Bound to the Seduction (Free to read)

Chapter 2: Liar

"What?" Manager Chen shouted, slamming his fists on the table. His gaze could have vaporized her. Heads turned in his direction, and his bloodshot eyes regained some clarity. He couldn't afford to lose his temper in front of everyone. "Ahem, I'm sorry. Please don't mind me," he said, squeezing a smile that probably made his cheeks hurt.

Oh, no! That wasn't good. There was no coming back from this mess, and she would never hear the end of it. She couldn't even blame Manager Chen for such a reaction. Everyone would have that kind of look if they watched a million-dollar contract slip through their fingers, especially after being thoroughly embarrassed. It would be worse if the contract went to Manager Feng by sheer luck.

Her heart bled as well. She mourned her job in her heart. Getting yelled at would be a conservative outcome. Losing her job is the real outcome she dreaded. Do you know how hard it is to find a job these days?

"Little girl, did you even prepare it yourself?" Director Jones asked, disrespect thick in his voice, as he leaned back in his chair and swiveled while fiddling with his pen. "I've said it before, these young girls are terrible. Perhaps she doesn't even have a clue what this is about."

"I'm sorry. I did prepare the presentation myself, but something might have happened to my laptop. Even I don't understand how this happened." Sarah's face contorted in confusion, words tumbling out between ragged breaths. "Yes, I think this is malware."

"Do you take this as a joke?" Manager Feng said, anger pulsating through his voice. He belonged to another subsidiary and wouldn't miss such an opportunity to kick Aston Group while they were down. His competitive spirit was a little overboard, precisely why he and Manager Chen were arch enemies. And he fanned the flames. "You could have prepared well enough and not come up here halfheartedly. You are making the rest of us look like idiots."

"I'm sorry, you lost your chance." Mr. Smith shook his head and glanced at his watch. Again. He took off his glasses, rubbed his eyes, and cleaned his lenses before putting them back on. "I sympathise with your unfortunate experience, but that is as far as I go. This counts as Aston Group forfeiting the bid."

Sarah's heart sank. She had no choice but to return to her seat, allowing the next person to start their presentation. She took a deep bow as an apology to everyone and walked back to her seat, each step heavier than the last. Things didn't look too good. Her superiors had warned her against any mistakes, but she messed up big time. Her only chance to prove herself and keep her job turned into nothingness. Sarah excused herself and left the room, seeking the refuge of the bathroom. She took a few minutes to refresh and get her thoughts straight before walking back to the boardroom.

As she opened the door, the screen lit up and another presentation appeared. The contents on the screen made her face pale and her fingers balled into a tight fist. Every content screamed mine. It was the same proposal she had poured her sweat and tears into. The same one that transformed her into a night owl for an entire month and made her fight with her fiancé.

Everything was hers, except that it showed up under a different company. The part where her name should have been now had a different name. Martin Greg. That explained why her laptop kept malfunctioning, and her copies had disappeared, too. What a vicious move! She opened her mouth to say something, but a hearty clap interrupted her.

"Mr. Greg, I'm impressed," Mr. Smith complimented, clapping. "It looks like you did your research."

"Thank you, sir, for your kind words. Indeed, it took me many nights to come up with such an idea," Martin said, grinning.

"This is innovative and problem-solving." Director Nathan nodded. "I have such a good impression of your company, and I believe this project will be in good hands if handed to such a responsible young man. Looks like the old generation is not the match for the young ones." He chuckled, not hiding his happiness.

"That is the kind of talent we need in the industry," Director Smith added.

"I'm flattered." Martin smiled as he bathed in the limelight, unable to contain his happiness. He raised his head, and his smile froze. Sarah stood at the far end of the room, glaring at him. He regained his composure and looked straight at her. "Miss, do you have any comments for me?"

"Liar!" Sarah shouted, unable to restrain her impulsiveness. All faces turned to her in disapproval.

"Excuse me?" Martin played dumb.

