I wake the next morning to the sun coming in around the drapes. The bed is empty except for me when I roll over. Stretching languidly, I listen to water running in the shower. Throwing the comforter back, I slip out of bed and walk into the steamy bathroom. Quietly I take my tank and bottoms off and step into the shower. I lean back against the wall to observe as Jimin washes his hair, rinsing the shampoo out slowly, enjoying the feel of the hot water cascading down his body as the suds obscure then show his moons. I'm enjoying the view as rivulets make their way from his shoulders, over the muscles bunching and relaxing in his back and then his *ss as he moves his arms with rinsing. Then down his muscular thighs and calves to disappear down the drain between his feet.
He hasn't noticed that I've joined him yet and as he lifts his head to let the water rinse his face, I step closer, sliding my uninjured hand around to his chest, splaying my fingers over his ribcage. I touch my lips to a tattoo, tracing the outlines with my tongue. He stiffens briefly in surprise, then his hands cover mine, entwining our fingers carefully as he brings it up to place a kiss in the center of my palm. Settling it back above his heart, he leans his head on mine as I hug him close.
"Good morning, Baby," he says as he lets go of my hand and turns around. Looking down at me, he leans down to capture my lips with his, slowly exploring my mouth with his tongue then leaning his forehead on mine. "I'm sorry if I woke you. I was trying to be quiet. You seemed so tired last night. How did you sleep?"
"Quite well, actually. I didn't realize how tired I was until I crawled into bed. I remember you getting in but nothing after that. What time did you come to bed?" I look up at him, water falling in my face.
"Around midnight. Jae-sung hyung and I stayed up talking for a while. I think it's the first time we really did that in all these years he's been working with us. We've always kept our relationship professional but he's a pretty down to earth guy. Did you know he has three younger sisters and an older brother? All but the youngest sister are married with children."
"No, I didn't know that. We've never really talked about things like that, but so much has happened over the past month that we haven't had time to really get to know each other in that sense. He knows a lot more about me and my family than I do of him and his," I say with a frown. "I mean, it seriously feels like he's family, and sometimes I forget that he's part of security, you know?"
"I know exactly what you mean," his own frown pulling his eyebrows down. "It was a really nice conversation, and I enjoyed it."
"I happy to hear that, my love," a smile lifts up the corners of my mouth.
"Are you ready to get prepared for the day?"
"Yes, I am." I pull the hair tie from the end of my braid and throw it over the railing, hoping it at least hits the sink. I feel Jimin's fingers unraveling the braid, so I lift my face to the water. Once the braid is undone, I make sure all of my hair is wet then Jimin massages the shampoo in, a master at making it feel sensual. I rinse when he tells me to, then he's running his soapy hands over my body, intent on making sure every inch is caressed and cleaned. When the soap is rinsed off, he reaches for his own body wash, which I take from him and proceed to do the same to him, paying extra special attention to the part of his anatomy that is standing at attention.
Once we're clean, he pins me up against the shower wall, kissing me passionately. All the foreplay that happened with the soap made us both more than ready, and he enters me swiftly as I wrap my legs around his waist. It doesn't take long for either of us to reach our release, climaxing at the same time. Holding me steady, he helps me get my legs stable then we rinse off once more before turning the water off and stepping out to dry.
Standing in my towel, I dry my hair right away, slowly putting it in a braided French twist. Walking into the bedroom, I dress in the white shirt and fitted pantsuit with wide belt I had kept out last night. I carry my stiletto heels out and set them by the front door. Feeling my stomach growl, I grab a slice of cold pizza, munching on it while making a cup of hot tea and staring out the window. When I hear movement behind me I turn, seeing Jimin coming out of the bedroom dressed in black dress pants with a black belt, and a long sleeve, button down light blue dress shirt. He has it tucked in with the top two buttons undone. His hair is swept back and styled. Heat pools low, and the pizza is forgotten as I salivate over how delicious he looks.
"Damn, babe...if it wasn't imperative to go to the office today, I'd chose to work on getting you out of those clothes. You look damn fine!" I breathe out, appreciation evident on my face as he poses with his hands in his pockets and a smile on his face.
"Is this appropriate to go to your office?" he asks as he looks down at his clothes. "I don't think I have a suit coat with if that's needed."
