Chapter 161
161:
Having delivered her little jab, Cynthia sauntered back to her desk without another word.
Linsey’s lips tightened. She headed towards the manager’s office. Was Coen seriously considering firing her because of some online garbage?
“Coen?” she said, closing the door behind her, a knot of nervousness twisting in her stomach.
Standing before his desk, she asked, “You wanted to see me?” Predictably, Coen immediately launched into the online rumors.
“I wanted to talk about these rumors swirling around about you online,” he stated.
Linsey’s heart sank. She was terrified he had actually bought into that crap. “Coen, it’s a complete misunderstanding,” she blurted. “Please, you have to believe me. None of that stuff online is true.”
Coen scrutinized her for a moment. “It’s weird,” he muttered. “You’re not exactly famous. Why would anyone bother spreading rumors about you?”
He paused, then added, his tone turning serious, “I have a feeling someone’s behind this, deliberately trying to cause trouble. Linsey, you need to deal with this, and fast.”
Linsey nodded quickly. “I will.”
After a beat, she hesitated. “Coen, is the company going to fire me because of this?”
Coen raised an eyebrow. “What kind of company do you think we’re running here?” he asked, his voice firm. “We don’t fire people just because they’re having a rough time. You’ve been here long enough.”
“You know me better than that, don’t you?”
Linsey forced a small smile. “Of course, Coen. You’re always fair.”
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Coen seemed pleased with her answer. He chuckled. “Don’t sweat it. I’ll handle this. You just focus on finishing Anthea’s design. Don’t let this whole mess distract you from actual work.”
Linsey was genuinely taken aback. She hadn’t anticipated Coen’s support. It was a pleasant surprise, to say the least.
Coen then casually admitted, “Don’t get too carried away with the thanks. With Anthea singing your praises, we have to keep our clients happy, naturally.”
He then playfully nudged her. “Seriously, Linsey, why the hell didn’t you mention you were so tight with Anthea?”
Still a little bewildered, Linsey answered honestly, “I’ve only met Anthea once, actually. We mostly talked shop—you know, design stuff. We’re not exactly besties or anything.”
Coen gave a knowing nod. “Ah, I see. Anthea must have seen something special in your work, then. Makes sense. Alright, off you go. Just make sure you nail this design for Anthea, okay?”
“Got it, Coen,” Linsey replied, still a little puzzled by the whole interaction, but definitely relieved.
After their little chat, Coen, in an unusually friendly and upbeat mood, personally escorted Linsey to the door.
“Oh, by the way,” he said, as they neared the exit. “You mentioned you twisted your ankle yesterday. How’s that holding up?” He genuinely seemed concerned.
The other office drones exchanged surprised glances, clearly thrown by Coen’s sudden display of actual human decency. It wasn’t exactly his usual style.
Everyone had expected Coen to explode, to have Linsey escorted out without a second thought. But instead, he looked… concerned. The rumors about her had already swept through the office like wildfire—there was no way he hadn’t heard them.
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