Quinn found herself pausing, her Sebastian tilting in her hand and sshing hot soup onto her skin. She nearly dropped the bowl back into the pot, but managed to suppress her reaction to the sudden pain. Setting the bowl down on the table, she gingerly touched her scalded skin, offering a nod to Alexander.


    At thepany, there was no secret that could be kept from him, including the rumors and gossip that swirled around Leon and herself. Alexander, for his part, remained silent. They ate their dinner in quietpanionship, the only sound being the asional clink of their utensils against the tes.


    After dinner, Alexander retreated to his study, leaving Quinn alone. She turned on the television and curled up on her narrow couch, a ce that provided her with aforting sense of security. The next day, it was business as usual at the office.


    Rumors about Quinn being a ''dummy'' had spread, and people couldn''t help but give her strange looks as she passed by. Thepany was known for its strict hiring standards, and no one believed a ''dummy'' could be employed there. Some attempted to greet Quinn, but she responded with nothing more than a polite nod and a smile, not paying them much attention. They weren''t truly interested in getting to know her, it was just curiosity, a way to satisfy their love for gossip.


    ''They offer sympathy toward those less fortunate, but when someone they deem lesser is doing as well or better than them, they grow resentful, believing that the individual doesn''t deserve their position. Subconsciously, they fear being inferior to even a ''dummy'' and seek to knock that person back down, only to showcase their supposed generosity and superior character. Hypocrisy was the norm for most.''


    Upon arriving at her office, Quinn hadn''t even settled in when Maria dumped a pile of work on her desk. But, armed with Alexander''s words from the evening before, Quinn had the confidence to shake her head and refuse. She wrote on a note, "My tasks should be assigned by Kyle."


    Maria was taken aback, apparently not expecting Quinn to refuse. Her face darkened as she said, "This wasn''t assigned by me. It was Manager Keegan. Since you''re in this department, shouldn''t you be following Manager Keegan''s directives?" Manager Keegan was the Manager of the Secretary Department with the same level of authority as Kyle. Both Manager Keegan and Kyle were Alexander''s trusted aides, and there was a rumor that Manager Keegan was one of Alexander''s college buddies. If it weren''t for Getty''s presence at thepany, many would suspect that Alexander and Manager Keegan were in a rtionship.


    Quinn pursed her lips, eyeing the documents Maria had brought. After a moment of silence, she insisted, writing, "Even so, it should be Manager Keegan giving the orders, not you."Maria''s eyelid twitched, and she couldn''t help but let out a snort ofughter mixed with annoyance. "Really? Just one night, and you''ve got this much confidence? Looks like Leon has been treating you real good, huh?"


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    Quinn''s gaze was fixed, not so much on Maria but on the man behind her, Kyle. "Maria, if you''re feeling that idle, maybe I should transfer you to a different department?" Kyle stated.


    Startled, Maria quickly turned around to face him. She said nervously, "Kyle, when did you get here?"


    "I''ve got a task for Quinn," Kyle disclosed. "Or do you need her for something?"


    Maria let out a forced chuckle, "Oh, no, of course, I wouldn''t darepete with you for help."


    "Did I just hear you say that all this work for Quinn was arranged by Manager Keegan?" Kyle inquired.


    Maria''s face took on a fleeting look of distress. ''Damn it, how did Kyle overhear that? Of course, Manager Keegan hadn''t assigned Quinn any tasks. I used her name to justify my own decisions. Suppose I admit that now, I would offend both of them,'' she thought.


    Naturally, she couldn''t confess."Um... yes, Manager Keegan assigned it. I was just a bit swamped and thought Quinn could lend a hand."


    "Why are you so busy, Maria? With what, exactly?"


    Maria suddenly felt cornered. ''This isn''t like Kyle. He usually doesn''t meddle in such trifling issues.''


    Seeing Maria struggle to answer, Kyle didn''t press her further. That would have seemed too deliberate.Original from N?velDrama.Org.