"That's appropriate, love," I affirm as I walk up to him, looking him up and down. "You make that look good, mmm mm mmm... Yes, sir!"
His grin is contagious. Pecking him quickly on the lips, I turn back to the kitchen as the tea kettle starts to whistle.
"Tea, love?" I lift the pot of hot water up as I ask, then pour some in my cup. Before he can answer, the front door opens, and Jae-Sung and Anaïse walk in holding coffee cups. Jae-sung hands one to Jimin, and Anaïse hands one to me.
"I figured you'll probably need the caffeine today," she adds as I look at her with a raised brow. "If you don't want it, I'll drink it."
"No, I'll drink it! I just need to drink my tea first. Thank you!" I say as I take it. I look her up and down. She's standing there in a black jumper with long sleeves and a narrow belt. The wide legs flare flatteringly, while the belt accentuates her trim waist and full curves. Her hair is styled in soft, shiny, tight curls around her face, "I like that look on you! When did you pick that up?"
"I went home last night for a bit to pack my few things up. I hope you don't mind...I think I moved in last night while you were sleeping..." she gives a crooked grin, apprehension showing around her eyes. I pull her into a hug.
"I don't mind at all! I wish my stuff was that easy to pack up!" I whisper to her then hold her at arm's length. "And I wish I could wear something like that. I don't think I have the right curves for it."
"Outside of my uniform, I don't have much to work with other than workout and comfy clothes. This is one of the dressier things I own."
"Well, we'll have to go shopping then!" I smile. "If you want to, that is."
"Really? I would love to do that."
"Cool! I look forward to it. Maybe we can do a little bit of shopping tomorrow before we leave. I think Jimin and I had some...things we wanted to go look for..." I wink at him, and he smiles widely at me, nodding his head. I blush, and Anaïse tilts her head at me. Jae-sung just rolls his eyes. I see he's wearing the standard suit when he's working, no glasses this time. "Is everyone ready to go?"
Everyone nods as I gulp down half of my tea, taking another couple bites of the pizza, washing it down with the rest. I walk to the guest bathroom to brush my teeth. Grabbing my keys, wallet and phone, I step into Jae-sung's room to grab my soft sided black leather briefcase from the desk, sliding everything in and checking for my work ID badge. Coming out, everyone's standing in the hall waiting for me. I slide my feet into the heels as I slip my suit jacket on and shut the door. Once we're downstairs, I cautiously look out the elevator, scanning for a certain person. Not seeing her, I motion for everyone else to follow. Anaïse takes lead, Jimin with sunglasses and a mask on, I'm next to him, and Jae-sung behind us. We follow her to her car, which is parked close by. Jimin and I slip into the back seat then Jae-sung gets in the passenger seat. Anaïse starts the engine, then looks back at me through the review mirror. I give her the address to my office building and we're on our way. Normally I'm taking the subway, switching to a connecting train once I've crossed the East River and hit Manhattan. At least traffic isn't as bad as I was expecting on the way, and we're able to park in a public garage next door to my office building in Wall Street's Financial District. They follow me into the building, and we all sign in at the security desk in the lobby. Using my badge, we head up in the elevator to the top floors of the skyscraper, then get gently expelled into the lobby of my job.
"Good morning, Alice," I say as I walk up to the receptionist desk. The young brunette woman looks up from her computer screen, her blue eyes getting wide when she sees me with three people standing behind me.
"Good morning, Ms. Cho! We weren't expecting to see you today," she says in surprise. She leans forward and asks quietly, "Is it true? You're moving to South Korea and working at our office there?"
"Yes, Alice, it's true. I start there Monday morning." I say, smiling at her slightly, uncomfortable that there's gossip floating around the office about me. "However, I'm only here to pack up my office and have things sent over. Is Muriel in today?"
Alice straightens in her chair, pushing the red rimmed glasses back up her nose, her eyes blinking rapidly as she answers. "Yes, Ms. Cho, she is."
"Thank you, Alice. Can you please sign my guests in? They'll be here all day with me. This is Mr. Park JiMin, Mr. Lee Jae-sung, and Ms. Anaïse LaRoux."
"Of course, Ms. Cho!" She writes down their names, having them sign next to it then handing them badges signifying they're guests.
