Chapter 861

It wasn't Everett.

It was Kevin.

"I'm fine," Dorothy said, her eyes dimming before she mustered a strained smile. "I just need to rest

here for a bit. Don't worry about me."

Kevin hesitated, but he didn't leave. "Should I get you some antacid?"

"No need. I've got some in my bag, and I've already taken it. Really, I'm okay."

"Alright then." Seeing her so insistent on not needing help, Kevin nodded and began to walk away.

He hadn't gotten far when Dorothy suddenly called out to him.

"Kevin, wait a second!"

He turned around to see Dorothy clench her teeth and stand up straight, walking towards him.

"Could you... not mention this to him?" she asked.

She didn't want Everett to know anything about her, not even a stomachache.

Kevin, being the sharp guy he was, knew exactly who 'he' was.

"Don't worry. Mr. Lopez is off to Liberty City, and he didn't bring me along. I don't bother him outside

of work hours." The implication was clear – he wouldn't have the chance to tell Everett anything.

Dorothy nodded. "Thank you."

"No need to thank me. Besides, Mr. Lopez hardly checks in domestically anymore. The surveillance

and bodyguards he had around you before... they've all been called off."

In other words, Dorothy could do whatever she wanted without Everett knowing immediately, like

before.

She had sensed it, too.

It was one thing to figure it out herself, but hearing it from someone else stirred different emotions.

"That's good, isn't it? Now I'm free."

Kevin forced a smile. "If you see it that way, that's good. I should get back to work."

"Sure."

Watching Kevin walk away, Dorothy let out a heavy sigh and clutched her stomach, only to realize

that the pain was not just there anymore.

She made her way back to the office, took out the antacid from her bag, and swallowed it down, but

it barely helped. She then took an ibuprofen.

Lately, her bag was stocked with more than just antacids; she also carried painkillers because

sometimes the stomach medicine wasn't enough. To get through the workday, she needed

something stronger.

"Ms. Sanchez, the morning meeting is starting." Her assistant knocked on the door.

"Coming." Dorothy took a few deep breaths and stood up to leave her office.

At the conference room door, she ran into Austin.

"Ms. Sanchez, perfect timing. After the meeting, come by my office."

"Hm?" Dorothy couldn't recall anything that required a private discussion with Austin today.

Austin smiled, "The company has appointed a new director to take over the project. They should be

arriving in the next few days. It'll give you both some time to handover properly."

"Oh, so that's it. Alright, after the meeting, I'll bring the documentation I've prepared for the new

director to review."

Seeing her so calm and collected about it, Austin couldn't help but speak up, "Ms. Sanchez, are you

really okay with letting go of this project? You even gave up your credit on it! This project... it's a big

deal."

In the Lopez Corporation, a project of this magnitude was commonplace, but elsewhere... just this

one project could sustain an entire company.

"If I didn't give up my credit, what would the new director do?"

"That's easy. You could ask Mr. Lopez..."

"Austin." Dorothy cut him off sharply, "We're discussing my business here; it has nothing to do with

Mr. Lopez."