The Alpha's Unclaimed Mate (Jason and Laila) by Caroline Above Story novel Chapter 69

Chapter 6y

Laila’s POV

I left

I didn’t need to hear more. After apologizing to Ava, and making sure she was tucked back into her hospital bed and secure, the room and rushed down to my car. I nearly flew the distance between the hospital and the office. When I arrived, I went up the stairwell to my company’s floor, taking the steps two at a time.

I burst out of the landing and into the main office to find chaos.

The place was as busy as it usually was during working hours, with people running around. Only everything felt a bit more desperate, likely because it was nearly midnight now. People were running on their eight cup of coffee and fumes at this point.

When Claire say me, she rushed toward me. “Vanessa! Thank the gods. What a mess.”

“What’s going on?” I asked. Even though she had mentioned some of what was happening on the phone, I hadn’t felt like I had the full picture then. I wasn’t even sure about now, as many of my employees were glaring at me like I was the reason they were awake.

“Sheila said this late night meeting was your idea,” Claire said. “Then, when you didn’t get here on time, she’s entirely blamed you.”

“I didn’t even know about any meeting,” I said.

“Did you check your emails?” Claire asked.

I pulled out my phone and checked right now. “Nothing.”

“Not even in your junk mail folder?”

I checked there too. “Still nothing.”

“That’s strange. There was a public argument in a text change between you and Sheila,” Claire said. “You proposed the late night meeting, and Sheila tried to counter it. You insisted. You said anyone who didn’t show up could lose their job.”

“I never said that,” I insisted.

“I believe you,” Claire said. “But… how did she do that?”

“She must have gotten into my computer,” I said. “Hasn’t she been dating that guy from IT?”

It didn’t matter now, I was realizing. What was done, was done. Everyone was here, whether I had sent that email or not. And if I

didn’t do something to try to salvage my reputation, I was going to suffer for it.

୮

Sheila had planned this from the beginning, and she was ready to dump it all on me.

“Is the board in the meeting room?” I asked Claire.

“Yes,” Claire said. “And they already started!”

I walked as fast as I could to the meeting room. As I approached the windowed walls, I saw many members of the board turn and

glare at me through the glass.

Sheila was standing in front of the table, giving a presentation with slides to the room. On the screen, I noticed the current slide was all about my contract with Jason.

And how she was ready to swoop in and take over the account.

I was on the back foot here for sure. She’d set me up and everyone was annoyed with me. But I wasn’t going to let Sheila win.

After all I worked for in this company and this contract, I wasn’t going to let Sheila swoop in and take it from me.

Chapter m

+25 Bonus

1 Burst into the meeting room.

Sheila just grinned at me, as the others all glared. “Nice of you to finally join us, Vanessa. Since you were so late, I took the liberty of starting the meeting myself.”

“I can see that.”

“I’m guessing you are late to the meeting because of your poor daughter. A sweet little girl, but always in bad health. Don’t you think it’s time you spent more time with her instead of trying to have everything your way?”

“I can do both,” I said.

Sheila grinned. “Your lateness says otherwise.”

“It was most unorthodox to call a meeting this late to begin with,” said one of the board members. “I thought something was wrong. Then we get here only to be told you were running late. This was not a good approach, Vanessa. Many on the board are unhappy with your choices.”

Before I could even attempt to explain myself, Sheila continued. “I’ve been explaining to the board how easy it would be for me to take over the account with Alpha Jason and his pack. You’ve been dragging your feet on that, haven’t you? With such an account to back us, we could even start a new branch of this company. With me at the head. The board has been listening closely to my proposal.”

“She’s made some good points,” another member of the board said. “You have been slacking, Vanessa. We care about Ava, but we can’t let the company suffer. Maybe it’s time we let someone else take the reins.”

“You can’t have the account with Alpha Jason,” I said.

“Oh, no? I’ve already been courting his pack. I’m certain the transition would be, not only smooth, but also welcome on both sides.”

“Impossible,” I said.

She narrowed her eyes, for the first time possibly realizing that I wasn’t quite the startled fawn she was hoping I would be, rushing in here.

“Alpha Jason and I have already signed the contract. I have a copy of it in my briefcase,” I said. “There’s no way he could be speaking to you about this when the contract has already been signed, sealed, and delivered.”

Claire hurriedly brought my briefcase to me, and from it I retrieved the contract, which I then placed down on my desk.

The board all watched, as did the other employees from outside the glass room Maybe they couldn’t hear what was going on, maybe they could. But the entire office was witness to this moment.

“It’s not enough,” said one of the board.

I blinked, startled in my moment of victory.

Sheila smirked.

“Your incompetence makes us all look bad, Vanessa,” she said. “The other employees and I have been talking it over. They want someone more competent in charge, and they are looking at me. I’m afraid, if we don’t give them what they want, they will resign.”

I grit my teeth, tension rising in my entire body.

I couldn’t lose like this. I had to keep this company. Not just to preserve Vanessa’s legacy, but to be able to afford my own costs, like what might be needed for Ava’s medical bills and her possible surgery.

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