"Thank you," I say, bowing slightly. I gesture with my head to have everyone follow me down the short hallway to the left, opening the door at the end with my ID. When I walk in, I hear most conversations die down when people see me. I walk past the twenty cubicles that are filled with associates and interns, and down another narrower part of the room where the junior partner offices are located. About halfway down, I stop at the desk situated outside my door. An older red head stands up, all business.
"Good morning, Ms. Cho. It's nice to see you back. Here are your messages." She hands me a small stack of papers. "Is there anything you need right away? Coffee, tea or water for your guests?"
"All of that please, Muriel. I appreciate it. And thank you," I say, lifting up the messages and smiling at her before turning and heading into my office. I quickly sort through the messages as I walk around my desk. Setting my briefcase down, I toss the messages that need immediate attention on my computer keyboard, dropping the rest in the shred box.
When I look up, Jimin, Anaïse and Jae-sung are still standing just inside the door.
"I'm sorry...please, have a seat anywhere. I have a few return calls to take care of right away, which I didn't expect. You won't disturb me at all if you're talking." I gesture to the couch and chairs over in the corner of the room by the window. Anaïse walks straight to the windows to look out. Jae-sung walks slowly around the room, checking corners and the ceiling. He looks at me and I point in the corner behind where I'm standing without looking, and I see him nod once. Jimin comes and sits in one of the chairs on the other side of my desk as I unbutton my jacket and take it off, draping it over the back of my chair as I boot up my computer. Taking my phone out of the briefcase, I set the bag under my desk.
Grabbing the messages I kept, I look at them again just as my computer log-in screen pops up. Entering my credentials, I go directly to my email, scanning through the couple hundred sitting unread in my inbox swiftly. Seeing a recent one pertaining to one of the messages I need to return, I read the email thread, my brows pulling down in a frown.
"Sh*t!" I mumble as I get up and walk to the large file cabinet along the wall near the door, Jimin's eyes following me. Searching for the file I need, I get pissed when I don't find it, slamming the drawer shut. "That son of a b*tch!" I growl, causing Anaïse and Jae-sung to turn toward me, eyebrows raised. I look out the door to see if Muriel is at her desk, but it's still empty, so I stride out and to the breakroom where I find her getting the beverages ready to bring back to my office.
"Hey, Muriel?" Her head whips up when she hears my voice.
"Yes, Ms. Cho?"
"Do you know where the Baxter-Buxton file is? It's not in my file cabinet, and it appears that something is going sideways with it."
"I'm not sure...I put it back in the drawer with the last project meeting notes in it, right before you left for vacation. I haven't pulled it since because you weren't here." The confusion is written across her face.
"Is everything in the electronic file?" I ask, knowing the answer but needing to ask it anyway as I walk up next to her, grabbing the second tray to help carry it back to my office. She nods her head in thanks as we walk back.
"Yes, I made sure of it."
"You, my dear, are a life saver!" I say as we enter the office again. Setting the trays on the table in front of the couch, I go back to my computer as Muriel asks everyone what they would like to drink.
"Love, would you like anything to drink?" I look up at Jimin, smiling at him. I see him relax into the chair.
"I'll take coffee."
"Muriel, could you get Mr. Park and I a coffee please?" I ask. She nods her head, pouring two cups and bringing them over to us, setting mine on the desk out of the way, and handing the other cup to Jimin before she goes back and grabs the sugar and creamer, offering them to Jimin. I search my encrypted electronic files, not finding it anywhere.
"Muriel?"
"Yes, Ms. Cho?" She turns to look at me, a question on her face.
"It's not here."
"What? It has to be...I updated the file before you left...and haven't touched it since." She walks around to my side of the desk quickly, looking over my shoulder at the screen. "This doesn't make any sense... I know it was here! Let me go check for my backup..."
I nod at her as I start a search through my files while she steps out to her desk, fingers flying over the keys of her computer. I look through the window, seeing her brows pulled down in frustration. I can tell she's not finding it either, and before she comes back in, she searches through all the drawers and files sitting on her desk to make sure it didn't get misplaced. I hear her phone ring in the distance and she answers it as she continues to search. I do the same with my desk drawers, coming up empty. Muriel pops her head in my office, her face white.
"Martin called. Mr. Wilson and Mr. Wallace are requesting your presence immediately."
My eyes get big in shock, then a calmness settles over me. I nod sharply, standing up as I glance to see where in the search my computer is currently. I grab my jacket and slide it on, buttoning it. I run my hands down the front, smoothing imaginary wrinkles out, the only tell-tale sign of my nervousness.
