena shot Scarlett a cold look and asked, "Where did you get this information from?"

"David told me earlier today that he overheard Gianna talking to Mr. Taylor about some personal matters. He even heard her speaking to a woman on the phone whom she referred to as 'mum' and Mr. Taylor referred to as 'Amita.' I did some investigating and was able to confirm the story," Scarlett explained, feeling proud of her discovery. Elena was left speechless.

Elena paced around the room lost in thought, exclaiming, "No way! Are you serious? So she's been lying to me this whole time, making up stories to earn my trust." She took a deep breath and continued, "I've been contributing my creative ideas to help grow their company, and they never had any intention of rewarding my hard work and sacrifices." A fierce look came over her as she declared, "Well, I'll show them. I'll show all of them," with a dark, sinister glare in her eyes.

****

As Ava walked into the lounge, she swiftly surveyed her surroundings, attired in an elegant black skirt suit and a pair of high-heeled black shoes. To her slight surprise, Mr. Liam Hamilton was already seated, leisurely sipping a glass of wine and perusing some documents.

"Here we go again," she sighed to herself, inaudibly. "I'm supposed to meet him at 01:00 AM and it's only 12:30 AM," she thought as she glanced down at her silver wristwatch.

"I was absolutely sure that I would make it here on time, even before him today," she thought to herself with a frown.

Approaching Liam's table, she greeted him politely. Liam responded casually, returning her greeting and motioning to a seat across from him. "I trust everything is going smoothly at the office?" he asked.

"Yes, Sir," she replied, taking her seat.

As she provided a verbal summary of the morning's activities, Liam interrupted her. "Can you give me the documents?" he requested.

"Certainly, Sir," she replied, handing over the folder she had been holding.

As Liam perused the documents, he instructed her, "Schedule a meeting with the board of directors for 10:00 AM, and prepare the agenda as directed."

As Benjamin entered the lounge, he walked over to where Liam and Ava were in conversation.

"Hey there, charmer," he greeted Liam with a smile, extending his hand for their unique handshake.

"Hello, Ben," Liam responded with a smirk, shaking his hand. "It's nice of you to join us."

"Good morning, Mr. Ben," Ava greeted him, blushing slightly.

"Beautiful morning," Ben responded with a knowing smile, sensing the uneasiness in Ava's voice. "You look as dashing as ever," he complimented her as he took a seat beside Liam.

"Thank you, Sir," she replied with a smile, feeling a bit tense due to her feelings for Ben.

"Oh God, please help me control my emotions," she silently prayed, feeling flustered. "I can't afford to appear unfocused in front of my boss, or I'll be doomed."

"Ava, please reschedule all of my appointments for today," Liam instructed her.

"Okay, Sir," she responded, nodding in relief as she realized that Liam's meeting with her was coming to a close.

"Alright then, thank you, Ava," Liam said before Ava stood up and left.

"You're welcome, Sir," she responded with a polite smile.

As Ava left the lounge, Ben spoke up, taking a sip of his wine. "So, who's caught your attention this time? Someone I know?"

Benjamin had been Liam's loyal childhood friend, and despite coming from an affluent family, their bond was considered stronger than that of blood relatives. Ben was always by Liam's side, through good times, bad times, and everything in between.

Liam smiled mischievously and said, "You know me." He appeared to be lost in thought for a moment before continuing, "This one is different, Ben. I need you to do me a favor. Find out everything you can about her - who she is, where she works, who her friends are, everything. I want to know everything about her, And especially. She was distraught about something. Find out the reason behind it."

"That won't be a problem. Do you have any information about her?" Ben asked, grinning furtively.

"Yes," Liam half-smiled at the thought of her beautiful name. "Her name is Elena, and I think you should start your search at Nixon Tech. I have a hunch she has something to do with them. Call me as soon as you have any information about her."

"Hmm...are you going somewhere special?" Ben quizzed.

"I have to be at the Mansion today. My dad requested to see me. I don't know what he has in mind this time," Liam said with a puzzled expression on his face.

"Alright, bruh. Just take it easy with the old man. You know he cares a lot about you even when he doesn't show it," Ben advised.

After discussing other matters for a while, they both stood up. Liam settled the bills before they departed the lounge, heading in opposite directions.

Growing up, Liam had always looked up to his father, Donald Hamilton. Donald possessed a charming and charismatic personality that endeared him to the public. He remained optimistic in every situation and was a visionary leader. He never tolerated incompetence, which kept all his employees on their toes. Donald Hamilton was known to have fired entire departments when they didn't meet the given targets.