026. Traces of poison

Laura couldn't let the opportunity pass by. After planting seeds of doubt at the reception, she went to find the biggest gossip in the office. She headed to the cafeteria, where she found Marta and some other colleagues. Her target was Marta, her secretary, who was more than willing to ruin the reputation of anyone who could overshadow Laura.

"Poor Amelia, it seems the meeting with Sandro didn't go well," Laura said with a sigh, making sure her tone sounded genuinely concerned.

Marta looked up, intrigued. "What happened?"

Laura lowered her voice, as if she didn't want to be overheard. "I'm not sure about all the details, but Amelia was really upset. Maybe she tried to use her personal charm to influence Sandro, and it didn't work, or maybe she's just not up to handling such a high-level job and couldn't close the deal."

Marta, known for her penchant for gossip, wasted no time in starting to spread the stories, naturally leaning towards the juicier version of Amelia prostituting herself for the contract and being rejected. "Really? I always thought Amelia was more professional than that."

Laura nodded gravely. "Yes, it's a shame. Maybe she wasn't ready for such a position of responsibility."

"Isn't she Jason's girlfriend? How dare she use her body to get a contract? Is that how she values the boss? Remember those photos from the other day. Maybe those internet rumors were true, and she's just a whore," Marta said, smiling maliciously as Amelia's reputation plummeted.

Marta's colleagues began murmuring among themselves, adding their own speculations and personal interpretations to the story. The cafeteria became a hotbed of gossip, and soon, the news spread throughout the building like wildfire.

A group of employees in the hallway discussed it heatedly.

"Did you hear about Amelia? They say she tried to seduce Sandro, and it didn't go well," one of them said.

"Really? She always seemed more upright than that," another replied.

"Well, after those pictures that circulated, I don't know what to think. Seems like there's more truth to those rumors than we believed," a third person added, their voice heavy with judgment.

The conversation reached Ana, one of the secretaries in the HR department. She decided to find out more and went to see Marta, who was more than happy to share the details she had heard from Laura.

"Ana, it's worse than we thought. It seems Amelia has been using her charms to try to secure that contract with Sandro. And it didn't work," Marta said, her tone full of false concern and genuine satisfaction.

"I can't believe it. What's Jason going to do when he finds out?" Ana asked, shocked.

"Well, I don't think this can stay a secret for long. Everyone's talking about it," Marta replied with a smug smile.

Feeling the need to act, Ana headed to Nuria's office to share what she had heard. She entered and closed the door behind her, her expression serious.

"Nuria, you have to hear this. There are terrible rumors going around about Amelia. They say she tried to use her body to close the deal with Sandro, and it all went wrong," Ana said, her voice full of concern.

Nuria looked up from her papers, her face reflecting a mix of surprise and anger.

"What? That can't be true. Amelia isn't like that," Nuria responded firmly.

"I know, but everyone's talking about it. I think we should do something before things get out of hand," Ana said.

Nuria nodded, her expression hardening with determination. She knew she had to act quickly to defend Amelia and stop the rumors before they caused irreparable damage.

Nuria knew she had to act quickly, but also tactfully. Amelia needed immediate support, but Nuria also needed a long-term strategy to protect her and stop the rumors once and for all.

Since childhood, being a girl who stood out above average, Nuria had fought against bullying from her peers. The problem was always solved by attacking and destroying the origin. But who was the origin here?

"Who started these rumors?" she asked, watching Ana closely.

Ana hesitated before answering. "It could be anyone, but I went to Marta because she's usually the biggest gossip and always has the most complete information."

Ana didn't want to point fingers directly. Amelia, being the new one, was taking hits from all sides, which made Ana sympathize with her. But if it was Marta, she'd known her for a long time and considered her a friend. As for Laura, everyone knew better than to get involved with her.

Nuria pondered her next move. She could go directly to Amelia to find out what happened, although that seemed foolish. It was Sandro; he probably tried to harass Amelia, which is why she couldn't close the deal. Then there was Jason, a great man and Amelia's boyfriend. He was probably the best person to put an end to the rumors, but going to Jason without speaking to Amelia first wasn't right.

