“From this day on, I’ll work overtime in my apartment, okay? Um… Can I go back to work now?” I raised an eyebrow and looked at Jack. I wasn’t sure if he was still angry.
The truth was that anyone with a functioning brain could see that I was being framed. Later, a lot of people on the company forum started getting skeptical about the accusation because the photos were just too clear and taken at such a strategic angle. Also, Jack was a highly intelligent man. How could he not see the peculiarity in this whole shebang?
With that said, Jack didn’t raise his head to look at me. I thought he was reading some documents on his computer screen.
I knew that he probably wasn’t mad because I worked overtime with a male colleague. Instead, it was because I ran into some trouble and didn’t inform him immediately.
However, I was aware that I couldn’t look to Jack every time something happened. I sighed gently and turned around to leave his office. Just as I reached the door, I heard his voice again.
“It’s better for you to tread carefully in the future, Eva. Don’t get your photos uploaded to the internet.”
I was stunned as I turned around to look at me. “What?”
Jack raised his gaze to look at me, and there was a mix of emotions in his eyes. “The internet reaches the entire globe, Eva. Do you think that the photos of you uploaded in Erewhon won’t be circulated to Pyrosia?
“The McLennon family has companies in Pyrosia as well. They have a lot of employees too. You know what I’m saying.”
I finally understood what Jack meant after he reminded me. It was true that there were a lot of people working at the McLennon family’s companies. Moreover, they owned international companies too.
I had this mindset that everything was airtight because I was in Erewhon, but what if the photos did get circulated in Pyrosia?
While it was true that there weren’t any photos of my face directly, people close to me would be able to notice some subtle clues.
As far as everyone in Pyrosia was concerned, I was already dead. Months had come and gone since then, and maybe people didn’t care about me anymore.
However, what if I was found out?
The thought of Leonard made me feel uneasy. I licked my lips, feeling nervous.
“Um… Now, what…”
“I’ve deleted your photos on the internal network. I don’t think it has been circulated onto the world wide web. I’ll have someone keep an eye out.”
What Jack said allowed me to let out a sigh of relief. It almost felt like he was capable of doing anything.
I searched my memories and confirmed that my face wasn’t featured in those photos. Willis was tall, and he blocked off more than half of my figure. So, I didn’t think anyone could recognize me. I hadn’t heard anything about Leonard for a long time, and that led me to think that he was no longer searching for me. I was too careless.
“Thank you, Jack. Don’t worry. I’ll be more careful in the future.” I meant what I said.
Jack’s gaze finally turned into an affectionate one. He shook his head helplessly. “Stop acting so formally with me, Eva. I was upset this time because you didn’t tell me about it.
Incidents like these affect you the
most.
“I don’t care if one of the company projects goes wrong. I care about you. So, you have to tell me immediately if something similar happens in the future, alright?”
My grip on the doorknob tightened
slightly. It would’ve been a lie to say
that I didn’t feel moved. I stood at the door and stared at him with unblinking eyes. I didn’t speak until after a brief moment.
“I know what you mean, Jack, and I know you have my best interests at heart. So, I’m going to tread carefully in the future. But you’re not in Erewhon all the time, and I have to learn how to handle some issues. That’s why you don’t have to worry too much about me or think that you have to protect me constantly. I
mean it.”
If I kept letting people protect me, then I would have to rely on others for my entire life. The doctor said that I was doing very well and that I stood a chance to live ten years longer and then some. I didn’t want to live like that.
My lips curled into a grin when I looked at Jack. He was stunned a little before he nodded. “Okay. I get what you mean.”