Chapter 1382: Get angry at Penny, but only for five minutes.

When Nina sat back in her cubicle, she stared blankly at the monitor. Even after her boss’s reassurance, only now did she feel the weight of what had been said sink in.

Someone from higher up wanted to fire her?

As far as Nina was concerned, she hadn’t done anything remarkable enough to reach the attention of the higher-ups. Nor had she done anything troublesome that would affect them. Even though her boss usually noticed her work, Nina didn’t think she had ever spoken about it to the higher-ups.

Even if she had, Nina doubted it would have made any difference. After all, this department was run solely by her boss. All decisions regarding it fell on her, and if Nina’s memory served her right, even the higher-ups couldn’t touch her boss because she had proven to be an asset to the company.

’Why would they ask for my expulsion...’her thoughts trailed off.

With the Davis family disapproving of her and Finn’s marriage, it wouldn’t be impossible that they were behind this. The Davis family was influential enough to have her removed from the company, even though they had no direct connection to it. All they needed was a single phone call, and someone like Nina would be gone.

She had seen firsthand what power, influence, and money could do—thanks to Zoren Pierson.

That particular girls’ night out, when Lily’s ex had tried to abduct her, had been proof of it. The club had shut down by sunrise. No one said it outright, but everyone knew it was Zoren’s doing. He had been livid that Penny had gotten hurt there and that no one had stepped in to help her. Zoren and the Davis family might have been different in many ways, but they had one thing in common:

Wide connections.

"..." Nina remained quiet for another minute before determination flared in her eyes. ’I’m not letting them do this.’

Holding on to her boss’s promise, Nina pushed away all unnecessary thoughts. Her boss was right. Even if this project was difficult—especially with someone like Cassandra involved—she wouldn’t give them a reason to kick her out.

As long as her boss stood her ground, Nina would be safe.

This wasn’t just about her career anymore. She also wanted to make sure her boss wouldn’t regret fighting for her.

This would not be her downfall.

But what Nina, in her naivety, didn’t consider was that in this world, power, wealth, and influence could never be underestimated.

****

[Prime Group]

Patricia looked at the number in her hand for the hundredth time, her expression souring once again. Lifting her gaze, she frowned at the room full of people. Every single one of them was applying for the same position—the same position she was trying to get.

’I told her I’d do this right this time,’Patricia thought, scowling. ’But seriously? This is insane.’

All applicants were gathered in one waiting room, and only three people were called out at a time to line up outside the interview room. Because of the overwhelming number of candidates, interviews were being conducted in groups of three, yet the crowd didn’t seem to thin out at all.

"Oh? You graduated from Anteca University?"

A quiet voice reached Patricia’s ears. She turned to see a young woman talking to another.

"I did too," the woman continued, and just like that, they started chatting.

Patricia bit her lip and shifted her attention to another group. With nothing to do but wait, some candidates had chosen to pass the time by making conversation. Despite competing for the same job, they seemed friendly with each other.

But that wasn’t what caught Patricia’s attention.

As she quietly eavesdropped on the various conversations, she couldn’t help but glance at her own résumé.

’Many of them graduated with honors. Some already have years of experience in big companies and firms,’ she thought, frowning as she skimmed her résumé.

Compared to these top achievers, Patricia’s work experience was... unimpressive. The only job she had ever held was as an errand girl at Miller’s Company—a role she had carefully worded on her résumé to sound more professional. But if the interviewer asked for details, it would be obvious that all she had done was run small errands.

She had graduated from a decent university, sure, but... Patricia had barely passed her subjects. It was safe to say she had been lucky to make it through without repeating a year.

’And they expect me to sit in an interview with two of these overachievers?’ Patricia clenched her teeth, secretly glaring at everyone in the room. ’I hope they all mess up!’

Her irritation flared for a moment, but then it quickly faded. Patricia sighed, her shoulders slumping. She glanced around, then smacked her lips.

’But if I get hired...’her thoughts trailed off, determination burning in her eyes—anger coming in second. ’That means I beat all these top achievers.’

Admit it or not, the thought of getting hired despite this competition would be an achievement no one could take away from her.

IF she got hired.

But Patricia wasn’t one to back down once she set her mind on something. She had set her mind on tormenting Nina, and she hadn’t stopped until she nearly got herself killed a decade later.

This? This was easier than that.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she overheard a nearby conversation.

"It’s a good thing the CEO isn’t participating the interviews today," one woman remarked. "I heard he joined the initial interviews, but he was left disappointed. So, he’s not participating anymore."

"Is that a good thing?" another asked. "If we’re going to work closely with the CEO, isn’t it better to see what kind of person he is? I heard he’s intimidating. Meeting him in person would give us a better idea of whether we can handle the job."

"Being an assistant for T.Mouse already tells you everything you need to know," the third woman chimed in. "But honestly? I’d rather he wasn’t there—it makes me less nervous."

Patricia furrowed her brows, staring at the group of three.

"T.Mouse? Who the hell is that?" she mumbled. ’And why were they referring to Penny as he? Do they want to die?’

Clearly, they had no idea that if Penny found out, she’d beat them to a pulp.

’Ah, maybe that’s why. Penny does act like a tomboy most of the time...’ Patricia clicked her tongue. ’Tch. If not for that pretty face—ugh, I hate her again. But only for five minutes.’