Chapter 83

Chapter 83

Valerie had that creeping feeling that someone was gossiping about her. She was in her office, going through some stuff, and figured it was time to stash the files

Ronald came in and said, “Hey, Valerie, forget the outside noise. Focus on memorizing these materials. We rarely have someone go for Noria Group. Don’t blow it.” He wasted no time in the morning, dragging Valerie into the office to hit the books. He was even more anxious about Valerie’s Noria Group selection than she was

Valerie chuckled. “But everyone else is working.

Can’t slack off or they’ll gossip.”

“I told you to do it. Who’d dare say anything? If they do, they should aim to be a top salesperson too and get into Noria Group,” Ronald huffed. “But Valerie. I’ll really miss you if you leave. You’ve gotta visit us whenever you can.”

“Don’t worry, Ronald. Honestly, you’ve had my back all these years. I already see you as family. Valerie admitted

Ronald felt relieved. “Leaving might be for the best. With Dylan’s backing, he’d keep targeting you if you stayed. At Noria Group, he can’t control you anymore. Maybe one day, you’ll be overseeing him.”

Valerie smiled. She hadn’t thought that far ahead. For now, the most appealing part about Noria Group was the doubled salary.

Suddenly, they heard a ruckus outside. Valerie said, “You sit tight, I’ll go check it out”

In the lobby, everyone wore curious expressions. Isabel, who’d been fired days ago and never picked up her things, had returned. Her locker had been given to someone new, who packed her stuff in a bag and left it in the corner.

Isabel exploded, yelling at the new employee, “Who said you could touch my stuff?”

The terrified newbie backed off. Valerie stepped up to shield her, giving Isabel a serious side–eye.

“Isabel, calm down. Company rules, not her fault. And you’re supposed to take your stuff when you leave. No one’s obligated to store your personal belongings.” Valerie said, cutting to the chase.

Seeing Valerie, Isabel froze, her anger intensifying “Valerie, you’re not one to lecture me. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be in this mess,”

“Isabel, if you weren’t up to no good, nobody would’ve messed with you. Take your stuff and leave. Already wrecked your reputation enough?” Valerie’s casual tone hit a nerve, leaving Isabel seething. She snatched the bag and stormed out

The more Isabel thought about it, the angrier she got. How dare Valerie, that country bumpkin, talk like she was all that? After the mess at Noria Group, even Dylan ditched her. Now Arcton Cars fired her too, and no Noria Group subsidiary would hire her. She had to find a new job, no way around it

She couldn’t stomach the idea of tossing away all those years of hustle and starting over. She figured she’d hit up Dylan again later. She wasn’t buying that the sleazy Dylan had zero interest in her. If she could rope Dylan back in, she could still squeeze some cash out of him. Valerie was still another worker bee even if moving to Noria Group, while she could make bank without breaking a sweat.

Feeling somewhat reassured, Isabel pulled out her phone to call Dylan, but then she saw a woman striding aggressively in from outside. The moment their eyes locked, Isabel’s face went pale, and she seemed ready to boll

After seeing Isabel off, Valerie sensed something was wrong. Normally, if Isabel acted so arrogant, Katherine would have cursed her out first. But this time, Katherine was nowhere to be seen.

Valerie looked around and noticed Katherine was missing from her shift at the office. Worried, she quickly asked someone, “Where’s Katherine?”

The employee hesitated. “Didn’t y know! Dylan look her on a business trip