Ruined By My Brother's Best Friend (by Silverwriter) novel Chapter 41

Something was off. I could feel it in the way my stomach sank every other second, or the way my mind kept making up horrific scenarios, like it was anticipating something crazy. It was ridiculous, absolutely so, but I couldn’t just shake it off.

I was exaggerating, I knew it. The only reason I felt something wasn’t right was because Leah hadn’t popped into my office today. Not even once, and it was already midday. That never happened. In fact, she would go to extra lengths to come in at least once, and she was religious about it. If she couldn’t come, she would send piles of extra work over while bombarding us with emails to check on the progress and CC’ing everyone in the company.

But today, there was nothing. In fact, Sierra and I came in to see that our schedule for the day had been cleared, and all pending edits had been transferred to other departments. Weird.

I sighed dramatically. “Don’t you think something isn’t adding up?” I asked, leaning back in my chair.

Sierra looked up from her phone and paused the movie she was watching. “I don’t think anything is off she shrugged. “I could never see anything off with just chilling.”

“Be serious!” I groaned, throwing an unopened pack of bubble gum at her.

Sierra chuckled and caught it. “What?” She threw her head back, her shoulders bouncing as she laughed heartily. “I am serious! You’re the one who’s paranoid.”

“I’m not paranoid! I just feel like Leah’s up to something.” I stroked my chin. “I mean, she never gives us free time!”

Sierra shook her head, a wide grin on her face. “I’m rubbing off on you.”

I frowned. “Girl, what are you even talking about?”

Sierra twirled a strand of her hair and crossed her legs. “Yes, because the last time I checked, you accused me of cooking up conspiracy theories,” she said, pointing her index finger at me. “That’s exactly what you’re doing now.”

I rolled my eyes. “Never mind! Forget I said anything.”

“Will do!” She laughed, then went back to her movie.

I relaxed into my chair and closed my eyes, trying my best to tune out my thoughts and rest a little. I was almost dozing off before the loud clinking of heels made me snap my eyes open.

Like a devil that could be summoned by thoughts alone, Leah walked in, a smirk on her face as she strutted like she was in a fashion show. I straightened up in my seat just as Sierra paused her movie and glanced at me.

I raised a brow and gave her a knowing look. I was right. Leah was definitely up to something.

“The least you both could do is greet me when I walk in,” she sneered, looking from me to Sierra with a frown on her face.

Sierra didn’t bother replying to her, and neither did I.

“Crazy bitches,” she muttered under her breath, but loud enough for us to hear.

When she still got no reply, she sighed. “Okay, I’m done with the dramatics.”

Sierra scoffed. “Self-awareness is the first stage of healing. Glad you finally reached this milestone.”

I shot to my feet, my heart thundering in my chest as her words fully registered. I shook my head. “You have to be kidding me.”

Valex was one of the companies owned by Alvise and his family. I had no idea why she wanted to send me there. No… I couldn’t go.

“I’m not,” Leah said.

I scoffed. “I’m not even part of the team! You were there when he kicked me out!”

Leah smiled, a glimmer of satisfaction passing through her eyes. “I don’t card. Figure it out.”

Sierra stood too. “What do you mean, ‘figure it out’? She’s not part of the team, but you are. Why would she be the one to go give updates?”

Leah shrugged. “Because I said so.”

I clenched my hands into fists at my sides, my nails digging deep into my palms as I took deep breaths and tried to calm myself down. Leah was setting me up, especially because she had witnessed how Alvise treated me last time. She got a kick out of it.

Because she knew he had personally kicked me out and made his dislike clear, she was intentionally sending me there to piss him off even more and get me in trouble. I folded my arms and held her gaze. “I’m not going.”

She grinned, a mischievous look in her eyes. “Oh, you are, and you will.”