Chapter Five: Sabotage and Chaos
1268 Words
Alexander walked into his penthouse apartment, tossing his keys onto the counter. He poured himself a glass of scotch and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows, staring out at the city skyline.
As he sipped his drink, his mind began to wander back to the office. Specifically, to Elora. He couldn't shake the feeling that she was playing dumb, that she knew exactly who he was and was trying to manipulate him.
But why? What could she possibly want from him?
Alexander's eyes narrowed as he thought back to their encounter. She had seemed so... innocent. So unaware of his true identity. But he knew better. He had seen the spark of recognition in her eyes, even if it was just for a moment, or so he thought.
He took another sip of his scotch, his mind racing with possibilities. Was she after his money? His power? Or was there something more to it?
Alexander's eyes hardened as he thought about the possibilities. He was a man who always got what he wanted, and he was determined to get to the bottom of Elora's game.
*****
The next day, Alexander tasked Mrs. Ann to inform Elora about a new project that needed to be presented to clients the following day. However, Mrs. Ann had other plans; she wasn’t going to let Elora know about the task until it was too late.
The next morning, Alexander went directly to Elora’s desk to confirm if the project was ready because the clients were on their way. The office fell silent as everyone watched in shock, whispering to each other about the CEO's sudden interest in a ground floor staff. "Is that... Alexander Grey?" one of them whispered. "What's he doing talking to Elora?" another asked.
It was unusual for the CEO to interact with lower-level employees, and many had worked at the company for years without even catching a proper glimpse of him. Alexander's presence at Elora's desk was a surprise to everyone, and his direct inquiry about the project only added to the astonishment.
"Good morning, Elora. I trust you're prepared for the presentation?" Alexander said, expecting to see a confident smile on her face.
Elora looked up from her computer, confusion etched on her face. "What project, sir?" she asked, her voice laced with uncertainty.
Alexander's expression turned stern. "The project I assigned to you through Mrs. Ann. Didn't she inform you?"
Elora shook her head. "No, sir. I haven't received any information about a new project."
Alexander's eyes narrowed and he told Elora to immediately confirm from Mrs. Ann. When Elora asked Mrs. Ann about the project details, she claimed she had sent everything via email. "I sent you all the necessary information, Elora. You should have received it," Mrs. Ann said with a fake smile.
Elora checked her email but found nothing. "I didn't receive anything, Ma. Can you please resend the details?" she asked, starting to feel anxious.
Mrs. Ann feigned surprise. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I must have forgotten to send it. Anyway, I'm sure you'll manage to get it done somehow."
A few minutes later, Alexander asked Elora about the project once more. "I'm afraid I didn't receive the necessary information on time, sir," Elora explained, trying to stay calm.
Alexander's expression turned stern. "Mrs. Ann told me she sent everything to you. I expect this project to be ready now. The clients are on their way."
Elora's heart sank, but she quickly remembered she had some background knowledge about the project. Just as she was about to give up hope, she received a message from the receptionist saying the clients were delayed due to traffic. She breathed a sigh of relief and quickly compiled the presentation.
As the clients arrived and gathered in the conference room, Elora's tension was obvious. She had little time to prepare and was worried that her presentation wouldn't meet Alexander's expectations. Jasmine, Elora’s only work friend noticing her anxiety, walked over to her, held her hands and whispered words of encouragement. "You've got this, Elora. Just relax and be yourself, your ideas are great. Trust me, you'll do amazing."
Elora took a deep breath and nodded, feeling a surge of confidence. She gathered her thoughts and began to compose herself, ready to face the challenge ahead.
"Good morning, everyone," Elora said, trying to sound confident as she began the presentation. "I'm Elora, and I'll be presenting to you today about our new financial technology platform."
The clients nodded, and Alexander smiled, impressed by Elora's composure. As she began to present, Elora's nerves started to settle, and she delivered her lines smoothly.
Just as she was getting into the flow, Mrs. Ann, who was sitting nearby, "accidentally" knocked over the cup of coffee that was on the table, spilling it on Elora's notes and presentation materials. "Oh dear, clumsy me!" Mrs. Ann exclaimed, trying to hide a smirk.
However, Elora was prepared. She opened her laptop and continued the presentation seamlessly. Alexander noticed the incident but said nothing, intrigued by Elora's composure. Mrs. Ann, on the other hand, felt a pang of defeat. She had been so sure that her sabotage would ruin Elora's chances, but instead, Elora had handled the situation with ease and poise. Mrs. Ann's smirk faltered, replaced by a look of frustration and disappointment.
After the meeting, Jasmine decided to reveal the truth about Mrs. Ann to Alexander. She waited until Mrs. Ann was distracted, then headed to Alexander's office. However, she knew his guards would be a problem, so she came up with a plan.
Jasmine approached the guards with a smile. "Hey guys, I think a staff from HR is celebrating her birthday downstairs and there's cake and treats for everyone in the break room." The guards' eyes lit up. "Cake? We love cake! We'll just run down and grab a slice." As they headed downstairs, Jasmine slipped into Alexander's office.
"Hello, sir," she said.
"Hello," Alex replied, startled. "Sir, I'm sorry for barging in, but I need to tell you something important, and please, sir, I want this to be between us."
"Go ahead," Alex said, anxious to hear what could be so important.
"Sir, it's about Mrs. Ann. She's been plotting against Elora because she's jealous of her – probably her beauty or whatnot – but it's clear she doesn't like the poor girl," Jasmine said, her voice low.
Alexander's expression turned serious. "What do you mean? Hold on, where are my guards, and how did you get in?"
"That's a lot of questions, sir, but I only have answers to question one," Jasmine replied. "Mrs. Ann has been trying to sabotage Elora's work to make sure Elora doesn't succeed here," she explained.
"Do you have proof to back up your accusations?" Alexander asked.
Jasmine hesitated before responding, "I have a recording of her making negative comments about Elora over a phone call in the ladies' room. She also said she wanted Elora gone because she wanted “her own” to shine alone. I know it's unorthodox, but I felt it was necessary to document her behavior."
"Why are you telling me this?" Alexander asked.
"Sir, sabotaging a colleague's work, which could be of benefit to the company, is breaking the laws of the company and putting the company in jeopardy – that's why," Jasmine replied.
Alexander's eyes narrowed. "I'll address this. Thank you for bringing it to my attention, Miss...?"
"Jasmine, sir," she said and left the office. She knew what she had done might get her fired, but she was determined to help clear her friend's name.
- Writer