Nuria looked at her watch. It was 5:48 p.m.; there wasn't much time left before everyone clocked out for the weekend, except for a few work enthusiasts like herself. Most people would be leaving by 6:00 p.m. until Monday. She decided to head up to Amelia's office; nothing more could be done today, but at least she could support her colleague.

With determined steps, Nuria made her way to the elevator. Her mind was racing, formulating a plan to address the situation in the best possible way. She knew that talking to Amelia was crucial. She had to find out exactly what had happened and how Amelia felt about it.

The elevator seemed to move exasperatingly slowly. Nuria watched the closed doors, listening to the soft hum as she ascended. Finally, she reached Amelia's floor. She exited the elevator and headed straight to her office, knocking gently before entering.

"Amelia, may I come in?" Nuria asked, trying to sound as calm and understanding as possible.

Amelia looked up from her desk, her eyes still reflecting the emotional turmoil she had experienced. She nodded slowly. "Sure, Nuria. Come in."

Nuria closed the door behind her and sat down across from Amelia. "I've heard some unpleasant rumors, and I wanted to make sure you're okay. What happened in the meeting with Sandro?"

Amelia sighed, her tired gaze resting on Nuria. "It was awful, Nuria. Sandro… tried to take advantage of the situation. He made me feel uncomfortable the entire time, with insinuations and inappropriate touches. I tried to keep my composure, but I couldn't close the deal. And now… these rumors…"

"I've seen online how some are saying that I use my body to close deals, but I'm so bad in bed that even then I can't succeed," Amelia's eyes filled with tears. What had she done to deserve such hatred?

Nuria felt a surge of rage upon hearing Amelia's words. "Amelia, I'm so sorry. You shouldn't have had to go through that. Or deal with these vultures feeding off internet anonymity for a few 'Likes' and 'Shares.' We're going to do something about it, but first, you need to know that you're not alone. I'm with you. I should've warned you about Sandro's reputation."

Amelia nodded, grateful. "Thank you, Nuria. Though I probably wouldn't have paid much attention to your warning."

"For now, let's finish the day and take the weekend to calm down a bit. Will you talk to Jason about it? We won't let Sandro or anyone else hurt you. Does that sound okay?" Nuria said in a firm but gentle voice.

Amelia nodded again. "Yes, I need to talk to him. Fortunately, the weekend is coming; I need some time to recover."

Nuria stood and approached Amelia, giving her a comforting hug. "I'll see you on Monday, and don't worry, we'll find a solution."

As she left Amelia's office, Nuria felt a renewed sense of determination. She had to protect her colleague and friend and make sure that those trying to slander her faced consequences. Meanwhile, the rumor continued spreading like wildfire, but Nuria knew that with the truth and the right support, they could extinguish it before it caused more damage.

Amelia remained in her office, thinking about how to bring up the matter with Jason. She knew she had to discuss it, but how would he take it? Would he believe her? She didn't have to wait long for everything to explode. Suddenly, the door to her office burst open violently without warning. Jason stood in the doorway, accompanied by Isabel.

"What have you done?" Jason's question was a condemnation. He had believed the rumors without waiting for her explanation.

"I… Jason… Never…" Amelia broke down, trembling at her desk. She couldn't look at Jason and see the accusation in his eyes. She could endure Sandro's harassment and the malicious rumors, but she couldn't bear losing Jason's trust.

"Jason, calm down. I'm sure Amelia can explain everything."

Isabel's voice was friendly, and a glimmer of hope reached Amelia's heart. But just then, her hair was yanked violently.

"Open your mouth!" Jason roared.

Amelia was truly terrified. What was that vial he was holding over her mouth? Was he going to poison her? No, he wouldn't hurt her like that. Mrs. Montalbán would pursue him. Trembling, no longer out of fear but pure terror at Jason's behavior, Amelia opened her mouth, trusting him. Jason poured the entire contents into her throat, and the liquid went down with a bitter but tolerable taste.

Jason released her hair and took a seat across from her. Isabel, with a serious expression, sat in the other chair. Amelia looked at both of them; they seemed impatient, but neither spoke. She couldn't believe it. Isabel had been kind to her since she arrived, and Jason… Well, even though she had been sold to him, he had been very affectionate in recent days.

