The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep - Chapter 23: Chapter 23
You are reading The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep, Chapter 23: Chapter 23. Read more chapters of The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep.
Hearing a knock at the door, Keith got up and opened it.
Standing outside was the hotel manager, holding a flash drive in his hand with a respectful smile on his face. "Mr. Brannon, hello. This is the surveillance footage you requested earlier. Everything's on here," he said, handing the drive to Keith.
"Thanks," Keith replied.
"You're very welcome, Mr. Brannon. It's our pleasure. If there's anything else you need, just let us know," the manager added, giving a polite nod before turning and leaving.
Keith sat at the desk and played the footage. On the screen, a small figure appeared in the hotel hallway. It was Alyssa.
Sophie Fletcher came to a sudden stop, turned around, and grabbed Alyssa's arm in a hard pinch. Alyssa's face twisted in pain and fear, her mouth opening slightly, but no sound came out.
The footage continued. Sophie ignored Alyssa's crying and dragged her forward. Then the view switched to the hotel garden. The camera there showed Sophie lounging on a bench, stretching lazily, having completely left Alyssa off to the side.
Alyssa stood all alone, unnoticed by anyone. It was no wonder that she went missing that day.
Seeing that, Keith suddenly jumped to his feet, pushed the chair back, and rushed toward the door.
The hotel manager was still waiting outside. Seeing him come out, the manager quickly bowed his head. "Mr. Brannon, is there something else you need?"
"Where's Sophie? Bring her to me," Keith said.
The manager paused for a moment, then hurried off to notify her. Soon, Sophie was brought into the office. Her face was pale. She clearly knew something was wrong.
"How did Alyssa get this bruise on her arm?" Keith demanded.
"Mr. Brannon, she fell and hurt herself," Sophie responded, her tone unsteady and her eyes avoiding his.
"She fell?" Keith snorted and pointed at the bruises on Alyssa's arm. "Then what about these? Did she bump into something? Trip over thin air?"
Sophie instinctively took a few steps back, her lips trembling. "Mr. Brannon, I—"
"You're still trying to lie your way out?" Keith scoffed.
Sophie's face turned even paler.
"I don't think you're fit to be Alyssa's nanny anymore. Pack your things and get out. Now," Keith ordered.
Sophie's legs gave out and she dropped to her knees, begging desperately, "Mr. Brannon, I was wrong. Please, I'm begging you, give me another chance. I swear I'll never do it again."
Tears and snot covered her face as she pleaded incoherently, "I-I just lost my head for a moment. I have kids to feed at home. I can't lose this job.
"Please, I'm begging you. I won't ever do it again. I'll take good care of Alyssa, I promise."
Sophie reached out, trying to grab Keith's pant leg, but he stepped away in disgust.
"Sophie, what you did to Alyssa is child abuse. That's a criminal offense. I'm calling the police. You're going to answer for what you've done." Keith turned to the hotel manager. "Take her away."
The hotel manager immediately caught on and gave a signal to the two security guards behind him. The two burly guards stepped forward, each grabbing one of Sophie's arms and dragging her up from the floor.
Sophie kept crying and begging all the way out. In the end, she was hauled down the hallway by the guards, her sobs fading as she disappeared.
Keith hadn't expected that someone who always acted so responsible in front of him could do something like this behind his back. "I'm sorry, Alyssa. I should've protected you better," he muttered.
Ever since Erika failed to frame Serena and ended up demoted with her quarterly bonus docked, her resentment toward Serena had only deepened.
Serena rested her head on her desk, staring at the client files, letting out a long internal sigh.
This file had been dumped on her by Erika, who claimed it was to help Serena learn more as a new employee. But anyone with eyes could see Erika had just tossed her a hot potato.
"Serena, don't let us down now," Erika's mocking tone still echoed in her ears.
Looking at the client brief that had been rejected multiple times by the senior designer, Serena quietly gave herself a pep talk. "Maybe this is a chance," she whispered to herself.
Serena quickly skimmed through the client's notes. The requirements were indeed challenging. The previous design team had been torn apart by Peter Lyles. His demands were especially complicated and completely unrealistic.
