Chapter 37

37 Are We That Close?
37 Are We That Close?
Back in the IT department, Alice hadn’t expected things to blow.
up
Someone had to be pulling strings.
that fast.
She pulled out her phone and opened Eric’s WhatsApp chat.
Then, she sent him a smiley face emoji.
A second later, a red exclamation mark popped up.
The app said, “You’re not friends yet.”
Alice stared for a second, expression blank.
Then, she quietly deleted his contact and slid her phone back into her pocket.
When Chloe walked over, she caught a strange coldness from Alice and paused halfway. But Alice had already gotten her cool back and asked calmly. “What’s up?”
“Uh, Mr. Hayden is being investigated now. Are you going to approve our department’s files?”
Alice had zero interest in taking over that duty. She gave a slight smile and said, “Nope.”
“Then who will-”
“I think you’re a great fit.”
Alice then sat back down and logged into the company intranet.
Ruby didn’t waste time and had already posted an official update.
The explanation was simple.
In the video, Ruby claimed Troy had been working hard, so she wanted the finance department to give him three extra months‘ pay.
He was supposed to write out a request , and she’d sign off on it.
So, he dropped by her office to get it done. Once she signed it, he walked out.
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37 Are We That Close?
As for whether he ended up in the next room or managed to break through the firewall using company equipment? She said she had no clue.
Her explanation sounded flawless.
But the whole company had seen what went down. Troy wouldn’t have looked that calm pulling confidential files if he didn’t have approval..
Even when he got caught, he acted like he’d done nothing wrong.
People knew the truth. Whether they said it out loud was another thing.
Alice stared at her screen, smiling meaningfully.
She didn’t need to dig into anyone’s reactions to know they weren’t buying Ruby’s excuse.
Ruby’s control within the Nolan Group had taken a solid hit–at least a third of her influence gone.
Not long after, the company held a press conference.
They stuck with the same explanation, and the media just echoed whatever the official line
was .
The whole thing was kept quiet, and barely anyone talked about it online.
It was enough to keep the board satisfied.
That evening , Alice didn’t feel like leaving just yet.
It had been ages since she could game
game so freely.
The internet here was fast, the computers top–notch–way better than what she had at Eric’s place.
Still, she had responsibilities.
As his doctor, she had to give Eric his treatment.
Letting out a sigh, she logged off her account, erased all signs she’d been gaming, and finally stepped out of the IT department.
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11:20 Mon, 30 Jun
37 Are We That Close?
#5 Free Coins
What she didn’t know was that those few casual sessions had already pushed her to the top of the national leaderboard,
When she logged out, gamers across the country were crushed.
A bunch of them had been hoping to watch her next match.
Outside, Eric’s car was already parked out front.
As soon as she spotted it, her mood soured. She pulled out her phone and started booking a ride.
Daniel, confused by her reaction, quickly rolled down the window.
“Mrs. Nolan, please come in!”
Alice gave him a cool look. “Are we that close?”
Daniel was straightforward and didn’t think much of it.
“You’re Mr. Eric’s wife. Of course we are.”
She sneered and shot back, “Really? Then why don’t we have each other’s numbers?”
Daniel froze.
He was just a bodyguard and driver. How could he even have her contact info?
He peeked at Eric.
Eric’s face was already dark with frustration. That was when it hit him, and he grabbed his phone.
Seeing a friend request on WhatsApp, he suddenly remembered that they had exchanged info back when they signed the deal.
But between the trip to the old mansion and everything that happened afterward, it slipped his mind.
Plus, he barely even checked WhatsApp. So , her request went unnoticed unul now.
He looked embarrassed.
Alice said meaningfully, “Since we’re not that close, why should I ride with you?
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11:20 Mon, 30 Jun G.
37 Are We That Close?
“I’ve got time to kill. Think I’ll hit a bar.”
She waved down a taxi, and one pulled up almost immediately.
She opened the door and said, “Bye.”
Daniel looked uncertain. “Mr. Eric, maybe you should talk to her.”
Eric stared at his phone, expression heavy.
The streetlights gave the cars a soft, golden glow.
Time felt like it paused for a second.
Then, Eric finally set down his phone, opened the car door, and stepped out.