"That is mine!" she said through gritted teeth, a murderous glint lingering in her eyes.

"Who is this disrespectful person? You couldn't even get a proposal right, and you have the nerve to accuse others of stealing your proposal?" the man in a green shirt, who sat beside Martin, probably his boss, retorted.

Nobody talked, but they all seemed to agree with him. A handful of people snorted while the rest paid no heed to her.

"What a sore loser," someone sneered.

Director Smith glanced at his watch. Again. What was so special about his watch? "I don't have time for this nonsense. Please sort out your issues somewhere else. Miss, I'll have to ask you to get out."

Left with no other choice, she picked up her belongings and stepped out, watching the chance to pay for her brother's tuition slip through her fingers. She had placed so much hope on this, only to be dumped out unceremoniously. Her heart squeezed painfully as Martin shook hands with Director Smith, and she stepped out of the door, so unwilling. That should have been her, not him.

***

An hour later, her phone rang. The escalation manager, Ms. Wen, called. Manager Chen must have informed her about what transpired. She gathered the little courage remaining and answered the phone, her voice shaky.

"Hello?"

"Sarah, what kind of enmity do you have with our company?" an angry voice boomed through the phone. Sarah flinched and moved the phone a few centimeters away from her face.

"Ms. Wen, I don't understand..."

"You are playing dumb now, huh?" Ms. Wen banged the table and continued, "Fine, I'll fill you in. Why did you leak confidential information to another company? And you had the nerve to tell me your proposal was stolen?"

"What are you talking about?" Sarah asked, confused.

"You are still denying it. I followed up on the case you reported. Guess what? The document was sent through your job email account a day before you attended the conference!"

"Ms. Wen, I..." Her words stuck in her throat as she remembered something. Wait... a day before the conference? Wasn't that the same day she had taken her laptop to the IT department for maintenance? "Ms. Wen, this is really a misunderstanding. Please give me some time, I will prove my innocence."

"No need." Sarah's heart sank even deeper as Ms. Wen continued, "You don't need to report to work anymore. Our company doesn't need dishonest employees." Then she hung up the call.

There goes justice.

"Are you kidding me?" Sarah screamed, kicking the wall. "I should be the one getting mad, not the damn company!"

***

Back in her hotel room, Sarah took a long, warm bath to calm her nerves. She lathered the soap in her hands and spread it luxuriously up her arms, first one, and then the other. She felt like a failure. Things had been messy in her life over the past few months, and this proposal was the only thing going right in her life now. Well, until a while ago, that is. The last right thing in her career had crumbled.

She sighed as she adjusted the diamond ring on her finger. Her mind shifted to her fiancé, Brandon, waiting for her back home. It'd been six months since they got engaged after dating for two years, yet something about her relationship didn't feel right. Their relationship had deteriorated, and Brandon was getting a little distant from her. Perhaps she had been too focused on her work and neglected him. Forget it, since she didn't have a job anymore, she might as well spend quality time with him before she figured out her next course of action.

A smile appeared on her face as she thought of how much she missed him. With this in mind, she stepped out of the tub, onto the small but chic zebra-print rug, and put on a white velvety bathrobe. Streaks of colored lights streamed through the small opening on the long, heavy curtains and reflected on the oval mirrors, creating a mesmerizing crisscross of rainbow-colored lights. Sarah sighed. The company got her this luxurious suite only because they had coupons. She could still enjoy this service since the room had been booked for five days. She had been kicked out of the conference on the second day.

Sarah sipped a mouthful of water, swirling it before swallowing. She placed the glass on the table and straightened her thick hair, letting it cascade down her shoulders. She lazed around in the room before deciding to stroll around the hotel. This might be her last chance of stepping into such a hotel, and she wouldn't waste such a chance. She dressed up and walked out in her favorite pale blue heels, which she believed could make her lucky.