Serena tried asking around the department for any insight from colleagues who had handled Peter's project before, but everyone was too busy and cold.
One person even replied, "You've already read it and you're still asking me? We're swamped. Not all of us have connections to land a job like this straight out the gate."
The veiled tone, full of hostility, caught Serena off guard. She knew there was no use asking further, so she clenched her jaw and called Peter's assistant, Shane Felton.
"Hello, who's this?" Shane answered.
Serena tightened her grip on her pen and organized her thoughts. "Hi, Mr. Felton. This is Serena Gray, the designer assigned to Mr. Lyles' project."
"Oh, is there a problem?"
"To better understand Mr. Lyles' expectations, I was hoping to set up a meeting with him if possible."
"Mr. Lyles is very busy. His schedule is completely packed. If it's not something important, don't waste his time."
"The previous proposal might not have fully met Mr. Lyles' expectations. I'd like to make sure I understand exactly what he wants this time."
"This has already been discussed plenty. Why are you still confirming details? Mr. Lyles said if your team can't deliver something satisfactory, he's switching teams."
Serena gripped her pen tighter. "Understood. I'll adjust the proposal as soon as possible."
With only the notes she had managed to compile, Serena worked through the night to put together a new draft.
The only light left in the office tonight came from the glow of her computer screen. In the stillness, she carefully traced out the design, line by line.
The next day, the draft landed on the department head's desk right on schedule.
Serena was anxious, but half an hour later, a furious outburst erupted from the conference room. "You really thought this was good enough to show Mr. Lyles? What is the whole design department even doing—are you people joking?"
The department head's yelling exploded like a series of bombs, echoing through every corner of the office.
Cold stares and hushed whispers from nearby coworkers made every inch of Serena's skin prickle with discomfort.
"Serena, this is your design, isn't it? You got the whole design department chewed out—nice going," Erika said with a smug, predictable smirk.
Serena looked up at her. "I'll handle it. No need to concern yourself."
The moment the words left her mouth, Erika's face turned bright red. "Big talk. Handle it? You really think you're even worth a second of Mr. Lyles' time?"
Serena didn't bother giving Erika another glance. She simply turned and walked away.
Standing outside was the hotel manager, holding a flash drive in his hand with a respectful smile on his face. "Mr. Brannon, hello. This is the surveillance footage you requested earlier. Everything's on here," he said, handing the drive to Keith.
"Thanks," Keith replied.
"You're very welcome, Mr. Brannon. It's our pleasure. If there's anything else you need, just let us know," the manager added, giving a polite nod before turning and leaving.
Keith sat at the desk and played the footage. On the screen, a small figure appeared in the hotel hallway. It was Alyssa.
Sophie Fletcher came to a sudden stop, turned around, and grabbed Alyssa's arm in a hard pinch. Alyssa's face twisted in pain and fear, her mouth opening slightly, but no sound came out.
The footage continued. Sophie ignored Alyssa's crying and dragged her forward. Then the view switched to the hotel garden. The camera there showed Sophie lounging on a bench, stretching lazily, having completely left Alyssa off to the side.
Alyssa stood all alone, unnoticed by anyone. It was no wonder that she went missing that day.
Seeing that, Keith suddenly jumped to his feet, pushed the chair back, and rushed toward the door.
The hotel manager was still waiting outside. Seeing him come out, the manager quickly bowed his head. "Mr. Brannon, is there something else you need?"
"Where's Sophie? Bring her to me," Keith said.
The manager paused for a moment, then hurried off to notify her. Soon, Sophie was brought into the office. Her face was pale. She clearly knew something was wrong.
"How did Alyssa get this bruise on her arm?" Keith demanded.
"Mr. Brannon, she fell and hurt herself," Sophie responded, her tone unsteady and her eyes avoiding his.
"She fell?" Keith snorted and pointed at the bruises on Alyssa's arm. "Then what about these? Did she bump into something? Trip over thin air?"
Sophie instinctively took a few steps back, her lips trembling. "Mr. Brannon, I—"
"You're still trying to lie your way out?" Keith scoffed.
Sophie's face turned even paler.
"I don't think you're fit to be Alyssa's nanny anymore. Pack your things and get out. Now," Keith ordered.
