The women exchanged puzzled glances. One of the younger women blinked blankly and asked, “Didn’t Dawn just leave a moment ago?”
Another woman nodded and said to Maxine, “She’s already left. I heard she was bringing meeting materials, but I’m not sure if she’s in the conference room.”
Maxine had just come from the direction of the conference room, but Dawn was nowhere in sight. The sprawling office complex had countless rooms on every floor, searching them one by one would take forever. By the time she found Dawn, the meeting would likely be long over.
But Dawn was the one holding the meeting materials. If Maxine tried to enter the conference room alone, security would simply throw her out.
Seeing that she looked a bit at a loss, the older woman softened. She glanced at Dawn’s temporary seat and said, “Her phone’s still on the desk, maybe she’s in the restroom. Go check if you can find her there.”
“Thanks,” Maxine said, making her way toward the restroom.
The restroom was eerily quiet and completely empty. Maxine’s last bit of hope vanished. If she couldn’t find anyone here, she’d have no choice but to barge straight into the conference room.
But then, her peripheral vision caught the edge of an “Out of Order” sign peeking from behind the door. Her instincts screamed there was something she’d missed.
Maxine rushed downstairs to the restroom, where a glaring “Out of Order” sign stood at the entrance. After a moment’s thought, she bypassed the sign and opened the door. From inside, Dawn’s anxious voice called out, “Is anyone there? I’m stuck! Could you please let me out?”
“Dawn!” Maxine exclaimed, her voice filled with relief and surprise.
Trapped in the restroom, Dawn let out a relieved sigh. “Thank god, Ms. Hudson! I’m in the last stall, could you please let me out?”
Maxine saw that the door of the last stall was blocked by two mops. She stepped forward and moved them aside. Dawn emerged, her expression stormy. “I should’ve never trusted that idiot Gloria,” she spat.
She was about to swear, but at the last moment remembered Maxine was standing right beside her and swallowed the words.
Maxine asked, her voice full of concern, “How did you end up locked in there?”
Dawn straightened her clothes with an annoyed huff. “Don’t even get me started. Gloria called me out, saying she wanted to talk.
“I was washing my hands with my back to Gloria when suddenly she yanked me off balance and shoved me into the last stall. Thank god there was a toilet in there, otherwise, I would’ve landed right in the damn hole.”
Her face darkened with anger. “She took everything I’d prepared ahead of time, now the only backup I have is on my phone.”
Dawn thought anxiously, ‘I just hope we’ll still have a chance to say a few words once we get into the conference room.‘
Dragging Maxine toward the exit, she blurted out, “i’ve dug up everything. Peak Technology is just a shell company! They even signed a sham contract that completely bypassed the legal department. It was all arranged by people Bradley brought in.”
‘This Bradley must be Mr. Kaden,‘ Maxine thought./
Dawn gritted her teeth and said, “This must be the meeting where the board votes. If they approve it, the whole project is doomed, losing millions would
be the least of our worries.”
Maxine and Dawn sprinted toward the third–floor conference room. Panting heavily, Dawn couldn’t help but curse Gloria again. “Is she crazy?! It’s just a job, why go to such extremes?”
1/1
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
