Chapter 102: Lorie’s provocation

Words : 1100 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

Chapter 102: Lorie’s provocation "You clearly have no idea how to draft a proper report," Augustine barked, his tone rising with each word. "This is sloppy. Amateur. Do it again." "Yes, sir. I—I’m sorry," Lorie stammered, quickly bending to retrieve the file. Her hands trembled as she clutched it to her chest and turned to leave. "If you can’t get it right, don’t come back. I’ll have you reassigned to another department—far from here." The words hit her like a punch. Panic twisted in her stomach. She had schemed and played her cards just to get close to him, and now it was slipping through her fingers. She couldn’t afford to lose this post. Keeping her head down, she muttered another apology and hurried out, her face pale and her breath shallow. At Anne’s desk... Anne’s attention drifted from her laptop screen as her phone buzzed beside her. Seeing Audrey flash across the display, her face lit up with a genuine smile. It had been a while since they last talked—Audrey had vanished off the radar, swept away on a vacation with her ever-mysterious boyfriend. Grinning, Anne swiped to answer the call. "Look who finally remembered me," she said, feigning annoyance, though the warmth in her voice betrayed her happiness. "Don’t be mad, sweetheart," Audrey chimed playfully. "I called you the moment I got back. That should show you how important you are to me." Anne chuckled, her heart lightening. "Okay, fine. You are forgiven. Now spill—how was the vacation? Was it as dreamy as you made it sound?" "It was amazing," Audrey replied, her voice bubbling with excitement. "We had so much fun. I’ll send you some pictures." Anne laughed, her eyes lit up with anticipation. "I’m already jealous. Hurry up and send them. I’m dying to see the photos." "Alright, alright, give me a second," Audrey replied. A moment later, Anne’s phone buzzed with a flurry of incoming pictures. She opened the message thread and began scrolling through them one by one. Audrey looked radiant—her happiness practically glowing from the screen. Her laughter was frozen in snapshots, her expressions carefree and full of life. A few beach shots in a bikini made Anne pause, eyes widening. "Damn, Audrey, you have kept yourself in top shape," Anne murmured, half-impressed and half-jealous. "You look like you walked out of a magazine shoot." But as she continued swiping, her smile slowly faded into a puzzled frown. All the photos were solo shots of Audrey. There was only a single photo where Audrey was with a man, but his back turned to the camera, gazing out at the ocean. Anne squinted at the screen. "Hold on—where is your boyfriend’s photo?" Audrey giggled through the phone. "He is camera-shy. Doesn’t like being photographed." Anne sighed, a little deflated. "You have been dating him for some time, and I still haven’t seen his face. Why so secretive? I promise I’m not trying to steal him." "Oh God, Anne, you are hilarious," Audrey said between laughs. "You are so cute when you whine. Let’s meet after work, okay? I’ve brought gifts for you." "Deal," Anne replied quickly, already looking forward to their catch-up. "I’ve got something to tell you too." After they hung up, Anne placed her phone aside, a lingering smile on her lips. Her mood lighter, she turned her attention back to her laptop, her fingers dancing over the keyboard with renewed energy. "Anne, can we talk for a minute?" Anne looked up from her screen to see Luke, one of her team members, walking toward her with a file in hand. She offered a nod. "Sure, what’s up?" Luke placed the file gently on her desk. "The client’s demands have ramped up," he began, his brows furrowing with concern. "They want us to deliver the entire batch by the end of this quarter. But with the current manpower, I’m not sure we can pull it off. We are already short-staffed in the field. How do you want to handle this?" Anne’s expression was thoughtful as she processed the situation. She understood the pressure from the client. She knew the project had already seen delays, and more postponements would only deepen the losses. "I get it," she said after a pause. "The client is trying to recover from the earlier delays, and speeding up the delivery is their way of regaining control. That means the pressure is now on us." She straightened as she made the decision. "We’ll need to work overtime. I’ll talk to the manager and request approval for extra wages. If everyone is being fairly compensated, I’m sure we can rally the team." Luke’s face brightened. "If we are getting paid for those extra hours, I doubt anyone will complain. We can make it happen." Anne smiled. "Great. I’m counting on you to handle the worker coordination. Keep morale up." "Got it." Luke gave her a confident nod. "I’ll head to the factory this afternoon to assess the progress and update the workers." Lorie, who had just come to talk to Anne, saw the scene. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the man standing close to Anne. From her angle, it looked like he was leaning in a little too comfortably, chatting casually with Anne. She quickly raised her phone and hit the record button. "She is such a slut," she muttered under her breath. "Flirting with a coworker despite having a sugar daddy. Disgusting." Just as Luke straightened and walked away, Lorie ended the recording and tucked her phone away with satisfaction, like she had just captured something scandalous. With venom in her smile, she walked straight toward Anne. "Well, someone is clearly enjoying her work environment," Lorie scoffed as she came to a stop beside Anne’s desk. Anne glanced at Lorie briefly, then turned her attention back to her laptop, fingers moving across the keyboard as if the woman beside her didn’t exist. The lack of reaction made Lorie bristle. Her lips twisted in irritation as she pushed further. "Who was that guy? What is he, your new boyfriend?" Anne slowly turned to her, eyes cold. "Do I look like someone who reports her personal life to you?" The icy disdain in her tone struck harder than any insult. "You—" Lorie’s voice faltered, her anger right at the edge, but she stopped herself just in time. She had a purpose for approaching Anne, and a full-blown argument wouldn’t help her cause. Forcing a calm tone, she said, "I’m your sister, Anne. I just wanted to know if you have started liking someone. Why get so defensive?"

Chapter 102: Lorie’s provocation

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