Chapter 9
A moment later, they sat by the coffee table. Ruth lowered her voice.
“I found out. Kimberly Martinez was the heiress of the old Martinez Group. She almost never appeared in the media.”
“Three years ago, when Martinez Group collapsed, William Carter helped her. After that, she came to work here.”
Janet was stunned for a moment. “No wonder she doesn’t seem ordinary at all...”
Ruth continued, “She has grandparents, but for some reason, those two favor her uncle and never cared about her family.”
“After Martinez Group went bankrupt, her father jumped. Her mother suffered a hemorrhagic stroke from the shock. Her life was saved, but she’s half-paralyzed now and living in a care facility out west.”
“Oh, and she has a younger brother. He’s a junior at Rivermont University. But...”
Ruth stopped there and looked at Janet carefully.
“But what?”
After a moment of hesitation, Ruth told her the truth.
“The fees at that care facility are terrifying. Only wealthy families can really afford it. With Kimberly Martinez’s salary, there’s no way she could cover her mother’s care.”
“I haven’t found out whether William Carter is paying for it. And her brother’s tuition, living expenses, plus all the designer clothes she wears... I don’t know where that money comes from either.”
Janet gripped her fork so hard her eyes slowly turned red.
In a low voice, she asked, “Did you find out exactly how William helped her back then?”
Ruth nodded eagerly.
“I did, but don’t get mad when you hear it.”
“When Martinez Group collapsed, there were debts and settlements and all that mess. I don’t really understand the details. Anyway, William Carter covered a full ninety million for her. On top of that, he used his connections to bring in a top medical team for her mother.”
“From what I found, if William Carter hadn’t stepped in, Kimberly Martinez’s mother might have died. She and her brother would’ve had a miserable life too. Those debt collectors were vicious.”
Janet’s fork clattered hard against her plate.
Her face went white.
“By the timeline, I hadn’t even been abroad for a year when Will started helping her... He spent that much money and effort on her. Their relationship cannot be ordinary.”
Hearing the tremor in Janet’s voice, Ruth quickly soothed her.
“Don’t be angry. Even if there’s something between them, I think William Carter only treats her like entertainment.”
“You know how men are when they have too much money to spend. They want some fun. They see a pretty woman and want to keep her around. It happens all the time in Rivermont.”
As she spoke, Ruth handed Janet a fresh fork.
“Think about it. At Nuit, and again today, you wanted Kimberly Martinez’s office and he agreed right away. In the coffee room, even with cameras there, he didn’t check anything. He believed you directly and forced Kimberly to apologize. Isn’t he protecting you?”
Janet’s expression eased a little, but then the word cameras hit her.
“What did you say? There are cameras in the coffee room?”
Ruth nodded. “Yeah, but it’s fine. He definitely won’t bother watching the footage. Too much trouble.”
Janet said nothing else.
She ate while digesting what Ruth had told her.
So Kimberly owed William more than a little.
It wasn’t only a huge sum of money. It was practically a life debt.
No wonder Kimberly was so obedient with William.
Thinking of this, Janet turned to Ruth.
“Find out which project is the most difficult, the one giving the company the biggest headache. Bring me the materials this afternoon.”
“Okay. Eat.” Ruth pushed the food toward her. “Your health isn’t good, so you can’t eat spicy food. I ordered all mild dishes.”
“Thank you, Ruth.”
Janet looked at the bland food and had no appetite at all.
She loved spicy food.
More than anyone.
Ruth waved a hand carelessly. “What are you thanking me for? If you hadn’t helped me back then, I never would’ve gotten into Carter Group.”
She sighed heavily.
“Honestly, being pretty really is useful. I’m barely breathing under the cost of supporting my younger siblings’ schooling. Kimberly Martinez? No matter what happens, someone always swoops in to save her. She’s got such a good life.”
Janet looked Ruth over, then walked to her desk drawer and took out a box.
“For you. Thanks for helping me find out so much.”
Ruth’s face lit up. She opened it, and her eyes grew even brighter.
“For me? This gold bracelet has to be worth over forty-five hundred. You already paid for the private investigator. I can’t possibly...”
Janet smiled.
“Take it.”
...
That afternoon, Janet came to Kimberly’s desk with a folder.
Her tone was neutral.
“Ms. Martinez, Mr. Carter was personally handling this project, but after work he’s taking me to the old Carter house to discuss the engagement. So tonight’s business dinner is yours.”
Kimberly put down the materials in her hand and flipped through the folder.
Nova Technologies.
The most difficult client to serve.
William had taken her to dinner with this project manager once, then never let her follow him again.
Because the man could drink for hours.
And because he was a lecherous old creep.
He might not have the guts to commit a major assault, but the way his eyes crawled over women and the way his hands tried to take advantage were already disgusting enough.
Kimberly did not believe William would let her negotiate with that kind of man alone.
She asked directly, “Did Mr. Carter instruct this?”
Janet’s lips curved. She took out her phone.
Kimberly watched her swipe the screen, then heard William’s voice.
“Have Kimberly Martinez handle tonight’s dinner with Nova Technologies.”
Janet’s smile deepened.
“Well? Do you still need to ask him in person?”
“No.” Kimberly answered calmly, then pulled several files from her desk and handed them over. “Ms. Campbell, you’re responsible for drafting documents for the executive office, right? These need to be submitted this afternoon. Ask me if you don’t understand anything.”
“No problem.” Janet took the files, then bent and whispered, “If Ms. Martinez can close the deal tonight, you’ll become a major contributor to Carter Group. The commission will be impressive too.”
“Of course, if anything goes wrong, Mr. Carter will probably be very unhappy. Good luck.”
Kimberly watched Janet leave and mulled over her pointed tone.
Janet definitely knew what kind of person that manager was.
She wanted to wait and watch Kimberly get harassed.
After a moment’s thought, Kimberly took out her phone and opened her contacts.
...
