Chapter 15

When only the last page remained, William lifted the coffee and took a sip. His brows drew together.

“Too strong. Change it to black coffee.”

Kimberly froze. If she went out and he checked the documents again...

Her tone stayed gentle. “Mm. I’ll go once you finish signing.”

“Go now. This page has a lot of figures. I’ll read it first.”

Kimberly saw him lower his gaze as if studying the document carefully.

If she insisted on waiting until everything was signed, he would probably get suspicious. Kimberly had no choice but to steel herself and walk out.

William lifted his eyes and watched her leave. His gaze gradually turned sinister.

His large hand flipped through the documents and accurately pulled out the page she had just tried to cover.

When he saw the words resignation letter, his knuckles tightened until they creaked.

Exactly as he had guessed.

No wonder.

No wonder she had been so obedient today.

She wanted to leave?

She wanted to get away from him that badly?

When Kimberly carried the coffee back in, the folder had already been placed at the edge of the desk. William’s expression showed nothing unusual, and only then did her heart settle completely.

If he had found out, he would have already been glaring at her like she had set his office on fire.

Kimberly had just set the coffee on the desk when William spoke, his tone light.

“I approved three days off for you. Tonight, you’re coming with me to a dinner party.”

Kimberly refused softly. “Sorry, Mr. Carter. I have personal plans tonight.”

William lifted his eyes to her. “What personal plans?”

Kimberly’s mind spun fast. “I made plans with Amanda Rodriguez.”

“Cancel them. Three thousand in overtime.” William pulled a card from his drawer and set it on the desk. “Go here early. Hair, dress, everything. At seven, I’ll have a car pick you up.”

Kimberly did not want to spend his money again.

She did want the overtime.

But...

She tried again. “Ms. Campbell will be upset if she finds out. Mr. Carter should take her instead.”

William answered blandly, “She’s not in good health. She shouldn’t overexert herself. What? A little work and you’re already finding excuses?”

Kimberly’s gaze darkened.

So he was afraid Janet would get tired.

She picked up the folder and the card with crisp efficiency. “Fine. I’ll go.”

William gave her an unreadable look. “Good. Dress up nicely tonight.”

“I know.”

Back at her desk, Kimberly immediately opened the folder.

But after flipping through the dozen or so documents several times, she still could not find that resignation letter.

She went blank.

Had it fallen out?

Impossible. Every page had been clipped in. Even if one fell out, it would not just so happen to be that one.

Kimberly thought for a moment, and her chest tightened.

He found it?

He took it out?

Then why had he not lost his temper?

Her eyes dimmed.

In the end, she had been childish.

William was too sharp. How could a cheap little trick like hers fool him?

Just then, Diane Collins hurried over, grabbed Kimberly, and dragged her into the stairwell. Lowering her voice, she asked, “Did you land the Nova Technologies deal?”

Kimberly nodded. Seeing Diane’s strange expression, she asked suspiciously, “What’s wrong?”

Diane’s almond-shaped eyes rounded. “Did that old creep James Anderson put his hands on you?!”

Kimberly briefly told her what had happened at the bar. “That’s basically it. Luckily, he had the filthy idea but not the guts to follow through.”

Diane patted her chest and exhaled hard. “You scared me half to death. I thought because of the William Carter thing, you’d lost your mind for a second...”

Then she started cursing under her breath. “You don’t know? The whole floor is talking. They’re saying you seduced James Anderson to win a project William Carter couldn’t even land. I’d bet my last eyelash Ruth Stewart and Janet Campbell are behind it.”

Kimberly’s expression turned cold.

Janet had been waiting to see her get taken advantage of. When that did not happen, she had a backup move ready?

Kimberly asked directly, “You heard it yourself?”

Diane nodded repeatedly and pulled out her phone, scrolling through the screen. “I recorded it. Kim, I don’t care how much you owe William Carter. You cannot swallow this for Janet Campbell’s sake.”

Kimberly listened to the filthy descriptions and recognized the voice behind them. She nodded. “Diane, send me the recording. Don’t get dragged into this. I have my own way to handle it.”

Diane sent it to her and said with sincere gravity, “How can I not get involved? Back then, I made a mistake at work. If you hadn’t pleaded for me in front of William Carter, I would’ve lost this high-paying job ages ago.”

“And putting that aside, after more than two years of friendship, I can’t just sit here and watch. I’d lose sleep.”

Kimberly sighed softly. “Fine. Then come on. Let’s go find Debra Perry.”

Ten minutes later, the two of them brought Debra Perry to the rooftop.

After playing the recording, Kimberly turned away slightly and opened her own recording app. “Debra Perry, tell me. Who told you to spread sexual rumors about me? Or do you simply hate me enough to say such filthy things on your own?”

From the moment Debra heard her own voice gossiping with someone else in the recording, her face had gone white.

She stammered, “I... I only overheard it by accident when I went to the restroom. I was in a stall. I didn’t recognize the voice.”

Kimberly’s cool gaze swept over her. The faintest smile touched her lips. “Fine. You don’t know who it was, and I don’t know either. But I have evidence of you personally spreading malicious sexual rumors about me. I’ll call the police now.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Kimberly made as if to dial.

Debra panicked, her eyes brimming as she begged, “Don’t! Don’t call the police! Please, Ms. Martinez. I don’t want to lose my job.”

Kimberly paused, her voice cold. “Debra Perry, there is no conflict of interest between us. No personal feud. But my reputation was damaged because of you, and I’m not swallowing it quietly. I’ll give you ten seconds.”

Debra looked at Kimberly in alarm. She could hardly believe the mild, courteous Kimberly she saw every day had such a hard edge.

But she had been forced to.

Maybe Kimberly was only scaring her?