Chapter 79


    I’ve been directed to sit outside of the Director’s office.


    Because I’m sitting here, I hear the scream.


    “You must be joking,” Farah says angrily.


    The Director’s voice is calm. ”Miss Steele, I don''t want anyone to be hostile to my colleagues like this.


    And what you’ve done by rallying other coworkers to iste and bully another employee…it is


    harassment.”


    “W-what?”


    “Grace indeed served time in jail, but she has paid her price to society, as deemed by our judicial


    system and the judges and juries upholding it. You do not have the right to continue to judge her or to


    invade her privacy by airing her past for others, with the expressed intent of it causing unrest in the


    workce.”


    Farrah sputters.


    “Furthermore,” the director says. “It doesn''t mean that we should look at her with different eyes and not


    give her a chance to live. Since you feel that you can''t work with Grace Cummins, I think you should


    quit your job now."


    “Wha?! I am an established member of this staff! I’m up for promotion next month. And you’re trying to


    just dismiss me?! I’ve done nothing wrong! I only told the truth!”


    “Truth is not the issue. And if I have to exin the aspects of harassment or workce practices, then


    you are in no position for any promotion. Good leaders conduct themselves with equity and fairness.


    They can’t allow biases or their personal opinions to prevail.”


    Farah sputters.


    As I sit here and listen, I’m shocked.


    I didn’t expect the Director to abide by the employee guidelines. Yes, this is a government facility but


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    that doesn’t mean that corruption doesn’t take root. There are bad people in everypany.


    “You’ll receive two weeks pay,” he goes on.


    Farah screams again. She’s reallying apart in there.


    I can’t say that I’m sorry.


    She’s malicious.


    I doubt I’m the first person she’s targeted.


    A secondter, Farah tears out of the office. She takes one look at me and I jump to my feet.


    "It''s you.” She sneers. “It''s all your fault! If it weren''t for you, I wouldn''t have been dismissed by the


    director! You should be the one who is made to leave!"


    The staff in this section of the building are watching. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone has their cell


    phone out. This kind of meltdown is the fodder of viral videos.


    I try to step around her.


    “Don’t you dare walk away from me!” she screams.


    What? Does she think I’m going to stand here and be yelled at?


    “Good luck,” I tell her. “Maybe in your next job, you won’t be so mean.”


    She gasps and then draws back her hand to p me.


    I duck instinctively. But the hit neveres.


    Farah’s hand is caught—by Gus.


    "Just stop already,” he tells her. “The director wants you to go. What does it have to do with Grace?


    Can Grace control the director''s decision? No.”


    When the other people in the fleet see this, they shake their heads at Farah or disperse so as not to get


    caught up in the drama surrounding her.


    The farce ended just like that. Farrah stalked off.


    I stare at her back as she leaves.


    “Are you okay?” Gus asks me.


    He really is a nice guy. “I am. Thanks to you.”


    He blushes. "It was nothing. If it weren''t for me, you wouldn''t have been targeted by Farah in the first


    ce," Gus says with embarrassment.


    Just as I’m was about to turn around and leave, Gus suddenly says, "Is your younger brother really


    your blood-rted brother?"


    I nce back at him in surprise.


    Gus hesitates.”t’s just… I don''t think... you''re not like siblings.”


    "He''s not my sibling, but to me, he is my family.”


    Gus shakes his head. “Does he think that way? Because I’ve seen the way he looks at you, Grace. And


    it’s not how one looks at their siblings…”


    * * * * * * * * * * * *


    “Babe, are you listening to me?" Lily raises her voice. Sean has beenpletely distracted the entire


    day. She must have asked him the same question three times now, but he’s acting as though he had


    not heard her at all.


    The day after a run, he’s normally doting.


    The massive feast that’s beenid out by the servants has been served to the pack and a special meal


    was prepared for them. She’d even gone to the trouble of specifying what dishes to make so all of


    Sean’s favorites would be avable, but he hasn’t even noticed.


    Sean suddenlyes to his senses. "What did you say?"


    "What''s wrong with you today?" Lily asks in annoyance. "If you''re going to apany me to try on my


    gown tomorrow in this state, I might as well find someone else to apany me!"


    "Lily, I’m so sorry. My mind’s on work, and I just remembered that I still have something to do!" Sean


    suddenly stands up and rushes out of their private dining room.


    How the hell is she supposed to exin his abrupt departure to the pack? They’re supposed to head


    back into the main hall to finish dinner and have dessert with his packmates.


    But before Lily can argue, Sean is out the door.


    Lily frowns. What the hell is so urgent that he needed to leave her alone like this? That it couldn’t wait


    an hour until they finished dinner and made the rounds with the rest of his n? He was totally different


    from his usual attentive self!


    Sean drives away from his family’snds and calls one of the private investigator’s he used amid


    Grace’s trial.


    The call is answered quickly.


    “Mr. Stevens, what can I do for you?”


    “Get into the Sanitation Service Center’s records and check the address of Grace''s ce!”


    “Grace…Cummins?”


    “Yes.”


    It doesn''t take long for the PI to send the address to Sean''s mobile phone.


    Sean drove the car toward Grace''s residence.