r Twenty–Three
Alicia’s eyes narrowed as she looked between the sharp–faced woman and the pompous man blocking their path.
Her expression remained cool and controlled, but there was steel beneath her carefully maintained
composure.
“We arrived at this elevator first,” she said, her voice dripping with disdain. “We’re already running late for orientation. There’s no logical reason why we should be expected to accommodate your inconvenience.”
“Logical reason?” the sharp–faced woman shrieked. “The logical reason is that Mr. Roden is a department manager and you’re nobody!”
Linda shifted uncomfortably beside Pervis, her earlier enthusiasm completely dampened by the hostile confrontation. She opened her mouth as if to speak, then seemed to think better of it and remained silent.
Pervis observed the situation calmly, noting the aggressive posturing and the obvious expectation that they would simply comply out of fear. It was a dynamic he’d experienced far too many times in his life with Anna–someone using their perceived authority to bully others into submission.
“Why don’t you both wait for the next elevator?” he suggested reasonably. “It should arrive in less than a minute.”
The sharp–faced woman’s face turned red with indignation. “How dare you! Do you have any idea who you’re speaking to?”
Roden stepped forward, his substantial belly preceding him as he puffed himself up importantly. “Listen here, you insignificant little people. Don’t you know there’s an extremely important quest arriving at this company today?”
“An important guest?” Linda echoed nervously
“That’s right,” Roden sneered “Someone far above your pay grade. I’m supposed to be upstairs to greet them when they arrive, and if you nobodies delay me from meeting this VIP, I’ll personally ensure all three of you are fired before lunch”
The threat hung in the air with the weight of absolute certainty. Roden clearly expected his words to have immediate effect.
“You’ll have us fired?” Pervis asked quietly.
“Damn right I will!” Roden declared arrogantly. “I’m a senior manager here. I can end your careers before.
they even begin!”
“Is that so?” Pervis’s voice remained calm, but something in his tone shifted
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Chapter Twenty–Terres
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“That’s absolutely so!” the sharp–faced woman chimed in. “Now get out of that elevator before-”
She didn’t finish her sentence. Pervis’s foot shot out with sudden, decisive force, connecting solidly with Roden’s substantial midsection.
The impact drove the air from Roden’s lungs in a explosive wheeze.
His eyes bulged with shock and pain as he stumbled backward, his hands clutching his stomach.
“What-” the sharp–faced woman started to scream, but Pervis had already stepped back into the elevator
Without anyone blocking the sensors, the elevator doors began to slide closed with mechanical indifference.
“Mr. Roden!” the woman shrieked, rushing to support the gasping man as he bent double, trying desperately to catch his breath.
The last thing they saw before the doors sealed completely was her furious face and Roden’s purple complexion as he struggled to recover from the blow.
Inside the rising elevator, silence reigned for several long seconds.
Alicia turned to look at Pervis with raised eyebrows, her expression shifting from surprise to something that might have been grudging respect
She hadn’t expected the well–dressed new hire to respond with such direct action.
“That was… bold,” she said finally.
Linda, however, looked absolutely horrified. “Oh my god,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Do you realize what you just did? That was a senior manager!”
“He was being unreasonable,” Pervis replied calmly.
*Unreasonable or not, he has power here!” Linda insisted, her earlier cheerfulness completely evaporated. “He said he could get us fired, and now you’ve assaulted him!”
“I simply removed an obstacle,” Pervis corrected mildly.
“By kicking him!” Linda’s voice rose to a near–panic.
“When he finds out we all work under him–and he will find out–he’s going to make our lives absolutely
miserable!
“If we work under him,” Alicia pointed out with cool logic.
“We haven’t completed orientation yet. The department assignments might not be finalized.”
“You really think we’ll be that lucky?” Linda asked desperately.
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“With our luck, we’ll all end up in his department, and then what? He’ll find ways to sabotage everything
we dor
The elevator chimed as it reached the twentieth floor. The doors opened to reveal a modern office space with glass walled conference rooms and sleek furniture.
A professional–looking woman with a tablet stood waiting for them. “You must be the new management trainees. Welcome to Whitewater Corporation. I’m Jennifer Hayes from Human Resources.”
“Thank you,” Alicia said smoothly, stepping out first.
“If you’ll follow me to the HR office, we’ll complete your onboarding paperwork,” Jennifer continued, leading them down a corridor lined with employee photos and corporate awards.
As they approached the HR office, Pervis noticed something that made his stomach sink slightly.
Through the glass walls, he could clearly see two familiar figures already inside the office.
The sharp–faced woman was helping Roden into a chair, his face still red and his breathing labored. His expensive suit was disheveled, and he looked thoroughly humiliated by the encounter.
“Oh no,”
no,” Linda breathed, seeing the same thing. “They’re already here.”
Jennifer opened the door, apparently oblivious to the tension. “Please, come in and have a seat.”
The moment the three new hires entered, Roden’s head snapped up. His eyes, still watering from pain, locked onto Pervis with unmistakable recognition.
A slow, malicious smile spread across his face despite his obvious discomfort.
“Well, well, well,” he wheezed, his voice still strained. “Look who it is.”
Chapter family Tear
Chapter Twenty–Four
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.
