The Classmate Series(BOOK II): Stalemate

02

in my business class today, we were taught the basics. and i realized that it should be Parker Inc. instead of Parker Co., but now i don't know what to do since it's basically too late to make the changes now. also, i read the first few chapters of the first book and they're sooooo cringe worthy. it makes me want to rewrite the whole thing.

note: i recommend reading the last chapter of The Personal Assistant (Book I) before reading this, in case you have forgotten what really happened two years ago.

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EVERYTHING FEELS OUT OF place here at the fourteenth floor. Normally confined to the spaces of the third floor, I can see the sun setting in between two skyscrapers situated at a distance. From up above, I can see the traffic down on the road. Realizing that I was leaning on the glass window, I can see the haze formed from my breaths. Restraining myself to write the letter 'L' with my fingers, I quickly turn away from the window.

The man, who had earlier told me to wait, returns. "Ms. Hastings, this way please when you're ready,"

I nod my head and follow him, trying to match his slow pace. I am reminded of my friend, Lily, the receptionist back at Parker Co. when I see a vase with white lilies kept at the receptionist's table. And once I am reminded of anything at Parker Co., my mind automatically wanders back to—

"You can go inside," The man says, and walks away before I thank him. I take a huge gulp, suddenly feeling that I should have accepted the glass of water that the man offered a while ago.

I feel nervous, like I am going to give an interview where my acceptance and rejection is in the company's hands.

Mrs. Soto waits for me behind the table, her bright blue eyes peering at me through her glasses. She is one of the trusted members in the Board of Directors, and works directly on the instructions of Mr. Samuels. She has a small smile on her face as I sit down hesitantly.

"Leah Hastings, isn't it?!" she says, extending a black file toward me, "I'm Sasha Soto. I'm assuming you're here because you have accepted the company's proposal?"

"Yes, Mrs. Soto," I breathe out, and Sasha Soto nods, "But why would you ask me to be your assistant? I mean, I just work here as a junior accounting and finance manager, and then promoting me to directly assist you in businesses with other companies?"

"Call me Sasha." She says, as I stare at her looking for any hints that might give away her hidden agendas, "You're a smart young lady, Hastings. Looking at your previous work, only a fool would hire you as a junior employee."

"I applied specifically for that job."

"I know, but you knew you were better qualified. You deserve a place amongst the top employees, and even you knew that. I'm just giving you a chance."

"Is that all?"

"No." Sasha replies, "You worked as Kenneth Parker's personal assistant, and later, Sebastian Parker's, yes?"

"Yes."

"Kenneth really trusted you, didn't he?" Sasha begins, her fingers drumming on the table, "You were just supposed to be a personal assistant, but yet, every file of the company went through your table before reaching Kenneth's, yes?"

"Yes."

"Now tell me, Leah," Sasha smiles, "How many personal assistants do that?"

"Not many," I reply, sounding as collected as I can be. I didn't like the way where the questions were headed. "But I am a business major. Apart from being his assistant, I also went through the company's data because he asked me to. My job wasn't only to make sure that he got his coffee on time."

"Precisely," Sasha says, "That means you must have dug up some dirt on him in those two years that you worked for him."

I frown. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that you know exactly where the company's Achilles' heel is," Sasha says, a little smirk permanent on her face, "I need you to give me all the glitches of Parker Co."

My hands clench into a fist on my lap, and I try very hard to control the urge of throwing up at her face. In an even tone, I reply, "I think I am going to have to take back my words – no, I don't want any pay raise or promotion."

"I don't think you have any option here, Leah," Sasha smiles at me, making me want to punch her.

"Then you can fire me." I don't think before answering. It strikes me then that I am willing to leave my only paying job for a stupid boy who won't trust me.

"You're a loyal dog, Leah," Sasha says, "That's why I am not firing you."

Sasha turns to her laptop and types something, her fingers fast and agile on the keyboard. Then turning her laptop towards me, she stares at me waiting to look at the screen. I hate the brightness of the screen, yet I look at it, my eyes narrowing.

There is a picture, containing the snap of a document.

The document which is the reason I am here in the first place. The document containing my signature clearly, where I have transferred a small amount of money from Parker Co.'s funds to 'my account'!

I look back at Sasha, and she smirks at me. "This is just one receipt, Leah. I have proof that you transferred two million dollars too. If you don't want anyone to know about this, Leah, you'll do everything I ask you to. The minute you tell a soul about this, I will make sure this gets out."

"How did you get hold of the document?" I ask, my voice coming out a bit quivered. I thought I had left all of those two years ago, but everything keeps coming back.

"Let's just say you aren't the only the source we have," Sasha replies, and pulls the laptop back to its place.

Mr. Samuels was a great friend of Kenneth's, I was sure. He won't backstab Kenneth like that.

"Why is Mr. Samuels doing all this?"

"Ah, I forgot to tell you." Sasha says, "Try to tell Mr. Samuels about this, and I will leak the reason you got kicked out of Parker Co.; just in case if you're still wondering, I work for Lucas Samuels."

Lucas Samuels? Mr. Samuels' only son wanted insider information on Parker's? I couldn't think of any reason why he would want to do such thing. That guy was a living nuisance. He had lived in the hotel Panache, I worked at, for a week, and I wasn't keen on seeing him ever again.

"He was the one who saw you at Panache," Sasha says, "Said that you looked oddly familiar. You're smart enough to calculate what happened after that."

That is why I got fired from Panache without an explanation. That is why I got the interview letter at Samuels Inc. That is why nothing was asked to me in the interview – because I was already bound to get selected. And that is why they waited for the perfect opportunity – promotions week, to give me promotion to such a position.

Lucas Samuels was behind all of this.

"If you have close sources enough that can get you a confidential piece of document like this," I say, "Why do you need me?"

"I don't bother asking these questions to Lucas," Sasha shrugs, "I just do what he says."

Sasha tells me to leave, and come to work the next day. Before I get up to leave, Sasha stops me.

"You underestimate yourself too much, Leah. Lucas said the same thing about you months ago. He also said one more thing," Sasha states, pushing her blonde hair back, "In a deck of cards, you're the ace."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Who do you have left to tell all of this?" Sasha says, her words pinpricking the correct spot in my brain, "It will do you better to trust me, and me only."

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