"What's going on, love?" Jimin asks, with Anaïse and Jae-sung watching me from the couch.
"There's a serious issue going on with a project account that I'm in charge of, and my files are missing...both the hard and encrypted electronic copy. The bosses of the company have requested I see them right away. I'll be back as soon as possible. If you need anything please let Muriel, my assistant, know." Grabbing my cell I step around the desk, dropping a hand on the corner as I pause, needing to take a deep breath as the feeling of nausea hits.
Jimin is in front of me right away, his hand on my cheek, thumb caressing. His touch settles me down quicker than anything else has.
"Are you alright, my love?" he asks, the worry in his voice matching the worry showing on his face. I nod quickly, gripping his forearms tightly as I swallow hard.
"Yes, I believe so. Just a quick wave of nausea. Probably brought on by stress. I think I'll be all right now, love."
He kisses me on the forehead, then I'm walking out to Muriel's desk.
"Muriel, I've told my guests that if they need anything to let you know. I'm not sure how long this will take, but I have a search going on my computer looking for the file. Can you periodically check to see if anything comes up, please? And text me the results either way when it's done? I have a feeling I know what happened to my files."
She nods but doesn't say anything, standing up to head into my office as I walk to the carpeted stairway that will take me to the floor above. I pass the other offices and desks, my head held high. When I get to Mr. Wallace's office suite, I see a couple people sitting in the reception area, looking white as a ghost as I stride up to the desk.
"Good morning, Martin. I was told Mr. Wallace would like to see me immediately," I state, giving a slight smile of confidence even though I'm shaking inside and can feel the nausea starting to roll around again.
"Yes, Ms. Cho. Please have a seat while I let him know," the sandy blond man states, barely taking a glance at me as he picks up his phone and pushes on his gold wire-rimmed glasses. As I turn, I hear him speaking, announcing me. I don't even get to a chair when I hear him say, "Please go right in, Ms. Cho."
"Thank you, Martin." I change my trajectory to head for the closed double doors instead, inhaling deeply before placing my hand on the handle and turning it. I step in, noticing Mr. Wallace behind his desk, Mr. Wilson sitting in one of the two chairs in front of it, a panoramic view of Manhattan's skyline as their backdrop through the floor to ceiling windows that make up the whole wall behind them. Looking to my right as I enter, there are two more junior partners and a senior partner sitting on the couch next to the door. Mr. Wallace gestures to the empty seat next to Mr. Wilson.
"Thank you for getting here so quickly, Ms. Cho," Mr. Wallace begins, the light from the window and high overhead fixture bouncing directly off his shiny, bald head. I nod my head courteously before sitting ram rod straight in the empty chair, crossing my legs and resting my folded hands in my lap, waiting for whatever is to come. "First of all, we weren't expecting you to show up today, so when we heard you were here, it was fortuitous for us. I'm not sure if you're aware, but there's been some issues raised on the Baxter-Buxton project account."
"Yes, sir, I just found out about it. I'm in the process of checking the files to see where things are sitting."
"Good, good," Mr. Wilson states from my right, and I turn my head to look at him. His fatherly smile is a stark counterpoint to Mr. Wallace's stern looking countenance. Like Yin and Yang, good cop, bad cop. But I know for a fact that both can be quite ruthless when it comes to business matters. "We realize you're getting ready to move and will be starting in the Seoul office on Monday, but is there any way you can work on this and figure out what's happening? Frankly, this is becoming a sh*t show, pardon my French, and if we lose this account..."
I feel the noose hanging over my head at those words, the unspoken implied threat in his words.
"Of course, Mr. Wilson. Is there anything else I need to know before I start? All knowledge would be good to have at this point."
All five people in the room then fill me in on what has been happening in my absence, and as I listen calmly, I start feeling a chill slide down my back. I sit quietly as my mind spins on the various implications and what it could mean if my hunch is proven correct.
"Ms. Cho? Is there something you feel needs to be known? The last time something like this happened was three years ago...with Mr. Marshall." My gaze flies up to Mr. Wallace's, and I see he may already have some knowledge of what happened over the past few days, especially since he brought up that maggot's name in my presence. I nod once, however, I keep my mouth shut. Mr. Wallace understands my reluctance to speak and dismisses the other partners.