As she walked, she noticed a lot of people there, mostly handsome men dressed in expensive suits, perhaps on business trips. Not far away, a couple enjoyed a romantic dinner on the terrace. It was a sight to behold. She didn't miss a group of hot guys up ahead enjoying themselves, full of laughter. It looked like they were playing a game.

Their happy laughter attracted her, and she walked towards the group. It gave her a sense of warmth she had never felt before, and a sudden urge to be part of them. Without knowing, she had walked into the pool area, dangerously close to the pool. Her black gown contrasted with the pool, and the dim lights illuminated her face. Those who saw couldn't help but gasp at her immaculate beauty.

However, her heels and the slippery swimming pool tiles caused her to slip and lose her balance. This sudden accident brought her back to reality, but there was nothing much she could do. She could already see herself falling into the pool. Sarah's face twisted into a horrified and hopeless expression, cursing her younger self for not taking swimming lessons. She was about to drown in her sorrows, literally.

Perhaps, this might be the best option after the day's events, but her little fighter spirit wouldn't allow her to give up. She waved her hands frantically, trying to regain her balance, and it worked for two seconds before she twisted her ankle, causing a yelp to escape her tight lips.

She shut her eyes, and her heart sank in despair as she waited for a cold splash to hit her. Just then, a dark shadow whizzed over at lightning speed. An arm grabbed her by the waist, pulling her into a safe, warm embrace. The person spun her around, saving her before she fell into the water.

She held tightly to her savior as if she had found a lifesaving straw, her heart still beating from the near fall. His cologne calmed her nervous self, and the tight grip on her waist gave her a sense of safety she had never felt before. It felt like a strong pillar that could hold her up even if the world tumbled down. For a moment, she forgot everything and hoped to stay in this embrace forever.

"Are you alright?" a magnetic voice, that caused tremors in her heart, sounded in her ears, pulling her out of her fantasy.

"Yes, I'm alright," she said, instinctively raising her head to look at him. Her eyes met those charming black eyes that could see through her soul. That hypnotizing pair of clear eyes drooped a little with a kind of lazy unruliness, yet looked nonchalant like nothing could enter his heart.

That handsome face was so close that his thin lips would meet hers if she moved up a few inches. She shook her head to get rid of such distracting thoughts. Damn, she had a fiance already!

He seemed to notice her discomfort and freed her waist as soon as she steadied herself. He stood a small distance away from her. He did not want to let go but had to, for now.

"Thank-thank you," she said, trying hard to calm her racing heart.

His lips curled into a smile, and that charming smile sparked ripples of unknown feelings in her heart as he replied, "My honor."

Hiss!

Sarah accidentally shifted her weight to the injured foot and grimaced at the shooting pain. She held onto him for support and rested her forehead on his chest, waiting for the pain to pass. The heel of her shoe had broken earlier, and she had trouble balancing on one leg. He must have noticed this because he smiled at her without saying a word and let her hold on to him for support as he squatted down to take off her shoes. Then, he held out a hand to her.

Sarah's hands trembled slightly and hesitated before placing her hand on his. An electric current ran through her as her fingers touched his, and heat rushed onto her face. She leaned on him for support, limping away from the pool. He sat her on a white chair a few steps from the pool.

The Hottie signaled one of the staff and whispered something to him. A few minutes later, the staff returned with a pair of powder blue flat shoes, an ice pack, and a first-aid kit. Her 'savior' took her foot and started working on it.

She focused on his slightly curly hair framing his forehead, almost covering his eyes when he lowered his head. His bushy eyebrows furrowed from time to time as his gentle fingers worked magic on her foot. She did not feel pain, and her heart felt at peace.

"Done," he said, closing the first-aid box.

"Huh?" his voice jolted her back to reality. She ran her fingers through her hair. "Oh, okay. Thanks."

"See you around," he said, smiling as he waved at her before walking back to his friends.

Sarah sat on the white chair for a long time, still immersed in his smile earlier. It was a brief moment, but she hoped it could last forever. Something about him attracted her. She had a feeling they'd meet again. Soon.