31
Ben, Donna, and Tony were conversing in hushed tones.
Ben responded, his voice tinged with uncertainty, “You’ve heard it too, right? That’s what I heard. It must be true.”
Tony remained silent, causing the other two to prod him with curiosity. “Why aren’t you speaking?” they questioned in unison.
“I was thinking we could pay him a visit tomorrow,” Tony finally spoke, his words hanging heavy in the air.
His unexpected response left Ben and Donna at a loss for words.
“You always know how to surprise us, don’t you?” Ben remarked sarcastically.
“Will you come with me or not?” Tony asked, the question loaded with intensity.
“Yes,” Ben quickly replied.
“Yes,” Donna echoed, unable to resist the allure of adventure.
They couldn’t refuse Tony’s invitation. After all, they thrived in the presence of excitement and mischief.
“We need to find out which hospital he’s been admitted to. I don’t want to risk checking online while Mommy is home,” Tony explained.
Donna chimed in confidently, “Leave it to me! I’ll use my charm to get all the information we need.”
“Alright then. We’ll meet after school tomorrow,” Tony proclaimed.
“Alright,” Ben agreed.
“Alright,” Donna confirmed.
The next day, Donna woke up earlier than usual. Alpha Wade, their grandfather, was bustling around the kitchen. She eagerly approached him, extending her arms for a hug.
“Laziness has infected you, little bug. Why are you up so early today?” Alpha Wade asked, his voice cheerful.
Donna’s mouth watered at the sight of the simmering soup on the stove. “I caught a whiff of your delicious cooking, Gramps. What’s this? It smells heavenly!”
“It’s soup. Want some?” Alpha Wade offered playfully.
“Yes!” Donna nodded vigorously, her eagerness shining through.
“You’re such a greedy little kitten. I’ll save some for you later,” Alpha Wade chuckled.
“Thanks, Gramps!” Donna expressed her gratitude before asking, “But why are you cooking soup so early in the morning?”
“My friend is sick, so I’ll be visiting him in the hospital later,” Alpha Wade explained.
“Is he really sick?” Donna inquired innocently.
Alpha Wade assured her, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. “Not really.”
“Oh. Which hospital is he in?” Donna pressed.
“Goldbirch Hospital,” Alpha Wade replied without much thought.
Donna nodded thoughtfully. “Alright then. Take care of yourself, Gramps!”
“Good girl. Don’t worry, I’ll look after myself,” Alpha Wade replied fondly.
“I’ll go freshen up now,” Donna pretended to yawn and slowly made her way back to her room.
Unbeknownst to Alpha Wade, Donna closed her bedroom door with force. Her eyes sparkled with determination as she typed a message in their group chat: Goldbirch Hospital.RêAd lat𝙚St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only
Receiving no response, Donna huffed in annoyance and sent another message: I woke up early to gather information, and yet you’re still asleep! She made sure to tag both of them.
Ben’s reply came promptly: You’re quite the spy. Impressive work! Will that be sufficient?
“Good job, Donna,” Tony chimed in, his words filled with approval.
Donna beamed with pride at their praise. Since it was still early, she returned to her bed and resumed her slumber.
When Nelly woke up, the house was empty. She grabbed her phone and noticed a text from Alpha Wade. After seeing the kids off to school, Alpha Wade had headed straight to the hospital.
Nelly proceeded to have her breakfast at the dining table before tending to her daily responsibilities at work.
As she arrived, she spotted Lara and Nelson exiting the office.
“Don’t worry, we won’t disappoint Morris Corporation. We won’t disappoint you either!” Nelson uttered, with a forced smile on his face.
Nelly briefly entertained the thought of ignoring them, but they had already noticed her from afar.
“Nelly, come here! I’ll fill you in on the upcoming plans,” Nelson beckoned her.
Left with no choice, Nelly reluctantly approached them.
Lara flashed a smug and arrogant grin. “Ms. Jackson, I can’t believe you’ve just arrived. Look at the time. Do you think you can do as you please just because you got the project?”
Nelly glanced at her watch. “I was caught in traffic and arrived five minutes late. It seems like you live here, as you’ve already finished the discussion early.”
Her words may have sounded like a compliment, but it was actually a sarcastic retort.
Nelson listened to their exchange, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
What was Alpha Kilian thinking? Why did he assign both of them to lead the project?
He coughed nervously and spoke, “Nelly, starting today, Ms. Gareth from Morris Corporation will be the main contact person for us. You’ll be working closely with her, so-”
Lara interrupted sharply, “Ms. Jackson, are you disappointed that I’m in charge now?” Her smirk hinted at superiority.
Nelly countered with a smile, “Of course not. It doesn’t matter who’s in charge.”
Lara’s confident facade wavered slightly. “I hope we can have a cordial working relationship.”
“I don’t think that’s possible, Ms. Gareth. It’s quite obvious that you’re unhappy whenever you see me. I feel the same way. But don’t worry, I’ll remain professional at work,” Nelly stated calmly, not waiting for a response as she walked towards the Programming Department.
Her brazen mockery of Lara in public left many stunned.
As people hurried past in the busy morning rush, Nelly’s words reached the ears of many.
Nelson’s forehead glistened with sweat. He couldn’t afford to offend either of them.
“Ms. Gareth, why don’t we-” he began to say.
But Lara shot him a withering glare. “Mr. Yondel, that was incredibly rude of her. Why do you hire such disrespectful employees?” With that, she stormed off in a fit of anger.
Nelson stood there in disbelief.
This was the first time he felt so conflicted and tormented after winning a project!
No one knew the connection between Nelly, Alpha Kilian, and Lara, but they witnessed how Nelly’s words left Lara dumbfounded, almost as if Nelly held a higher position, like a wife. It was a surprising revelation.
After all, no one dared to offend or provoke Morris Corporation.
But Nelly was an exception.
Their admiration for Nelly only grew. She had dared to mock the person in charge after securing the project. People were curious to know who this Nelly truly was.
“Ms. Jackson, did you really mock Lara earlier?” a colleague dared to ask.
“No,” Nelly replied nonchalantly.
“Many people saw it happen. News of it has spread.”
“I wasn’t mocking her. I was simply telling the truth.”
Her colleague was dumbfounded. “Do you think we’re fools?”
Nelly chuckled. “They’re just letting their imaginations run wild.”
“Can I ask you something in secret?”