Once the door closes with a soft click behind them, I feel the gazes of both men slice through me. I lift my eyes to Mr. Wallace, meeting his straight on. "I presume you've heard what transpired early Monday morning between Mr. Marshall and I?" I begin, feeling the start of a headache behind my eyes.
Mr. Wallace nods curtly, and I look over at Mr. Wilson, who gives an encouraging smile and says kindly, "Although we don't know nor do we understand the reasons behind it."
"Until recently, I hadn't told a living soul about things that happened prior to Mr. Marshall getting fired. Only a select group have been told now, and I believe you two should know everything as well." I feel my phone vibrate in my hand, and I quickly look down at the text message from Muriel. I briefly explain the circumstances that occurred three years ago, then moving quickly to this week, describing what happened when Mr. Marshall approached me, finishing with the threat. "The three individuals that came with me today are actually my husband, his security, and one of the responding NYPD officers who took the report when my husband's security called law enforcement."
I smile gently, seeing the bewildered look on both their faces, which makes Mr. Wallace's appearance seem softer and more grandfatherly.
"Married, Ms. Cho? When did this happen?" Mr. Wilson asks.
"Just over a week ago, and honestly, it sometimes still seems like a dream. That's part of the reason why Mr. Bang Si-Hyuk suggested I get transferred to the Seoul office and become a liaison between our two companies. My husband is part of one of his agency's biggest artist groups currently."
"Ah! That puts things in perspective now. I admit we were quite surprised when Mr. Bang reached out to us for this partnership out of the blue. It was not something we would've considered, but Mr. Bang sure did sell the idea easily. Now I know why!" Mr. Wallace chuckles as Mr. Wilson's grin spreads across his face. "Congratulations, Ms. Cho!"
"Thank you. However, I have a couple more things that need to be said as full disclosure..." I turn serious again.
"Yes, Ms. Cho?" Mr. Wilson places his hand gently over mine, giving a quick squeeze then letting go, afraid of stepping over the invisible boundary between employer and employee.
"I will be taking an extended leave in approximately nine months..." I watch as both men's faces scrunch together in frowns, then the huge smile as it lights up Mr. Wilson's face when understanding hits.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Cho, I'm confused as to how you would know when you will need to have an extended leave with such a specific time frame," Mr. Wallace states, still frowning.
"Hendrick Wallace!" Mr. Wilson admonishes. "You have a wife and children...even grandchildren who are on the cusp of being adults. Think about this for a moment before you get your panties in a twist!" he exclaims. Mr. Wallace turns his gaze on Mr. Wilson, who is giving him a "duh" look.
"Are you telling us that you're..." Mr. Wallace asks slowly, his gaze finding mine.
"Yes, sir, I am."
"Well, congratulations are in order for a second time it seems!" Mr. Wilson exclaims. Leaning closer to me to whisper in a loud conspiratorial way, "Don't mind Mr. Fuddy Duddy on the other side of the desk...he's forgotten what it was like to be young once..."
"Shut up, Michael!" Mr. Wallace growls. "Congratulations, Ms. Cho. Now, what's the other thing you need to tell us?"
"When I first came in, I stated that I hadn't had a chance to check my files to see what was going on with the account. Part of the problem is that both my physical file and the encrypted electronic file are missing. I received a text from my assistant that the search I started prior to coming up here returned nothing. However, she and I both know that we are very meticulous about our record keeping."
"Yes, we're both aware that you are as well, which is both a blessing and a curse. This news is very concerning to hear, Ms. Cho. What do you think happened to them?" Mr. Wallace asks, just as serious as before. Out of the corner of my eye I see Mr. Wilson lean back in his chair, his chin resting on steepled fingers while staring out at the view behind Mr. Wallace.
"I can only give conjecture for the why, but as for the who..." I state, just as serious. "Given what has happened in the past few days, I am fairly certain about my hunch..."
"Please...do tell," Mr. Wallace leans forward, attention directly on me. I lay out my thoughts and the reasons, watching each man process the information.
"Has this been confirmed?" Mr. Wilson asks, turning to me. I shake my head.
"I haven't had a chance to check into my suspicions, however I'm sure if the security footage of the building and the office space is checked covering the past few weeks, it will be confirmed."
