34 The Journal (5)

"There's somebody to see you."

Kyro looked up from his paperwork. He couldn't recall having scheduled a meeting with anyone for eleven o'clock. "Who is it?"

"Sheila from HR." The secretary was positively brimming with excitement as she said that. For a person from HR to visit Kyro wasn't anything too outstanding, but Sheila wasn't the head manager there, and she was known for… other stuff. The secretary was probably already concocting a story to tell everyone about what was about to happen.

'Damn, Gale. You'll owe me for this.' He could, of course, refuse her entrance, but that would only exacerbate the problem. As wide-spread as Sheila's reputation was and as much as Kyro didn't want to deal with her, she was a good employee. He couldn't just turn a blind eye to her quitting in a moment of fury, especially since it would be due to his partner.

He pushed away the documents to the side and waved at his secretary. "Let her in, then."

The woman sauntered in more than walked in. While she took a quick glance over his office—she hadn't been on this floor, let alone his office before—he took a good look at her.

She didn't look like an office lady whatsoever. Even dressed in a pencil skirt and dark blouse, she looked like she belonged on some beach, posing for bikini photoshoots. Her hair was sun-bleached blonde, her skin tanned evenly, while her body was generously endowed in all the right places. If that wasn't enough, she also walked like she was the queen of the place and even her rest pose was meant to show off her assets.

It was really no surprise then that she was the diva of the HR Department, and every other floor envied her presence. Kyro had heard people discussing her before and seen her from the distance in passing, but only now did he appreciate the full effect of her presence.

"Is there anything you want?" he asked levelly. Sadly, she wasn't paying a visit to him, not really. Everyone just knew he was close to Gale, so whenever he messed up, his victims always came to Kyro to seek reparations, since Gale would conveniently disappear.

"Yes. There is."

There was an almost drawl to her voice when she spoke up, and Kyro didn't like that. She wasn't treating him like the boss, but just another co-worker, maybe someone even less important. There was not a touch of respect in her tone.

Instead of reprimanding her for it, though, he said, "Miss Evans, get to the point. As exciting as it is for people here to see you around, your presence is a distraction."

A smile blossomed on Sheila's lips, erasing the scorn for the moment, and Kyro congratulated himself on a good start. He didn't need to butter up people anymore, not his own employees anyway, but it was easier to deal with those who weren't out for your blood.

"Do you know why I'm here?" she asked, sitting down without an invitation in the chair before him.

"I have a guess, but do tell me."

"Did he tell you that we fucked and he ran away the moment after?"

Kyro's eyebrows rose. This wasn't the speech of an employee to her boss about her other boss. "How does this involve me? Sounds like it's your personal matter."

"Isn't there some company policy not to fuck with those below?"

"No, not as such," Kyro answered with a laugh. This woman sure didn't thick twice before throwing whatever came to her mind at him. Was that what had attracted Gale to her? 'Probably not. Doubt she speaks this way while working, and he should have met her while going through her floor.' "Thus, I still don't see the reason for you coming here."

"Is that so?" She crossed her legs and leaned over his desk. "Let me be blunt then. You're his runner boy, and that's why I'm here. Now tell him to grow a pair and come see me. There's stuff we need to discuss."

'What did you do this time, Gale? She seems ready to tear you apart. And grow a pair? Was your performance that bad?' Kyro smiled at the woman, but his voice was ice cold. "The only thing that matters to me is this company. So, do you plan to leave because of your spat with Gale?"

"What? No!" The woman seemed startled by the change in his demeanor, and her voice rose an octave or two. She also leaned back.

"Good, then we have nothing to talk about." The smile remained on his face. "Go shout at him or become a stalker, for all I care, but do it after the working hours. You're not paid to entertain the crowds or solve your sex troubles. Visit the strip if you want to change your profession."

'That might have been a bit too harsh…' It was hard to say if he went overboard with his speech, but he had a sense that kindness wasn't going to work with this woman. She knew her value and thought herself invincible, but that wasn't the truth. Her loss might affect the company in a short term, but there would be no lasting damages. She wasn't even the head manager of the HR Department.

Sheila took a moment to take in the words, probably repeating them in her head to make sure she'd heard what she thought she'd heard, and then she rushed to her feet, eyes blazing. To Kyro's surprise, he also saw a slight blush on her cheeks. Had his words touched a nerve?

"You won't talk to me like this!" she shouted out at him. "I'm a—"

Kyro didn't give her a chance to finish. He crossed his arms, his smile finally fading away. "You're an employee, just like all the others here." He motioned with his hand at all the tables they could see through the glass separating them from the main room. All the people were staring at their stand off, some more surreptitiously than others.

"I value you as a person that works for my company, but don't think that I'll let you come in here and disrespect me as you wish. The situation with Gale is of your own making, so solve it yourself, and in a way that doesn't affect your work."

There was no expression on Sheila's face. The anger seemed to have gone out of her, and she just stared at him, puzzled more than anything. "You're not like the rumors say."

That surprised Kyro. What did the rumors say about him? Maybe he should look into that. There were so many rumors about Gale that he never thought there was enough space for any about him to spring up.

Anyway, time to lower down his act. "Since when have rumors ever been true?"

"That's true." She smiled at that, but there was no humor in her expression. "Sorry to have misunderstood your relationship. Gale spoke of you as his best friend, but it seems you're just using him. I won't bother you again."

And with a clack of her high heels, she was out of his office, strolling with purpose to the elevator. Her sudden exist caused quite a commotion, and Kyro could see half of his employees with their heads together or typing excitedly, certainly discussing what had just happened.

He wanted to just close his eyes and rest for a moment, but the glass partition put him on a pedestal. Everyone could see his every action, and he didn't want to give them any more fodder for rumors than they already had. It would only be a cherry on top if he seemed rattled after the confrontation with Sheila.

'Using him, huh? I really wonder who is using who between the two of us.'