Love lies and a billionaire’s secret

CHAPTER THIRTY–SIX–A TEMPTING INVITATION

The movement she had started had grown beyond her control, facing opposition she hadn’t anticipated. But it had also revealed a ‘depth of solidarity among her coworkers that she never knew existed.

Walking home, Nia’s mind raced with questions. How could she protect her coworkers from retaliation? Was there a way to make the executives listen without putting jobs at risk? And most importantly, how could she honor the trust her colleagues had placed in her? Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

As the city lights flickered on around her, Nia realized that this fight was far from over. In fact, it was only just beginning.

As Nia made her rounds through the office, emptying trash–bins and wiping down surfaces, her mind still whirled with the events of the past few days. The support from her colleagues, the intimidation tactics from management, and the weight of responsibility she felt it all swirled together in a dizzying mix of emotions.

She approached her own cubicle, the last stop on her rounds. As she reached for the small trash can tucked under the desk, something caught her eye. A sealed envelope, crisp and white, with her name written on it in neat, block–letters.

Nia’s heart skipped a beat. She glanced around, but the office was empty at this late hour. With trembling hands, she picked up the envelope and carefully opened it.

Inside, she found a USB drive and a small note. The message was brief: “This might help. A friend.” Curiosity, and apprehension battled within her. Who could have left this? And what was on the drive?

Nia knew she shouldn’t, but she couldn’t resist. During her break, she slipped into an empty conference room, plugging the USB drive into one of the computers.

–

What she found made her gasp. Internal memos, budget reports, detailed analyses all supporting her case against the cuts. There was even a comprehensive cost analysis showing that outsourcing janitorial services would ultimately be more expensive for the company in the long run.

“Holy crap,” Nia muttered, her eyes wide as she scrolled through document after document. This was a goldmine of information, the kind of data she and Helia had only dreamed of accessing.

But as the initial excitement faded, questions began to gnaw at her. Who had access to this level of confidential information? And why were they helping her? Was it genuine support, or could it be some

kind of trap?

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For the rest shift, Nia moved through her tasks in a daze. She found herself jumping at small noises, paranoid that someone might confront her about the USB drive. At the same time, she couldn’t help but feel a spark of hope. With this information, they might actually have a chance of winning this fight.

That night, Nia met with Helia at a small café near their apartment complex. The place was mostly empty. Just a few college students hunched over laptops in the corners..

“You’re not going to believe this,” Nia said as soon as she sat down, pulling out her laptop.

Helia raised an eyebrow. “What’s up? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Nia quickly filled her in on the mysterious USB drive and its contents, Helia’s eyes grew wider with each detail.

CHAPTER THIRTY–SIX ATEMPTING INVITATION

“No way,” she breathed. This is… this is huge, Nia. But who do you think-

“I have no idea,” Nia cut her off. “And honestly, I’m not sure I want to know. What matters is that we have this information now. We can use it.”

They spent the next few hours poring over the documents, incorporating the new data into their

presentation. As they worked, Nia couldn’t shake the feeling that this anonymous help might be a game- changer in their fight.

“You realize this is going to ruffle some serious feathers, right? Helia said as they were wrapping up. Whoever gave you this stuff is basically airing the company’s dirty laundry.”

Nia nodded, a mix of determination and fear settling in her stomach. “I know. But if it saves our jobs and shows the board how valuable we are, it’s worth the risk.”

The next week arrived faster than Nia could have imagined. Before she knew it, she was standing outside the imposing double doors of the boardroom, her heart pounding so hard she was sure everyone could hear it.

“You’ve got this, Nia,” she whispered to herself, taking a deep breath. “Just stick to the facts. You know this stuff inside and out.”

With one final steadying breath, she pushed open the doors and stepped inside.

The boardroom was intimidatingly large, dominated by a long, polished table surrounded by sternt–faced executives in expensive suits. Nia felt painfully out of place in her simple blouse and slacks, clutching her folder of notes and presentation materials.

“Nia” the CEO, Mr. Allistair, nodded to her. “Please, begin your presentation.”

Nia stepped up to the front of the room, willing her hands not to shake as she set up her materials. She cleared her throat and began.

“Good morning, everyone. I’m here today to discuss the proposed budget cuts to the janitorial department and why I believe they would be detrimental to Colossius Tech as a whole.”

Her voice was shaky at first, but as she delved into the data, she found her rhythm. She showed charts illustrating the cost–effectiveness of the in–house janitorial staff, her confidence growing with each slide.