Mr. Wallace leans back, then turns around to stare out at the view. After a few moments, we hear him say in a tight, angry voice, "Michael, can you please have Martin call Ms. Cho's assistant to bring her guests here? And to have security check the past three weeks of footage as Ms. Cho suggested? We need to verify this information ASAP then come up with a plan."
"Of course, Hendrick."
I watch as Mr. Wilson does exactly that using Mr. Wallace's desk phone, then we wait for what seems like forever until we hear a knock on the door. I turn with the other two, watching as Martin opens it and gestures for Jimin, Anaïse, Jae-sung and Muriel to enter. He closes the door behind him, leaving the four to stand just inside. I get up and go to Jimin, smiling at each of the others. Grabbing his hand, I lead them all closer to the desk where my bosses now stand together to the side of it.
"This is Mr. Wallace and Mr. Wilson, the owners, and CEOs of the company," I pause, repeating it in Korean for Jimin. "Mr. Wallace, Mr. Wilson, I'd like to introduce you to my guests. This is my husband, Mr. Park JiMin, his security and colleague, Mr. Lee Jae-sung, and Officer LaRoux, of the NYPD. I believe you've met my assistant, Muriel."
Both Jimin and Jae-sung bow then shake the hands held out. My bosses both have smiles on their faces then they shake Anaïse's hand. I look at Muriel seeing her raise her eyebrow slightly in question. I nod slightly with a small smile.
"Welcome, and congratulations on the news," Mr. Wilson says to Jimin. I translate, telling Jimin that I gave them the news of the wedding and baby. He bows again.
"Thank you. We are excited," Jimin says, a smile crossing his face as he wraps his arm around my waist.
"Please, have a seat," Mr. Wilson gestures for everyone to go to the sitting area, and we all sit down with Muriel standing off to the side. "Ms. Hanson please, come join us. I believe this will pertain to you as well, and you might as well be comfortable."
I see she's surprised and undecided whether she should actually sit. I nod, gesturing to the remaining empty seat. Carefully she sits at the edge and I smile with understanding, much more relaxed now compared to when I first entered the office.
"We must apologize for bringing you all in here like this," Mr. Wilson starts and Jae-sung translates quietly for Jimin. "There has been some concerning details brought to our attention regarding one of our current project accounts, and after some discussion with Ms. Cho, we feel that it may stem from, or be tied to, recent events that have happened around her. Events that are very disturbing. We're currently checking into a few things, and while we wait for the results, we're hoping perhaps we could get your take on those recent events. What we are especially looking for would be any insights you would have, Mr. Lee and Officer LaRoux. As we understand it, you have knowledge of these matters."
They both nod, though they are confused. I explain what I told my bosses, highlighting the suspicions that I have.
"I must warn you that I'm not sure how much I'll be able to answer because this is an ongoing, active investigation..." Anaïse states calmly, looking over at me.
"Of course, we understand. However, if there's anything you can help us with, we would be appreciative, Officer," Mr. Wallace counters, his serious expression casting a heaviness on the room. "Especially considering there's been a threat against Ms. Cho. We take those kinds of things very seriously!"
I see Muriel's gaze find mine immediately, the fear plain on her face as she goes white.
"Muriel? Are you okay?" I ask, sliding forward on the couch, ready to get up at a moment's notice.
"I...I..." Her mouth moves but nothing beyond that comes out. She shakes her head, and I see her whole body start to tremble. Her eyes dart around at everyone sitting there, then continues to dart around the room, as if looking for an exit. I get up and move in front of her, squatting down so that our eyes are on the same level.
"Muriel," I take her cold hands in my own warm ones, but her gaze won't stop on me. In a sharper tone, I squeeze her hands as I bark, "Muriel! Eyes on me!" As soon as I see her focus is solely on me, I smile gently. "What happened? What do you know?"
"I didn't take heed of it thinking it was just gossip around the office by petty individuals who are jealous..." she says, shaking her head at the same time.
"What did you hear?" I ask gently. She continues to shake her head in denial, not wanting to speak the words aloud. "If you know something, you need to tell me."
She takes few deep breaths, trying to calm herself. I don't rush her, knowing it will just send her over the edge again, and when I hear Mr. Wallace clear his throat impatiently behind me, Muriel's eyes flick in his direction and I squeeze again shaking my head at her. "Eyes on me."
