The Devil's Good Girl
Chapter 38: Hello, Mr. Big Fish.

Chapter 38: Hello, Mr. Big Fish.

Fil didn’t know what‌ riled her up more. Was it Jackson’s messages? Or was it because she already assumed he had something to do with her being the team leader of the project? Either way, Jackson successfully lingered in her head.

’I wanted to believe he won’t cross that line,’ she thought, standing in front of her boss’s office. ’It’s better if that’s clear now.’

Fil knocked on the boss’s office, hearing Olivia nonchalantly telling her to come in. When the door flew open, Olivia snapped her eyes up over her glasses.

"Yes, Fil?" Olivia remarked. "Is there’s something wrong?"

Fil stood in front of the desk. "Olivia, please tell me the truth."

Deep lines appeared between Olivia’s forehead, waiting for whatever Fil had to say.

"Did Solana ask you that I lead this project?" Fil asked without beating around the bush. "Did they ask you to give up the project to me? Please. I need to know."

"Why would they say that?" Olivia removed her glasses, leaning back against the swivel chair.

"I don’t know..." Fil couldn’t just say because she spent a night with Jackson, could she?

"Fil, I’m confident that you’d do a good job and that meeting, you didn’t disappoint. However, I can’t help but wonder what’s going on?" Olivia cocked her head to the side. "You’ve been acting... strange after the meeting."

Fil pressed her lips into a thin line, swallowing the mouthful of tension in her throat. Should she tell Olivia? That she actually knew Jackson?

"Fil." Olivia sighed deeply. "Even if the owner of Solana made such a request, what makes you think I’ll approve of it? That hurts my integrity and pride."

"Huh?"

"When the project came to my desk, my first thought was you." Olivia shook her head once more. "If there was anyone in this department who was suited to lead this project, that would be you. And I can only make that decision. Even the higher-ups don’t have a say in it. Unless they want to risk the company’s reputation."

She leaned forward and pushed herself up. "You know that more than anyone, Fil."

"Really?"

"We can’t just appoint someone even if we know they can’t do it just because we were requested to." Olivia walked toward the stand to get her coat. Once she wore her coat, she marched toward Fil and stopped at her side.

"Where’s the confidence you always have in your work, Fil? And your faith in me?" she inquired, tapping Fil’s shoulder. "Don’t stay too late at your desk. Go home and think it through."

After squeezing Fil’s shoulder, Olivia walked away. Meanwhile, Fil stayed in the office and sighed in relief.

"That’s a relief then," she heaved another sigh of relief, turning her head to the ajar door.

A smile turned up on her face, now convinced Jackson didn’t have anything to do with this. Not that she would drop the project if that was the case. It was just that it would be less rewarding, knowing she led such a huge project, not because of her skills. That was akin to a slap to her face.

*

*

*

Fil stretched her arms and back, moaning in satisfaction as she felt blood circulate in her stiff muscles. When a knock came to her desk, she flinched a little. Looking up, she saw Kenzo standing right next to her desk with a smile.

"Won’t you go home?" Kenzo cocked his head to the side. "It’s getting late."

Fil glanced at the desk clock, only to see it was almost seven in the evening.

"It’s this late, huh?" Fil looked back at him and smiled. "I’m clocking out. You stayed a little longer today."

"How can I go home when my current boss is still here?" Kenzo quipped, placing a document on her desk. "These are the notes I made today about the Cobalt Heights. Just as ordered."

"Thanks." She smiled. "I’ll look at it at home."

Fil slowly stood from her seat and arranged her stuff. When she looked back at him, she offered him a smile and he offered to walk her out. This wasn’t a new routine they weren’t used to.

"Are you going straight home?" Kenzo asked on the way.

"I’m still thinking about it."

"Did you have plans?"

"No... not yet." Fil smacked her lips as she pondered about the message she received from Jackson. ’Should I accept his dinner invitation? What for?’

"What about you?" she cleared her throat, distracting herself from her thought. "Going home now?"

"Nope."

"Well, that’s new."

"I have a blind date tonight."

Fil’s steps halted, facing Kenzo squarely. "You have a date?"

"Well, it’s not a big deal." He waved dismissively, not stopping in his tracks. "My parents just kept pressuring me to get married. To stop them, I agreed to set me up for blind dates."

Fil stared at his back and rocked her head. Although Kenzo worked in the same department as her, she knew that he wasn’t just an ordinary salary man. Kenzo’s family was well-off. But unlike the people she knew, Kenzo preferred this lifestyle rather than the high life of the elite.

As Fil took a step to follow him, she felt her phone vibrate once more. Her steps slowed down while searching for her phone in her bag. When she saw the message on her phone, her steps stopped completely.

"Fil?" Kenzo looked back, seeing her staring at her phone.

"It seemed I won’t be going home straight," she smiled. "Go on without me."

Kenzo raised his brows and pressed his lips into a thin line, rocking his head. "Alright. Take care and enjoy your time with Vincent."

For sure she will.

Fil just smiled as Kenzo left, walking away from her. When she gazed down, she reread the message.

[From: Vincent

I reserved a table at the Serenity Hotel. Meet me there in an hour.]

She scoffed at the message, exiting the message and calling someone else. When the line connected, she smiled brightly.

"Hello, Mr. Big Fish. Is that dinner invitation still stand?" she asked, smiling even brighter at the answer she had gotten. "Serenity Hotel, sounds good? Okay. No need to pick me up. I’ll meet you there."

This chapter is updated by freew(e)bnovel.(c)om