BILLIONAIRE'S REDEMPTION

Chapter 3: Hidden Purpose

Sandra’s POV

Moses and I were seated across from each other, and I could practically sense the tension between us. My heart was racing as his piercing eyes were fixed on me. It seemed like a lifetime ago when he had dragged me into his office after seeing me outside the door, and now I was sucked into a confrontation that I hadn't intended to start.

Moses stated, "You were eavesdropping," in a tone that was low enough to be very harsh. "I don’t tolerate prying, Sandra."

Feeling the weight of his allegation descend hard upon me, I swallowed. I stumbled over my words and muttered, "I wasn't I mean; I didn't mean to." "I was just waiting to give you the report. I didn’t hear much, I swear."

Moses leaned forward on his desk and squinted his eyes. "You didn’t hear much, or you didn’t hear anything? Because there’s a difference."

I winced when he looked at me. His voice had a way of making me feel as though I was perched on a brink and only one incorrect step away from plunging. I whispered, "Just bits and pieces," as I acknowledged. "Something about Derek and... someone named Vanessa."

His teeth tightened, and I noticed a glint of wrath, possibly even pain, on his face. However, it vanished just as swiftly as it had emerged. With an even colder voice, he replied, "What you heard doesn't concern you." "You need to stay out of things you don’t understand, Sandra."

I nodded while attempting to control my shaking hands. "I didn’t mean to intrude. I just"

"What you meant is irrelevant," he cut off, getting to his feet and pacing behind his desk. He moved stiffly and tensely as if he was struggling to maintain control of something. "In this world, trust is a luxury, and I can’t afford to extend that luxury to someone who can’t keep their place."

Though his remarks hurt, I had no way of disputing them. Even though I was a novice, I had already succeeded in putting myself in a risky scenario. I quietly said, "I understand," and got to my feet. "It won’t happen again."

Moses turned to face me and stopped pacing. His eyes somewhat softened for a little moment. "All right," he murmured, and then, almost as an afterthought, he said, "Don't get sucked into the wrong crowd, Sandra. Be careful."

His admonition lingered unsettled in the space between us. By that, what did he mean? He waved his hand dismissively and went away before I could ask any more questions. "Get back to work."

My head racing, I hurried out of his office. What had I suddenly found myself in?

I sat down at my desk, staring blankly at my computer screen, my mind still knotted in the stressful encounter with Moses. I kept thinking about what he had said and how he had cautioned me was it regarding Derek? Vanessa? or something completely different?

My phone buzzed before I could think about it any longer. Upon glancing at the computer, I discovered a message from Emma, who is my closest friend and the only person who truly understood the challenges I had faced during my initial days at Edward Enterprises.

How are things going? Withstanding the insanity?

With a sigh of relief at the diversion, I swiftly typed back. Hardly. A lot is going on, and I believe I've annoyed my boss already.

Emma answered nearly right away. Moses, ugh? That man seems like a troublemaker. However, you don't give up lightly, do you?

I answered, "Not so sure about that," recalling how Moses had looked at me as if he didn't think I was trustworthy at all. As if I were an asset.

Emma called a minute later, and I picked up. Her voice was warm and worried. "Sandra, listen, I know this place is tough, but don’t let Moses scare you. He’s probably just testing you."

I scoffed, not sure if I agreed with it. "Testing me or setting me up to fail? He’s so cold, and something is going on with him, something deeper. He keeps warning me to stay away from... things."

"Sounds like classic trust issues," Emma remarked, her voice reflective. "Maybe there’s more to him than meets the eye. You said something about Vanessa earlier?"

I exhaled. "Yeah, I overheard him talking to Bill about someone named Vanessa, and it didn’t sound good. I don’t know if I want to get involved in whatever that’s about."

Emma suggested, "Maybe you should keep your distance." "But also, if you’re curious... be smart about it. There’s no harm in observing from afar, you know?"

“I'll be careful,” I said, nodding even though she couldn't see me.

"Good. But also, don’t get too wrapped up in it. Just do your job, keep your head down, and maybe you’ll find out more without getting yourself in trouble."

I grinned, appreciative of her guidance. “Thanks, Em. You always know what to say.”

She teasingly said, “That's why I'm your best friend.” “Now, go kick ass, okay? Don’t let these corporate types get to you."

I felt a little better when I hung up, but the discomfort persisted. Whether I liked it or not, there was undoubtedly something going on with Moses and possibly Derek that was drawing me in.

I had hesitated to accept Derek Collins' lunch invitation, but I couldn't help but be drawn to his charisma. He had presented it as a kind greeting and act of kindness to a new employee in the business sector. How come it felt that way? Incorrect?

We were sitting at a classy restaurant downtown at a quiet table. From across the table, with eyes too sharp for the sweet tone he was adopting, Derek grinned at me. "So, how’s your first week at Edward Enterprises?"

I mustered a courteous grin. "Busy. It’s a lot to take in."

Derek stated, "I can imagine," bending slightly in response. "Moses isn’t exactly known for being the easiest boss in the world."

I laughed a little, trying to keep the conversation light. "He sets a high bar."

Derek grinned again, but his face worried me. "He has reasons for being... guarded. But you already know that don't you?" he said.

I scowled and became acutely aware. "What do you mean?"

Derek shrugged, a touch of something deeper coming through in his nonchalant tone. "Moses has secrets. We all do, I suppose, but his... let’s just say they have a way of complicating things for the people around him."

I became uneasy and tensed up. He was saying this, but why? Did he have a specific goal in mind? In a casual tone, I said, "I don't know much about Moses's personal life."

Derek's eyes narrowed, but he held off on moving closer. Rather, he inclined his head back and grinned effortlessly. "Of course. I just thought I’d offer you a little friendly advice be careful who you trust in this business."

I felt like I had to go after hearing his comments, which were like a warning. I raced out of the restaurant after giving him a courteous but quick excuse about having to get back to the office. Although Derek had been charming, there was a predatory side to him. Even though I had no idea what his game was, I knew I didn't want to play along.

I knew something wasn't right when I got back to the workplace. When I left, my desk was tidy and well-organized; today, it was completely disorganized. There were papers all over the place, and an error message was flashing on my computer screen.

I looked in disbelief, heart palpitating. Who was responsible for this? Why?

I started gathering the papers right away to put things back together. My phone rang with a new text while I fumbled around on my computer attempting to figure out what had gone wrong. I took it out, believing that Emma may be there once more.

However, Emma wasn't it.

I was shivering when I received a message from an unknown number that said, "Stay away from Moses, or you'll regret it."

I paused, feeling the weight of the threat take hold of me and the phone drop from my fingers. My head was full of inquiries. Who was the sender of this? Was that Derek? Another person? And really, how much risk was I in?

I looked around the workplace and felt so alone suddenly. I had now found myself sucked into the middle of whatever game was being played.