Without turning around, I say in a hard voice, "With all due respect, if anyone does not have the patience nor the ability to stay quiet, then please leave now."
I hear rustling of clothing behind and to the side of me, but no more noise is heard. When Muriel's eyes get big, I realize what I heard must have been Mr. Wilson putting his hand on Mr. Wallace's arm and shaking his head to keep him quiet. She looks back at me, and I squeeze her hands once more, this time showing she has my support no matter what comes out of her mouth.
"Last week I was walking to the breakroom to grab my lunch. Before I went in, I had to stop and fix the strap on my shoe, and I heard... I heard a few of the other assistants talking around the corner... At first, I wasn't paying attention but then I heard your name mentioned..." She stops, her eyes filling with tears suddenly. I hear Jae-sung still whispering to Jimin.
"What did you hear them say, Muriel?" I ask quietly, keeping her focus on me. Anaïse hands me a tissue from the box on the table next to her. I grab it, placing it in Muriel's hand. As she dabs at her eyes, I turn and mouth "Thank You" to Anaïse. Muriel takes another deep breath, letting it out and continuing.
"I heard them talking about how you slept your way to the top to get your position...and to get the transfer to the Seoul office...which I know isn't true because that's not who you are!" She forcefully says, her brows drawn down, green eyes flashing with the spunk that I'm used to seeing. I just nod my head, urging her to continue. "They were saying some very demeaning and nasty things, and one of them said that it was common knowledge that Mr. Marshall was fired because of you. You slept with him then when it went south, you opened your big mouth to the higher ups and somehow got him fired on false grounds."
I raise an eyebrow at that, knowing exactly where I heard something similar to that recently. "Let me guess about who possibly said that." I sarcastically murmur.
"When I walked in, they stopped talking. I acted like I didn't hear anything because honestly? It was a bunch of BS and I wasn't about to get into it with them. I figured they would talk no matter what I said, and instead of fanning the flames, I chose to ignore it and be the bigger person. But now..." she stops, dropping her eyes to her hands, dabbing at her face with the tissue again.
"But now...?" I prompt patiently.
"But now...it makes me wonder where all of this is coming from. And if there's a threat against you...they must be talking a lot more than I thought. As I left, I heard them whisper something about getting it, but I didn't know what that meant. Now, it worries me..." she ends feebly. "Should I have stayed around the corner and listened more? Told someone? Or did I do the right thing by ignoring it?"
She has a worried look on her face when she looks up at me, her face splotchy from the few tears that escaped. I shake my head.
"No, Muriel, you did the right thing. If you had tried to defend me, you would've given them the excuse to believe they were right after all. You would've given them the power over you, because eventually, they would turn on you if you did. And you'll still be here to deal with it after I'm gone. Honestly, I wish I could take you to Seoul with me so you can continue as my assistant!"
"I wish I could too, Ms. Cho. I've been an assistant to several partners over the years, but you, by far, have been the best one to work with!" she says, a small smile wavering on her lips.
"Now, can you tell us who the people were that were talking in the breakroom?" I smile back gently, trying to get us back on track.
Before she can answer, there's a knock on the door and Martin comes in, holding several black and white photos in one hand. He hands them to Mr. Wallace, who shuffles through them, a frown on his face before handing them to Mr. Wilson, who also looks through the pile slowly. His eyes rise to meet mine. He gives an imperceptible nod, verifying my suspicions. I turn back to Muriel.
"Who were the people, Muriel?"
"Justine McRae, Matheson Quarry, MariAnne Connelly, and Talisha Jones." My eyes lift back to Mr. Wilson and Mr. Wallace.
"Thank you, Muriel," Mr. Wilson says as I squeeze Muriel's hands one last time then get up to sit next to Jimin. His hand slides down my arm to entwine his fingers with mine as I feel the anger kick in. I should be feeling relief that my suspicions have been verified, but instead it's anger. I'm angry with the fact that Jeffrey and Leeza seem to be plaguing not just my personal life, but also my professional life.
"How do you want to proceed, Hendrick?" Mr. Wilson turns to Mr. Wallace, who is staring at me with a contemplative look on his face. I stare back, my anger still simmering beneath the surface. It's several minutes before Mr. Wallace says anything, but when he does, he captures everyone's attention with the idea he'd like to try and how it should be executed. My weird little heart is finding the diabolic bent to them very intriguing...