Sophie's legs gave out and she dropped to her knees, begging desperately, "Mr. Brannon, I was wrong. Please, I'm begging you, give me another chance. I swear I'll never do it again."
Tears and snot covered her face as she pleaded incoherently, "I-I just lost my head for a moment. I have kids to feed at home. I can't lose this job.
"Please, I'm begging you. I won't ever do it again. I'll take good care of Alyssa, I promise."
Sophie reached out, trying to grab Keith's pant leg, but he stepped away in disgust.
"Sophie, what you did to Alyssa is child abuse. That's a criminal offense. I'm calling the police. You're going to answer for what you've done." Keith turned to the hotel manager. "Take her away."
The hotel manager immediately caught on and gave a signal to the two security guards behind him. The two burly guards stepped forward, each grabbing one of Sophie's arms and dragging her up from the floor.
Sophie kept crying and begging all the way out. In the end, she was hauled down the hallway by the guards, her sobs fading as she disappeared.
Keith hadn't expected that someone who always acted so responsible in front of him could do something like this behind his back. "I'm sorry, Alyssa. I should've protected you better," he muttered.
Ever since Erika failed to frame Serena and ended up demoted with her quarterly bonus docked, her resentment toward Serena had only deepened.
Serena rested her head on her desk, staring at the client files, letting out a long internal sigh.
This file had been dumped on her by Erika, who claimed it was to help Serena learn more as a new employee. But anyone with eyes could see Erika had just tossed her a hot potato.
"Serena, don't let us down now," Erika's mocking tone still echoed in her ears.
Looking at the client brief that had been rejected multiple times by the senior designer, Serena quietly gave herself a pep talk. "Maybe this is a chance," she whispered to herself.
Serena quickly skimmed through the client's notes. The requirements were indeed challenging. The previous design team had been torn apart by Peter Lyles. His demands were especially complicated and completely unrealistic.
Serena tried asking around the department for any insight from colleagues who had handled Peter's project before, but everyone was too busy and cold.
One person even replied, "You've already read it and you're still asking me? We're swamped. Not all of us have connections to land a job like this straight out the gate."
The veiled tone, full of hostility, caught Serena off guard. She knew there was no use asking further, so she clenched her jaw and called Peter's assistant, Shane Felton.
"Hello, who's this?" Shane answered.
Serena tightened her grip on her pen and organized her thoughts. "Hi, Mr. Felton. This is Serena Gray, the designer assigned to Mr. Lyles' project."
"Oh, is there a problem?"
"To better understand Mr. Lyles' expectations, I was hoping to set up a meeting with him if possible."
"Mr. Lyles is very busy. His schedule is completely packed. If it's not something important, don't waste his time."
"The previous proposal might not have fully met Mr. Lyles' expectations. I'd like to make sure I understand exactly what he wants this time."
"This has already been discussed plenty. Why are you still confirming details? Mr. Lyles said if your team can't deliver something satisfactory, he's switching teams."
Serena gripped her pen tighter. "Understood. I'll adjust the proposal as soon as possible."
With only the notes she had managed to compile, Serena worked through the night to put together a new draft.
The only light left in the office tonight came from the glow of her computer screen. In the stillness, she carefully traced out the design, line by line.
The next day, the draft landed on the department head's desk right on schedule.
Serena was anxious, but half an hour later, a furious outburst erupted from the conference room. "You really thought this was good enough to show Mr. Lyles? What is the whole design department even doing—are you people joking?"
The department head's yelling exploded like a series of bombs, echoing through every corner of the office.
Cold stares and hushed whispers from nearby coworkers made every inch of Serena's skin prickle with discomfort.
"Serena, this is your design, isn't it? You got the whole design department chewed out—nice going," Erika said with a smug, predictable smirk.
Serena looked up at her. "I'll handle it. No need to concern yourself."
The moment the words left her mouth, Erika's face turned bright red. "Big talk. Handle it? You really think you're even worth a second of Mr. Lyles' time?"
Serena didn't bother giving Erika another glance. She simply turned and walked away.
End of The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep Chapter 23. Continue reading Chapter 24 or return to The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep book page.