Book To Read
The Intruder
Chapter 33 The InsiderUpstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g
Nina walked stealthily down the stairs of the hospital. She would have taken the elevator, but for some reasons known to her alone, she intentionally took the stairs. Most importantly, it serves as an exercise for her legs. Her phone rang the moment she touched the ground floor. “Are you nearby?” She said to the person on the other end. “I am at the cafe opposite the hospital. There is an empty table behind me. Please hurry to prevent anyone else from taking it.” The response came. “Alright,” Nina mumbled and hurried out of the hospital. She should go home to rest after receiving her usual injection dose. But then, some things shouldn’t wait until later, and one of them is what she is about to do now. Nina knows she might and would get into trouble for the journey she had embarked on in an irritable state. Her good deeds had somewhat served as the only thing she could rely on. There happened to be a mutual friend of Andrea and hers that Nina had enabled a job in M&M Foods as a head of the human resource department. They met accidentally during one of her antenatal visits. Brenda was shocked to hear what Nina went through because of her awful friend and husband. To show her that she genuinely appreciated what Nina had done for her, Brenda promised to help whenever she needed it. And to her surprise, she didn’t hesitate to respond when Nina did call for help. “How are you, Brenda?” Nina mumbled as she settled in the chair behind Brenda’s. Brenda cleared her throat and sipped her drink while looking outside. “I am fine. How about you? I hope your baby is fine?” “Just great, thank you. How is it going?” “Terrible. Asher can’t seem to find a solution to the situation. The sales have dropped so bad.” “Just ensure they do not get anyone worthy enough to change the market scale.” “It doesn’t even matter whoever we let in now. The company is in a financial crisis, and my office got a memo recently on the need to downsize. They intend to pay off some contract workers since it saves cost.” “How is that possible? It’s only been a few months.” “The crisis was long before you left. Did Asher keep that away from you?” “He hardly said much to me in our last three years together. But I don’t care right now. Just keep doing as I told you. And I must say, Brenda, thank you very much for holding my hand. I never would have been able to do all this without you.” Nina appreciated her. “I have you to thank the most. Just make sure you take care of yourself. I will leave first.” Brenda mumbled and got up to leave. Nina didn’t stand up and ordered something to drink instead. Her heartbeat increased as she scrolled through her phone. Not only has X&J packaged foods moved beyond expectation. The sales have surpassed any big sales in the food market in ages. She did that. She is why a company barely four months into the game is topping the chart. A proud smile would have sufficed for such a feat. However, Nina doesn’t feel victorious yet. Until they fell to their knees, she wouldn’t back off. Xander was leaving the company premises when Nina arrived. She had decided it would be better to return to work than go home to empty walls. “Nina?” He called out to her. “Hi.” Nina let out a hushed whisper. Xander raised his brow, wondering if everything was okay. “Are you alright?” “Yes. Why do you ask?” She asked in a low tone. “You are speaking quite low. Is something wrong with your voice?” Only at that moment did Nina realize what she had done. She cleared her throat, finding a balance in her voice. “Oh, don’t mind me. There is this particular drug I get whenever I visit the hospital. My throat tends to react to it for a few minutes.” “Oh, you shouldn’t be here then. Why not go home instead? Is it that urgent?” She sniffed and slammed the door of her car shut. “Yes, it is.” “Nina, it’s just a few minutes to closing time. Just go home.” There was a stubborn gaze on her face. “I just said it was urgent.” Xander didn’t fail to notice the paleness on her face. “You do not look well, Nina. As your boss, do I not have the right to tell you to leave work?” She threw him a stern glare. “But it’s not like you are aware of what I do. Will you take responsibility if something goes wrong?” He could see the horns of her stubbornness showing. “Stop being so adamant and….” Nina didn’t let him finish as she walked away from him. “Nina!” Xander called. She turned a wild, angry face at him, which made Xander stagger backward for a split second. “Mind. Your. Business. Xander. I will do my job, and you do yours. Have a good day.” She glowered, storming off. Her breath hitched as soon as she stepped into the elevator. Sweat beads form on her forehead. With both hands resting on the wall, she balanced her breathing. Her body shivered. It must be the drugs. The nurse had warned her to take some quality rest. But random resting feels like a waste of time to her lately. Dani was the first to take notice of her when she entered the office. She stood in front of her with a worried expression. “Are you okay, Nina? You look pale.” Nina nodded slowly and dragged herself to her table. “Can I get some water, please?” “Right away.” She replied, hurrying away. The others asked if she was okay. Nina gave them a reassuring smile. When Dani returned with the water, she finished it and asked for more. After two satisfying glasses, she was better. “That felt so good. Thank you, Dani.” She mumbled, holding up an appreciative grin. “You are most welcome.” She grinned. “We are closing for the day. Are you not going home yet?” Carlos asked. “No, I will stay back for a while,” Nina replied. “Okay, then. See you tomorrow.” They all waved at her. They chatted loudly until their voice got muffled by their entry into the elevator. Nina took a long breath and inhaled the serenity the environment provided her. Massaging her fingers, she turned on the computer and got to work.