"There's only one truth in…" Amelia tried to start recounting what happened, but Jason's gaze frightened her. "Jason, I would never cheat on you. Not for the best contract in the world. Jason, you know my background. Do you really think I would throw myself into another man's arms for a contract?"

Jason remained silent; he simply watched her severely. Amelia shifted her gaze to Isabel, seeking understanding, and she found it, but Isabel didn't intervene.

"I should have left when he made me sit on a couch instead of at the table," Amelia continued. "He locked the door. What happened next was…"

Amelia's voice broke again as she recalled everything, and tears returned to her eyes. It couldn't be happening. She had gone through one of the worst experiences of her life, and Jason was judging her, taking her for a whore. Jason looked at the clock and then broke the silence.

"Amelia, answer with yes or no. Did you try to seduce Sandro to sign the contract?"

"No."

"Did the pressure of negotiating get to you, and that's why you didn't get the signature?"

"Not exactly."

"What exactly happened? The drink you took was a truth serum. You can't lie. For example, try saying that another man took your virginity."

Amelia looked at Isabel, who was now looking at the ceiling, uncomfortable.

"My first man as a woman was you. You're my only man. I can't tell you something that we both know is a lie."

After this, Amelia relaxed and began to recount every detail, especially the most unpleasant ones. She didn't want to hide even the slightest bit. For twenty minutes, Amelia spoke nonstop, only pausing occasionally to regain her composure as she recounted the painful memories.

Jason gradually felt more and more guilty for having believed the rumors and not waiting to confront Amelia and hear her side of the story. Isabel, with a stern expression, watched Jason, waiting for him to speak.

Jason took a deep breath and said, "Amelia, I'm so sorry for putting you through this. I've been an idiot for believing those rumors without giving you the chance to explain."

Amelia looked up, her eyes still filled with tears but with a spark of hope.

"I promise I won't let anyone hurt you again, and I'll personally make sure your name is cleared," Jason continued, determination in his voice.

Isabel nodded, satisfied with Jason's response, and turned to Amelia.

"We're going to get revenge for this. You're not alone," she said, her voice full of barely contained fury. Then she turned to Jason. "Can I take disciplinary action against everyone who spread these rumors?"

Jason nodded. He couldn't allow more rumors about Amelia, especially within his own company.

"As for Sandro, do we cut all contracts with his company, or do we do something more… personal to him?"

Jason thought for a moment about Inmaculada's worms. "For now, Amelia, wait here. I'm going to deal with this privately with Isabel, and then I'll come back for you."

Jason and Isabel left Amelia's office and headed to Jason's office. Once inside, Jason closed the door firmly and turned to Isabel, his face a mask of cold resolution.

"I want you to kidnap Sandro and give him a beating he'll never forget. I need to get a certain bug from Mrs. Montalbán to complete his punishment. I want a video of the beating. If I can't get the worm, we'll torture him to death or sell him to some human trafficking network," Jason said, his voice low but full of venom.

Isabel nodded, her eyes gleaming with the same vengeful intensity. "Understood. I'll make sure Sandro pays for what he did to Amelia. No one mocks us or our people and gets away with it."

"Perfect. Make sure he suffers every second," Jason responded, his voice icy. "And make sure everyone who spread those rumors feels the consequences too. I don't want something like this happening again."

Isabel nodded once more and left Jason's office, her mind already working on the plan to make Sandro and everyone who dared to slander Amelia pay.

Jason stayed in his office for a moment, breathing deeply to calm the fury boiling inside him. He knew he needed to keep a cool head to handle the situation in the best way possible.

Finally, he left his office and returned to Amelia's. He found her still sitting, her eyes filled with worry. Jason approached her, taking her hands in his.

"Everything will be fine, Amelia. We'll make sure all those responsible pay for this. I won't let anyone hurt you again."

Amelia, though still hurt by Jason's initial distrust, felt a weight lift from her shoulders. She knew the road ahead would be difficult and dangerous, but with Jason and Isabel by her side, she was willing to face it all, determined to ensure that everyone responsible paid dearly for their actions.