The Devil's Good Girl
Chapter 201: Very

Chapter 201: Very

"That’s all. Meeting adjourned." Fil smiled as the rest of her team stood from their seats. She watched everyone leave the conference room, particularly observing the gloomy Elise.

’She’s been down all morning,’ she thought, shaking her head as she arranged her papers to return to her desk. As she did so, she arched a brow when she noticed Kenzo wasn’t leaving the meeting room.

"What?" she asked, watching him advance in her direction until he stopped by the table.

"You should have told her — convinced her, Fil." The second he said those words, Fil shook her head and stacked up her files. "It’ll hurt her, but it would save her from more doom."

"Ken."

"Why are you so afraid of telling the truth, Fil?" he hissed. "Elise is an adult. You don’t need to protect her from heartbreak."

"What if it’s not just a heartbreak she’ll get in the end?" Fil sighed as she snapped her eyes back to Kenzo. "Kenzo, when you were sent to the hospital months ago with a few broken bones, why didn’t you say anything?"

"That’s different, Fil."

"No, it is, Ken." She shook her head, hands on the handful of papers on the table. "You know that once you mention who did it to you, Cole will fight tooth and nail to get the justice you deserve. But you didn’t, not because you’re afraid that he will not believe you. You didn’t tell Cole because you know he’d fight for you and that he’d get hurt in the end."

Kenzo couldn’t argue, though his frustrations skyrocketed.

"Elise loved this guy, and this devil is treating her kindly. Even if it’s not real, he will not hurt Elise," Fil breathed out in frustration. "But once I tell Elise what Marcus told me last night, she will strike back. She’ll believe me for sure because I know Elise knew me, but then, what about her? Once Marcus cannot use her anymore or once she rubs him the wrong way, Marcus will destroy her."

Fil huffed once more, massaging her temple in distress. "Marcus hurt you to the point you almost died, Ken. What makes you think he won’t do that to Elise, hmm?"

"Then, what?" Kenzo sighed heavily. "You’re just going to let things be? Must be convenient for you since you’re leaving in six days."

Fil opened her mouth but decided to press her lips together. She didn’t want to argue with him anymore. Hence, she picked up her things and hugged them, walking out on him since she still had half a day ahead of her. But before she could reach the door, she stopped and sighed.

"Do you know what he told me last night?" she slowly looked back at him as she forced a smile. "He said he’d marry Elise, call my name on their first night, bring home women to their matrimonial home, and simply drain her until she’s no longer the Elise we all knew. And by the time she asks him for a divorce, she’d hate me just as much as she hates him."

"Convenient?" she snorted. "Ken, I hate being back."

As soon as the last syllables rolled out of her tongue, Fil resumed her steps. Kenzo, on the other hand, was left standing all alone in the meeting room.

"Damn it." He pinched the bridge of his nose, realizing he said something he didn’t mean to. "That damn Marcus. Why can’t he just leave her alone?"

*

*

*

"Liv?" Fil knocked on the open glass door of Olivia’s office. "I brought the paperwork just as you asked."

Olivia, the head of the department, glanced up at her from her desk. She watched Fil close the door before making her way to her desk.

"Is there something wrong?" asked Olivia, moving her eyeglasses over her head. "Why did you close the door?"

"Well." Fil cleared her throat as she stood in front of the desk. "Elise is dating."

Olivia blinked, not a bit interested in it. "Elise is a young woman in her prime. I don’t see a problem with her having a love life, nor do I have a word in it. It’s her personal affairs and I’m not meddling."

"I know that. That’s why I came here as your friend." Fil placed down the papers and propped her side against the desk.

Olivia, on the other hand, leaned back in the swivel chair, now intrigued. "You never gossip with me."

"You don’t like that."

"And you also don’t like it," Olivia returned in a knowing tone. "However, you tolerate it because Elise likes to gossip a lot. Now that I think about it, since you came here as a friend and not as my subordinate, who died today?"

"Huh?"

"When you came back yesterday, you were... glowing," Olivia pointed out. "I assumed it was because you were seeing someone. But today, you look like someone died. Or did you break up with him?"

The matters Fil wanted to discuss with Olivia were thrown off after the latter pointed out her observation. She touched her cheek, thinking of the word ’glowing.’

"Really?" Fil blurted out, making Olivia smile. "Is it that obvious?"

"Who is it?"

"Didn’t you say you don’t meddle with your employee’s personal lives?"

"But didn’t you also say you came here as my friend?"

"Goodness. You always have a rebuttal for everything."

"It’s a talent I mastered to get into this position," Olivia chuckled. "So? Is he from the Solana?"

"Yeah."

"Engineer? Architect?"

Fil rubbed her chin as she said, "he’s in the administrative."

"Oh. Not bad." Olivia rocked her head, satisfied with the clues. "So? What about Elise? What made you so concerned about her love life?"

"The man she’s dating... uhm..." Fil pondered the right words to ask her questions without making Olivia ask more questions. But, well, this was Olivia. She would ask no matter what to get more context.

"Never mind." Fil forced a smile. "It’s nothing important. Anyway, here’s the paperwork. I’ll get back to my desk."

As Fil peeled herself away from the desk, Olivia spoke. "The man she’s dating is Marcus Arkwright."

"How did you know?" Fil looked back at her with surprise. "I thought you didn’t know?"

"I didn’t say I didn’t know. All I said is it’s her private life and that I am not meddling with it," Olivia clarified. "Elise has a big mouth and you’re not the only one who entertains her gossip. I must admit, I find them entertaining every once in a while."

"So?" Fil faced her squarely and shrugged. "What do you think I should do?"

"Nothing."

"But —"

"Elise is your friend, I understand. As a friend, you want to help her because you know he’s a walking red flag." Olivia shrugged. "I saw him a few weeks ago during my client meeting in a bar. He’s with his friends and he’s with someone — a woman. I didn’t see much, but from what I’ve seen, it’s not how a man who is already dating should react when a beautiful woman approaches him so coquettishly."

"What?" Fil gasped in disbelief. "You didn’t tell Elise?"

"Why would I?"

"Liv."

"I didn’t tell her, but I did invite her to meet me in the same club the next day. She saw him, but somehow, he managed to make her believe it was nothing," Olivia reasoned out. "At that point, I realized no one else can make Elise see what we see unless she opens her eyes. It’ll just be a waste of time."

Her brows rose, looking at Fil knowingly. "You should know better than anyone else, Fil. I don’t mean to offend, but you were once like that. No matter what others tell you, you won’t believe them because it’s not something you wanted to hear."

"Don’t meddle," Olivia added solemnly. "If you already warned her, then you did your part as a friend. Doing more than that will only jeopardize your friendship."

Fil opened and closed her mouth, but her voice was stuck in her throat. All she could do was stare at Olivia, frowning.

"Thanks, Liv," she murmured, sighing. "You’re probably right. I shouldn’t meddle."

"You’re welcome." Olivia watched Fil drag herself away from her office. "So? Is he handsome? Rich? Kind?"

Fil chuckled weakly as she looked back at Olivia. "I’m not dating, Liv."

"But you just said."

"I’m engaged and yes, he’s very rich, very handsome, a walking green flag, and is really really good in bed," she humored before resuming her steps, leaving Olivia to work.

However, for a moment, Olivia couldn’t think of anything when Fil left her office. She simply stared at the door blankly.

"Did she just repeat the word very to emphasize a point?" Olivia narrowed her eyes before her mouth fell open. "No. I think I heard her say he’s really really good in bed."

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