Free Web NovelChapter 219: Welcome gift
The new staff member stepped inside and carefully placed a glass of fresh coconut water on the desk before offering a polite smile.
"Your coconut water, Mrs. Grant."
"Thank you," Lyvana replied.
The young woman nodded. Yet instead of leaving, she lingered awkwardly by the door, clutching the empty tray against her chest.
Lyvana frowned. "Is there something else?"
The young woman immediately straightened.
"No, Mrs. Grant. I just wanted to say that I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with you."
For a moment, Lyvana was caught off guard. A small smile tugged at her lips despite her foul mood.
"Thank you," she said softly. "What is your name?"
The young woman’s face lit up immediately. "Lisa, ma’am."
"Well, Lisa, it’s..."
Lyvana suddenly stopped speaking. The smile vanished from her face as she stared at the young woman, a strange feeling washing over her.
She recognized her.
Not from this life, but from the memories she had recently recovered.
She vividly remembered when she was hiding in the restroom. This was the girl standing beside Trudy, discussing about poisoning Julian.
Lyvana’s eyes darted to the glass on the table, and her heart began to race.
Lisa noticed the sudden change in her expression. "Mrs. Grant?"
Before Lyvana could respond, the office door opened, and Bertha walked into the room with Sarah beside her.
"Sorry to interrupt," Bertha said. "But we need your approval on a few documents."
Lisa immediately took a step back. "I’ll leave you to your work, ma’am," she said, giving a polite nod as she turned toward the door.
"Wait."
Lisa stopped and turned back. "Yes, Mrs. Grant?"
"I suddenly have a craving for something else."
Lisa smiled smoothly. "What would you prefer, ma’am? I can get it for you right away."
Slowly, Lyvana picked up the glass of coconut water and held it out to Lisa.
"I think I would rather have a cup of hot chocolate," she said pleasantly. "But it would be a shame to waste this, though. Why don’t you drink it instead? Consider it a welcome gift."
Lisa’s smile disappeared instantly.
For a moment, she simply stared at the glass. Then she forced a nervous laugh and shook her head.
"Oh, no, Mrs. Grant. I couldn’t possibly do that."
"Why not?" Lyvana asked.
"It is your drink, ma’am."
"And I am giving it to you."
"It’s... it’s against company policy," Lisa stammered, her eyes darting toward the door.
"To accept refreshments from your boss?" Lyvana turned to Sarah and Bertha were arranging the papers on the desk. "Is there such a rule?"
"Errrm, no," Sarah said, shaking her head.
Lisa hesitated before reluctantly taking the glass. Her fingers tightened around it as though she wished she could refuse but knew she had no choice.
"Thank you, ma’am," she said softly, immediately turning toward the door.
"Oh no, Lisa" Lyvana said smoothly. "Have a seat. Finish it here, and let’s talk. I have an assignment for you."
Lisa’s shoulders stiffened. "Huh?"
"Wow, Lisa," Bertha chimed in. "Mrs. Grant has taken a liking to you already."
Lyvana settled back into her chair and watched her carefully. Did she poison the drink? she wondered. In her previous life, the poison had been meant for Julian.
Lyvana folded her hands calmly.
"Go ahead and drink," she said.
Lisa looked down at the glass.
"Mrs. Grant," she began carefully, "I really should get back to work."
"You work for me, remember?"
Lisa’s lips parted, but no words came out.
"And right now," she continued, "I’m asking you to sit down. I have an assignment for you."
The smile remained fixed on Lyvana’s face. Slowly, Lisa lowered herself back into the chair.
The nervousness in her eyes was becoming so obvious.
"Is there a problem with the drink?" Lyvana asked.
"No, ma’am."
"Then I don’t understand why you are refusing it." frёewebηovel.cѳm
Lisa’s grip tightened around the glass.
Sarah stopped arranging the papers on the desk, and Bertha watched the exchange with growing cconfusion
Slowly, Lisa raised the glass toward her lips. It trembled slightly in her hand. But just as the rim touched her bottom lip, her courage broke. She brought it down, setting it on the desk with a sharp clack.
I can’t drink it," she blurted out.
The words escaped before she could stop them.
Lyvana’s gaze sharpened.
"You can’t?"
Lisa immediately realized she had made a mistake.
"I mean... I have a severe coconut allergy," she said quickly. "I completely forgot about it because I was nervous about meeting you."
Bertha snorted.
The excuse was pathetic, and the sheer fear in Lisa’s eyes gave her away.
Lyvana calmly pressed a button on her desk intercom.
"Security."
The moment Lisa heard that single word, panic flooded her face. Without another thought, she jumped to her feet and rushed toward the office door. She yanking it open and rushing into the hallway.
"Hey! Stop right there!" Bertha shouted, running after her, with Sarah close behind.
She run down the stairs and made it to the lobby before colliding with two approaching security guards.
The impact knocked her backward onto the floor.
Before she could even attempt to recover, the guards grabbed her arms and pulled her up.
"Let me go!" she screamed, struggling wildly against them. "I didn’t do anything!"
"Ma’am, calm down," one of the guards ordered, tightening his grip. Her frantic cries only made her look more guilty.
By then, Bertha and Sarah had caught up to them.
"Hold her right there," Bertha ordered the guards, pointing a sharp finger at Lisa. "She put something in Mrs. Grant’s drink."
"I didn’t!" she cried. "I swear, I didn’t!"
The guards tightened their hold as she struggled.
A moment later, Lyvana stepped out of the elevator and entered the lobby, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor.
Her expression was calm, but her eyes were cold.
The crowd of employees gathering nearby immediately parted for her.
"Mrs. Grant," Lisa said desperately. "Please believe me. I didn’t put anything in your drink."
