Regina pressed her palms firmly against the bossâs shoulders, guiding him to take a seat on the plush sofa.
âBoss, how am I giving you a hard time? Throughout this whole ordeal, Iâve been a victim, navenât I?
Iâve been wracking my brain trying to figure out how to handle Ahabâs slander, and here you and the higher-ups have been looking out for one of your own, taking care of this mess for me.
But Iâve gotta ask, whyâs Nolan in the mix? Iâve already caught wind of it anyway, so you might as well give me the lowdown. If he threw in a good word for me, I should be thanking him, right? You wouldnât want me to be indebted without even knowing it, would you?â
The words Regina spilled had nothing to do with the boss, but he couldnât help but wonder if Nolanâs willingness to lend a hand meant he had taken a shine to Regina.
At the end of the day, as long as he could clear his own name, whatever went down between Regina and Nolan was none of his business.
âYou, young lady, better not make a habit of eavesdropping outside my office door again!â
After taking a sip of his coffee, the boss finally spilled the beans about what happened after Regina stormed out that afternoon.
âI canât fathom how you lucked out this way. After the way you treated Mr. Harris, heâs still so magnanimous, stepping up to bat for you against Ahab. Sure, for him, itâs just a matter of pulling some strings, but with Ahabâs uncle in the picture, itâs a bit of a headache.
Of course, thatâs for folks like us. To Mr. Harris, those two donât even register as a blip his radar. He just kept hammering home that we had to keep this hush-hush to ensure your reputation came out untarnished.â
Guessing Nolanâs involvement was one thing, but hearing just how much he had considered for her was quite another. Regina couldnât help but feel moved, although she was baffled as to why Nolan would bother with her affairs when their interactions had been so limited, and their last meeting had ended on a sour note.
The boss watched her stunned expression and felt a twinge of irritation.
âYouâve got some nerve, stumbling into good fortune like this and not thinking of a way repay Mr.
Harris. You canât let someone go to bat for you without showing some gratitude.â
Regina couldnât help but retort, âWerenât you just reluctant to tell me a second ago? If he wanted it kept secret, just pretend Iâm clueless.
âYou!â Boss pointed at Regina, exasperated, âIâve never seen someone so stingy with 09:17 gratitude. You donât realize the size of the bullet heâs helped you dodge..
With Ahab around, youâd never live in peace. If he could stoop so low as to smear your name with cheap gossip this time, who knows what he might try next? But at least someoneâs got your back; he wouldnât let you suffer unjustly.â
âWhy didnât you just fire Ahab earlier if you knew what kind of person he was? Itâs not just me; other newcomers have been tormented by him, too. Why should New Blossom Press harbor such a parasite?â
The thought irked Regina. If the management had stepped in to fire Ahab sooner, none of this would have happened.
The boss let out a weary sigh, âYou donât understand our predicament. Do you think we can just dismiss Ahab with a few words? But youâre not looking at the clout his uncle wields. Those of us who are just regular folks canât afford to cross him.
Thank goodness for Nolan this time. If we run into another Ahab in the future, weâll probably just have to grin and bear it. Next time, could you maybe keep a lid on that temper of yours? Youâre a young woman, and your reputation is important. You canât afford to be so cavalier about it.â