Chapter 531
Chapter 531:
Still, Bella’s intentions were transparent—she was here to incite chaos, weaponizing her words to ignite public scorn against Yelena.
Yelena remained unfazed by the possibility of bruised egos. She wasn’t at this job to play politics or build alliances. Her purpose was clear, and she had no illusions about being universally liked.
Sure, some would despise her, but there would always be others drawn to her unvarnished honesty.
Tessa, however, watched Yelena with growing unease. Calling out those colleagues so publicly had been a bold move on Yelena’s part—too bold, perhaps.
Tessa knew what it felt like to be ostracized, thanks to Bella and Madonna’s deliberate machinations. Now, she walked through the office under a cloud of whispers, every interaction tainted by pointed fingers and silence.
Noticing Tessa’s distress and concern, Yelena arched a brow, offering a silent reassurance, almost as if to say not to worry.
There was something in Yelena’s calm gaze that softened Tessa’s anxiety, easing the knot in her chest.
Lynn’s expression hardened as she fixed Yelena with an intent look. “So, Yelena, since you’re so confident, does that mean you’ve got Miss Morphew in the bag p>
All eyes turned to Yelena, their anticipation palpable. They wanted her to falter, to trip on her own boldness and fall flat.
Yelena didn’t flinch. Her answer was simple, steady. “Yes, that’s exactly what it means p>
Handing over the responsibility too quickly might appear as though she was setting Yelena up to fail, and Lynn was far too savvy to make her intentions so obvious.
“Anyone else willing to step up?” Lynn asked, her gaze sweeping the room, but only silence answered her. Heads dipped low, avoiding her eyes like students dodging a teacher’s wrath.
“No one?” Lynn’s voice lingered in the air before she turned to Yelena. “Then it’s settled—Yelena, this one’s yours p>
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Relief rippled through the room like a collective exhale. Though their faces betrayed nothing, the tension in their shoulders eased. They were glad to have escaped this time, though they didn’t dare let it show—at least not too obviously.
“Yelena, you’re so courageous,” Bella quipped, her voice dripping with mock admiration. Her eyes glimmered with a sly satisfaction, as she added, “Make sure you give it everything you’ve got p>
Yelena met Bella’s gaze, her expression cool and unbothered. “Just a touch braver than you, I suppose,” she replied with a faint smirk. Bella scoffed and turned away.
What Yelena didn’t know was the subtle chaos Bella had already sown behind her back. But Bella wasn’t worried—soon enough, Yelena would figure it out.
Later, as Yelena unlocked her phone, a cascade of unread messages lit up the screen—over a dozen from the family group chat. The group had once been small, just four members, but since Yelena reconnected with them, it had grown to five: Callum, Donna, Cayson, Yelena, and Bella.
Yelena’s instincts flared. Her mind replayed Bella’s earlier smirk, the unspoken taunt in her eyes. Sure enough, this sudden uproar in the group chat had Bella’s fingerprints all over it. She swore she could almost hear Bella’s voice in the chaos, laughing from a safe distance. Yelena opened the group chat and began scrolling through the unread messages.
The very first message was from Bella. “Wow, Yelena’s so fearless! She’s taken on the client no one else dared to. I just know she’s going to nail it and make the client super happy p>
The saccharine tone practically oozed from the screen. Yelena smirked as she read it.
Bella’s words weren’t applause—they were a carefully disguised jab, a gauntlet thrown down in front of everyone. The message wasn’t about Yelena succeeding; it was about setting her up to fail under the brightest light.