Chapter 27 Battle of the Wit
Chapter 27 Battle of the Wit
It was nothing more than a simple rivalry between women.
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But somehow, Ruby ended up bleeding–figuratively, of course–and Irene got trapped in a web of guilt trips.
Thanks to Sandy’s careless mistake, Eric secured the factory, and Alice walked away with the
money.
Sandy? Manipulative? Toxic? Please.
If anything, she was their lucky charm.
At 9:30 a.m., Eric’s car rolled up to the front of Nolan Group headquarters.
He and Alice had timed it perfectly–they clocked in right on the dot.
Though Eric held the title of CEO, in reality, his power was limited to overseeing the design department.
Alice’s position was even more humbling: she was just the deputy director of the IT department.
Ruby, on the other hand, had arrived much earlier. She’d already made her rounds, greeting every department head and checking in on operations.
Everything was going according to her plan.
She still wore her signature polished smile as she personally waited to welcome the newlyweds.
But just as the couple stepped through the front gates, one of her people returned with a report that made her blood boil.
Marc–who was known for being stubborn and untouchable–had sided with Eric. Rage surged through her.
Even her beautiful features couldn’t hide the fury twisting her expression.
“Mrs. Nolan,” Alice, radiant as ever, smiled cheerfully. “What a coincidence!”
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Chapter 27 Battle of the Wit
Ruby nearly ground her molars to dust.
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A coincidence? They worked in the same company. Of course they’d run into each other.
That greeting–so sweet on the surface–was clearly meant to mock her.
She wouldn’t let them win. She couldn’t.
Thank goodness the IT department was her territory.
Alice, a small–town nobody dropped into the high–tech world, would barely survive the morning. By lunchtime, she’d be so humiliated, she wouldn’t know which way was up.
That thought brought Ruby some comfort.
She let out a soft chuckle.
“Now that you’re both officially at the company, I expect you to maintain professionalism. I know you’re newlyweds, and your desks are close–but I hope you’ll respect boundaries.”
Ruby’s statement sounded perfectly professional on the surface.
To any outsider listening in, it would’ve seemed like the stepmother was genuinely looking out for the young couple’s interest.
After all, Nolan Group had strict policies against office romances–not because they were morally frowned upon, but because they were seen as a drain on productivity.
That didn’t mean employees couldn’t date.
They just couldn’t date someone who worked in the same department or nearby. If they did, at least one of them had to be reassigned.
So, plenty of coworkers kept their feelings buried. Even if they liked someone, they’d rather suffer in silence than risk being transferred away from a job they liked.
Alice, still wearing that polite smile, responded lightly, “Well, that’s a pity. If Mr. Oscar were here today, you wouldn’t be allowed to work in the CEO’s office, would you?”
The blow landed perfectly. Ruby, though a major executive who managed several high–profit divisions, held an important position in the office, but she still had to play by the company’s rules.
And Alice was right: if Oscar came back to work, Ruby would be forced to move out of the
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20:53 Mon, 23 Jun » M
Chapter 27 Battle of the Wit
CEO’s office.
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The thought made her uneasy. Oscar’s recovery had been surprisingly smooth, and he was already preparing to come back to work.
And Ruby was rather fond of her current office. Not to mention, there were a few things inside it she really didn’t want anyone else to see …
Just then, her secretary stepped up. “Everything’s been arranged. Mr. Eric and Ms. Alice can now report to their departments.”
Ruby, already seething over Oscar’s imminent return, snapped.
“How many times do I have to say this? Stop calling them Mr. Eric and Ms. Alice e
their household staff. This is a workplace, not your home!”
The secretary apologized immediately.
Only then did Ruby feel like she could breathe again.
She forced another smile and turned back toward the couple. “Alright then, go ahead and check in. If there’s anything you don’t understand, don’t hesitate to come to me.”
It was the kind of generous, hands–on gesture that won her instant praise from those around her. After all, everyone knew how busy and important Ruby was–yet here she was, personally helping the newcomers. So thoughtful!
Alice nodded and said sincerely, “Don’t worry. I definitely will.”
Ruby’s smile froze.
She hadn’t expected Alice to take her words so literally.
By the end of the morning, Alice had shown up 70 times.
Seventy. And each time, it was about something painfully trivial.
“Where can I find a charging cable?
“How do I swipe my badge to get water from the breakroom machine?”
Ruby ran half of Nolan Group–and yet she was stuck playing office tour guide.
By lunchtime, she was ready to lose it.
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Chapter 27 Banle of the Wit
“You could ask my secretary these kinds of questions, she finally snapped, unable to hold back any longer.
Alice looked up with wide, innocent eyes.
“But you
told me to come to you if I had any questions. And your secretary–well, I figured she wouldn’t dare step on your toes.”
And just like that, Ruby understood what it meant to shoot yourself in the foot.
She inhaled sharply and forced herself to remain calm.
“Alright. I’ll tell my secretary to assign someone to help you directly.”
Alice offered a vague shrug, noncommittal.
She glanced at the clock–it was almost the end of the workday.
“Sounds good. But if that person’s not around, and I still have questions, can I come to you again?
Ruby was speechless.
Of course she wanted to say no.
But after making such a big show earlier that morning, how could she walk it back now?
If word got out, her image would take a hit.
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