Chapter 420

"What are you suggesting?" Hannah's tone stayed level, yet a sudden frost overtook her eyes.

Observing the shift, Colleen instantly moved closer, her lips twisted into a counterfeit smile, though her stare burned harsher than before. "Exactly what it sounds like. You're still young, full of potential, climbing the ladder in no time-even Mr. Briggs shows you courtesy. Isn't that only because a sugar daddy stands behind you?"

"Ms. Preston, hardly anyone sees it as hidden," Jaclyn Brennan from the Product Department interjected,seizing the opportunity. "Why don't you have him come pick you up right now? Let's all witness what sort of man he is."

Hannah's gaze traveled slowly across the circle of whispering women. Her voice emerged soft but carried an unshakable edge. "Is this the way you normally tear people apart when their backs are turned?"

The grins worn by Colleen, Esme, and the others froze on the spot.

As the one leading them, Colleen felt the sting of exposure and tried to mask her alarm. She lifted her volume in a show of false boldness. "Ms. Preston, what accusation are you making? We're only showing care, that's it! How can you call that tearing people apart? If you'reclean,what are you so scared of?"

Staff from other departments joined in, echoing her claim.

Hannah tilted her chin slightly, her stare glacial. "Care? Your form of care is spitting out vile guesses about me? Branding me as 'kept by a sugar daddy' and 'riding on connections' without presenting evidence?"

"But we aren't off base, are we?" Colleen fired back, her pitch strained even as Natalie's look rattled her."Without a sugar daddy, how could you rise that fast? Jumping from newcomer to supervisor in only a single month-how is that natural? Can you swear no one smoothed your way in secpet?"

Esme summoned her nerve to add, her voice laced with venomous curiosity. "Exactly! We just want to meet your sugar daddy. Or is he a married man you dare not show to us?" Jaclyn followed with a sly curve of her lips. "That's quite possible! I've noticed Mr. Briggs calling Ms.Preston into his office often, and they remain there for hours behind a shut door! Who can tell what's happening inside?"

"Oh my!" Esme exaggerated the gesture of clapping a hand over her mouth, her eyes alive with ridicule and delight. "Mr. Briggs is a married man! Why does their department always tangle with married men? First, it was Marissa, and now it's Natalie! Almost like some rotten ritual over there."

The poisonous talk swelled into outright insults and defamation.

Hannah's features hardened in a heartbeat. She chose silence. To spar with women who wallowed in filth and lacked any boundaries was beneath her.

Without expression, Hannah pulled her phone out of her pocket, her motions steady and quick. Without glancing at a single face, her fingers flew across the screen, opening the corporation's most restricted internal system.

Immediately, the personal information pages of Colleen, Esme, Jaclyn, and the other chief instigators appeared-including their recent completion ratios, mistakes in assignments, and other details.

Hannah scanned the data and released a short, cold laugh. Lifting her eyes slowly, she singled out Colleen."Colleen from marketing, isn't it? Last quarter, your KPI rate hit only 67%. Due to errors in planning for the Morning Light promotion project, the client suffered losses, and three complaints were filed.You even exceeded the office supplies budget by 30% last month without justification."

Pausing, she added, "Esme, your last month's report contained three severe inaccuracies, forcing the entire team into overtime to correct it. Your supervisor rebuked you, yet your reporting still drips with flaws.Jaclyn, the test documentation for the product series you're responsible for arrived late for two straight weeks. On Friday, you even left work two hours early without notifying anyone."

With each name recited, with every detailed error-listing times, projects, and figures-the women drained of color, their bodies quivering against their will. They stared at Natalie as if struck, unable to fathom how she had unearthed their exact mistakes.

Hannah's stare cut like steel, her words soaked in scorn and warning. "Listen carefully-rather than wasting effort concocting lies and smears, you should patch the gaping holes in your own duties and improve you pathetic performance!"

Her tone bore absolute command. "Regarding Mr. Briggs and me, it is entirely professional! Nothing beyon that! Do you understand?"

Pinned down by Natalie's devastatingly accurate recital, Colleen felt herself unravel. Shamed and furious she lost all restraint and screamed, "Who can say? A man and a woman alone together! With the door shut For hours! Anything could have happened! You claim innocence-where's your evidence?"

Hannah stepped forward sharply, her presence surging until Colleen seemed crushed beneath it "Evidence? You hold evidence? Did you personally witness me sharing a bed with Calvin?"

Colleen's face drained, speechless.

Out of nowhere, someone whispered with a startled breath, "Stop talking-Mr. Miller just arrived."