Irene found the voice familiar, as if she had just heard it last night.She turned around and found Moneypenny standing behind her.She could not help taking one step backward while asking warily, "What do you want?""We need to talk," Moneypenny said, and quickly explained, "Master Jefferson doesn't know that I'm here. In fact, he's too sick to order me around. Coming to see you was my own decision.""We have nothing to talk about." Irene refused him right away, and started toward the building again.Still, Moneypenny jogged up and stood in front of her. "Master Jefferson has made errors in judgements, but having you marry Master Isaac was definitely the best thing he had ever done."Irene knows that Moneypenny was appealing to her emotion, just as she never forgot everything Henry did—be it good or bad.She had decided to see past it since it was in the past, but she would still hold Henry's treatment of Isaac against him.He was clearly treating Isaac unfairly, when he was t
Lulu's back struck the floor the instant she fell and there was a dull thud!Her head was left ringing and she started to black out. Ricky quickly scrambled to his feet. "I'm so sorry! I just wanted to hug you, but my foot slipped. Did you hit your head?"Lulu narrowed her eyes, her sight of Ricky blurred as her consciousness started to fade!"Lulu? Lulu?" Ricky called out to her, even smacking her face.But she did not respond. Panicking, Ricky whipped out his phone, but he fumbled and dropped it on the floor. Still, Lulu stirred as he quickly reached for it."Urgh…" she murmured, feeling like her head was splitting. Ricky heard her and he quickly turned back to her, calling her name. "Lulu?"She was frowning as she said, "Help me up." Ricky helped her to the couch, asking in concern, "Did you hit your head? Do you want to get checked?"Lulu looked at him and shook her head. "No.""But you—""You can send Barbara and Tobias home now, Ricky," she said, cutting him sh
Irene stared closely at the person on the screen right then. He was looking left and right, ensuring that no one was around, before walking to Irene's seat. The cameras clearly recorded him spiking her cup, and Irene's hands clenched at her sides even as she watched.As her expressions darkened, she told the head of security, "Send me a copy."The man said, "But we're not supposed to do it without the director's approval…""Just give it to me. I'll talk to the director myself.""But…""He's going to retire soon, and everyone in this building knows that I'm the one who will succeed him," Irene snapped, her tone becoming stern just then. "Or do I not have that much authority?"As the man hesitated, Irene demanded again, "Send it to me.""Okay," he replied—he had no intention of upsetting Irene since he wanted to keep his job.If he did, Irene might harass him or just come up with some convolute excuse to fire him once she became director.It was difficult to get a stable job
Irene hurried toward her, calling out, "Lulu?"She felt that Lulu had been much colder to her ever since she lost her memory, so she was surprised that Lulu would come here on her own."Come in!" Irene smiled.Lulu was silent for a while, but she soon said, "Let's go to a restaurant. It's my treat.""Dinner should be ready—""I want to speak with you alone," Lulu insisted, holding her gaze.Sensing that, Irene nodded. "Alright, let's go. We can have my chauffeur drive us."Lulu nodded since she took a taxi here, and those would never come here, or it would take them a lot of time.With that, Irene had her chauffeur take them to a quiet restaurant, and the one her chauffeur brought them to was a good one.It had no main lobbies and consisted of all private rooms, while the furnishing was elaborate and exquisite.As they took their seats, Irene ordered the both of them, since she knew what Lulu liked.Food was served quickly, and Lulu pursed her lips when she saw what the wait
Irene quickly pushed the check back to Lulu, but Lulu caught her wrist."It's not for you. It's for Ricky."It only left Irene even more confused. "Why?""I owe him that much, and this won't even make up for what he lost," Lulu said. "You must have heard by now—Spencer Holdings went bankrupt because of me."It was all her savings and the money she got from selling her house in Sunny City. She had asked an ex-colleague to help her sell the house. It was not supposed to be done so quickly, but her ex-colleague just happened to be looking to buy a house and bought it off her hands directly after checking it out. The ex-colleague hence transferred the money first, and would wait until Lulu returned to finish the paperwork."It wasn't you. I know what happened, and it's the Slates and the Lindts—""Irene," Lulu said, cutting her short. "I need a clear conscience. You and I know that they wouldn't have done it to Ricky or Spencer Holdings if he and I weren't close. Don't turn me do
Even from behind the door, Irene could hear Dennis's frustration and fury."How could you be so stupid?!""It's all her fault, or Mr. Kitsch would have been—""No, that's Tobey's own damn fault, and he almost got Irene killed for it! She was only saved because her husband is Isaac Jefferson—if she ended up dead, things would be even worse for Tobey!" Dennis was utterly disappointed. "I know you owe Tobey, but you should also read the situation first! Trying to get even for Tobey when he's the one who messed up? Are you fucking crazy?!"Even though Dennis was losing it to the point of cursing, Finn Cook stayed obstinately silent, refusing to accept his mistake!Dennis glared at him, and he would have slapped Finn if he were his kid.Restraining himself, he said, "Irene Spencer will arrive for work soon. Apologize sincerely, and ask for her forgiveness—""No," Finn refused. "She did Mr. Kitsch dirty."Dennis almost slapped him right then.Still, he restrained himself again and l
Irene actually had an idea, but she just wanted Dennis to prove it."Tobey Kitsch, the former deputy director," Dennis said.Irene glowered—she was not surprised, but she was unhappy about it too.As she took a seat on the couch, Dennis asked, "Have you decided what to do about this?""You've been here for a while and you know the people here," Irene countered. "What do you think?"Dennis took the single-seat couch then, musing his words before saying, "It's not Finn Cook's fault. The boy is naive, and he's only sharp when it comes to academics. He made it here because he was the top of his class, and his score was much higher than the second-placer. Tobey instructed him after he arrived, though Tobey was still a head of department at the time, not deputy director.""He's from the sticks, but he got a state scholarship, so he's the type who's studious but not good with people. He's only being terrible partly because he was used, and because Tobey used to take good care of him. Yo
James said, "When Finn Cook first started to work at Hotmesh Research, it's Tobey Kitsch who mentored him."Isaac understood right then.Since things ended badly for Tobey, he must be aiming for revenge against Irene.So that was the reason for that phone call?Isaac sprang to his feet at the thought—Irene was in danger at Hotmesh."Get my car…" Isaac began as he put on his jacket, but changed his mind. "Forget it. I'm driving there myself."James wanted to say something, but Isaac already left his office.He simply shrugged and smiled, and mused to himself that people do change.He used to think that Isaac would never get worried. But these days……Meanwhile, Irene ran into yet another disgruntled colleague who wanted to mess with her soon after leaving Dennis's office.Yolanda King was in her forties, and also unhappy that Irene was airdropped as the next director. Still, she was pompous, and always pulled rank and threw her weight around just because she had seniority, an