37. Chapter 36
M aggie had always been discreet. It was why she had held her position in the company for so long, why Troy had trusted her implicitly to keep things running smoothly. But she wasn't deaf.
She had overheard snippets of Olivia's visit. The sharp, clipped tones. The sound of papers being placed on a desk. The silence that followed. Olivia's voice, firm and unwavering, had been clear enough: She's not coming back.
Maggie had lingered just outside the office, ears pricked. The tension in the air was palpable. Troy's voice had been a mix of disbelief and rising anger, his usual composed demeanour cracking.
"... the prenup."
"She doesn't want anything, Troy."
Maggie held her breath as she eavesdropped. Jenna really was leaving, and not with a fight-but with finality. No claims, no demands. Just gone.
Now, standing outside Lila's office, she hesitated for only a second before knocking. She found Lila perched at her desk, a self-satisfied smirk already on her lips.
"Well?" Lila prompted, twirling her keyring as if she had already won.
Maggie shut the door behind her. "He was blindsided."
Lila smirked. "Of course he was. He's always been blind."
Maggie hesitated. "He's angry. And confused. "
"He'll get over it," Lila said dismissively, setting down her glass. "It's better this way."
Maggie narrowed her eyes. "Better for who?"
"For everyone." Lila's nails-long, red, and sharp-drummed lightly against the arm of her chair. "Jenna was never the right fit. Troy deserves someone who understands his world, who belongs in it."
Maggie inhaled slowly. "His family agrees, don't they?"
Lila's smile now resembled the Chesire cat’s
"Of course they do. They've always seen me as the better choice. His mother, his sister-everyone knows Jenna never truly belonged. Troy just needed time to see it too."
Maggie exhaled nervously. "So, what now?"
Lila's smirk widened. "Now? Now we make sure there's no turning back."
Maggie felt a ripple of unease crawl up her spine. "What do you mean?"
Lila leaned forward, her eyes glinting with something dark. "Troy still thinks he has a choice. That Jenna might change her mind. That's the problem. He's hesitating. He needs a push."
Maggie's stomach tightened. "Lila, whatever you're thinking-"
Lila lifted a perfectly manicured hand. "Relax, Maggie. It's simple. Troy just needs to find himself in a position where there's no way back."
Maggie frowned. "Meaning?"
"Meaning," Lila said, her voice lowering conspiratorially, "we create a situation that Jenna has to hear about. A situation that makes it impossible for her to forgive him. "
Maggie swallowed. "You're talking about trapping him in something compromising."
Lila smiled, slow and deliberate. "I'm talking about making sure he finally sees me as the only option."
Maggie felt the weight of those words settle in the room.
She had followed Lila's lead before, facilitated small things-keeping Jenna's calls from going through, deleting messages, subtly shifting schedules so that Lila and Troy had more opportunities to be together. But this... this was something else.
She hesitated. "Troy's not an idiot, Lila. He might be blind sometimes, but he's not stupid. I can't afford to lose my job."
Lila waved a hand. "Of course not. That's why it has to be perfect. The right place, the right time. Something Jenna cannot possibly forgive."
Maggie's mouth felt dry. "And if he doesn't play along?"
Lila's smirk didn't falter. "Then we make it look like he did."
Maggie exhaled slowly, something cold settling in her stomach.
She had followed orders for years, had played her part without question.
After all, Lila was everything she ever wanted to be.
She idolized her since school days. She had seen how she had fallen apart when Troy had married Jenna.
But for the first time, she wondered if she had backed the wrong horse.
Still, she said nothing as Lila took another look at her mobile, her expression smug, victorious.
And for the first time since she had started working for Troy, Maggie felt an unfamiliar weight settle in her chest-doubt.
Maggie walked back to her desk, her thoughts chaotic with unease. She had always prided herself on being pragmatic, on knowing which battles to fight and which to avoid. But something about Lila's plan unsettled her in a way she couldn't shake.
Before she could process it further, Troy's voice cut through her thoughts.
"Maggie, can you come in here with the latest reports on the Commonwealth project?"
Snapping back to the present, she inhaled deeply, steeling herself before grabbing the files from her desk and heading towards his office.