Love lies and a billionaire’s secret

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO–A DEMANDING DIVA

She forced a laugh, trying to sound casual. Hella nodded slowly, but Nia could see she wasn’t entirely convinced.

Desperate to change the subject, Nia pointed at Hella’s screen. “Hey, that bar graph is looking great. Maybe we should add some annotations to really drive the point home?”

Helia went along with the subject change, but Nia noticed her friend watching her more closely for the rest of the night. The easy camaraderie they’d shared earlier was replaced by a subtle tension, an unspoken question hanging in the air between them.

CHAPTER THIRTY THRLE THE CHADE OF PREPARATION

CHAPTER THIRTY–THREE- THE CHAOS OF PREPARATION

As the first rays of dawn began to peek through the blinds, they finally had a polished presentation, Nia stretched, her joints popping after hours of sitting hunched over her laptop.

“We did it,” she said, trying to inject some enthusiasm into her voice. “Thanks for staying up all night to help, Helia. I really appreciate it.”

Helia smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Of course. That’s what friends are for, right?”

As they packed up their things, Nia’s mind raced. Had she jeopardized her secret? More importantly, had she put her friendship with Hella at risk? The thought made her stomach churn.

“Hey, Helia,” Nia said as they stood at the door. “I just want you to know… you can always ask me anything. If there’s stuff you want to know about me, I mean.”

Helia looked at her for a long moment, then nodded. “I know, Nia. And when you’re ready to talk, I’ll be here to listen.”

With that, Helia left, leaving Nia alone with her thoughts and the mess of their all–night work session,

The next morning, Nia stood outside Mr. Harlow’s office, her hands shaking slightly as she clutched her presentation folder. The hallway was quiet, the only sound the soft hum of the air conditioning and the muffled voices from behind closed doors.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. This was it. The moment of truth. Everything they’d worked for came down to this meeting.

Gathering her courage, she knocked on the door.

“Come in,” Mr. Harlow’s gruff voice called from inside.

Nia entered, her heart pounding. Mr. Harlow barely looked up from his computer, his fingers flying over the keyboard.

“What is it, Nia?” he asked, his tone distracted and slightly irritated,

Nia swallowed hard and launched into her prepared speech. “Mr. Harlow, I’ve been doing some research on the proposed budget cuts to our department, and I’ve put together a presentation that I think you’ll find very enlightening.”

She opened her folder, pulling out the first chart. “As you can see, the janitorial department actually accounts for a very small percentage of the overall company budget. However, our impact on day–to–day operations is significant.”

Mr. Harlow finally looked up, his brow furrowed. “Nia, what exactly are you doing?”

Undeterred, Nia pressed on. “I’ve collected data on our daily tasks, special requests from other departments, and the potential costs of outsourcing. When you look at the numbers-”

“Stop,” Mr. Harlow interrupted, holding up a hand. “This is completely unnecessary and, frankly, above your pay grade.”

Nia felt as if she’d been slapped. “But sir, if you’d just look at the data-

“I said stop,” Mr. Harlow’s voice was firm. “The decision has been made. This little presentation of yours Isn’t going to change anything. Now, don’t you have actual work to do?”

CHAPTER THIRTY THRET THE CHAOS UE PREPARATION

He waved her out of the office without even glancing at her meticulously prepared charts. Nia stood there for a moment, stunned, before slowly gathering her things and walking out.

As she closed the door behind her, she leaned against the wall, fighting back tears of frustration. All that work, all those late nights, and for what? Mr. Harlow hadn’t even given her a chance.

Dejected, Nia trudged to Leon’s office for her cleaning shift. Her mind was a whirlwind of disappointment and anger. How could Mr. Harlow be so dismissive 7 Didn’t he care about the impact these cuts would have on people’s lives?

As she entered Leon’s office, she tried to push her emotions aside and focus on her work. She began dusting the bookshelves, her movements mechanical as her mind continued to replay the disastrous meeting with Mr. Harlow.

Leon was at his desk, seemingly engrossed in some paperwork. But as Nia moved around the room, he couldn’t help but notice her downcast demeanor. Her usual quiet efficiency was replaced by distracted movements and the occasional frustrated sigh. Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

Finally, Leon looked up from his work. “Nia? Is everything alright?..

Nia startled, nearly knocking over a decorative vase. “Oh! Mr. Allistair, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

Leon waved off her apology. “You’re not disturbing me. But something seems to be bothering you. What’s wrong?”

Maybe it was the genuine concern in his voice, or maybe it was just the culmination of stress and disappointment, but suddenly, the dam broke. Nia found herself pouring out the whole story.

“It’s these budget cuts,” she began, her voice trembling slightly. “They’re going to devastate our department. People are going to lose hours, maybe even their jobs. And for what? To save a tiny fraction of the company’s budget?”

Leon listened intently, his brow furrowed in concentration. Nia, caught up in her frustration, didn’t notice his growing interest.

“I spent weeks researching, gathering data, putting together a presentation to show Mr. Harlow how valuable our work is. And he wouldn’t even look at it! He just dismissed me like I was… like I was nothing.”

She realized she was gripping the duster so tightly her knuckles had turned white. Taking a deep breath, she tried to caka herself. “I’m sorry, Mr. Allistair. I shouldn’t be bothering you with this.”

Leon shook his head. “No, no, please continue. This is Important information. You said you put together a presentation?”

Nia nodded, a glimmer of hope rising in her chest. “Yes, I have charts showing our department’s impact on the company, cost analyses comparing our work to outsourcing options, testimonials from other departments about our responsiveness to special requests…”

As she spoke, Leon’s expression grew more and more intrigued. He leaned forward in his chair, his full attention on Nia..

“That sounds like quite thorough research,” he said when she finished. “I’m surprised Mr. Harlow wasn’t interested in seeing it.”

Nia sighed. “He said it was ‘unnecessary‘ and ‘above my pay grade.‘ But Mr. Allistair, these aren’t just numbers on a page. These are people’s livelihoods we’re talking about. Families that depend on these jobs.”

Leon nodded thoughtfully. “I understand. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Nia. I appreciate