Ch. 20 Shifting Lines And Blurring Lanes
Yesterday evening... was unexpected.
For some reason, I didn't expect Celeste to struggle at Ingram Tech. I figured she would charm or bully her way through to success.
It was written all over her face when we were standing by the railing—just how difficult her first day had been.
My fingers tighten on the coffee mug in my hand. I lean back on my chair.
I didn't...hate her. I let her in, and that scares me.
Still. I won't have staff bullying her.
A knock sounds on the door, and then Nolan enters.
"You wanted to see me?" He drops into the seat in front of me and relaxes, not a care in the world.
Does he think he can get away with it simply because he's the boss's friend?
I stare at him in silence until he loses the grin and straightens.
"There's something I think I need to remind you of." I watch as my words register on his face.
"Oh?"
"Ingram Tech has a zero tolerance policy for bullying. Any displeasure expressed via threats—overt or not—constitutes bullying."
He blinks in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
I sigh. "Celeste Shaw."
"Oh, that. I was just making sure she keeps in line."
"Ah, so you were looking out for the company?" I smile at him.
He returns my smile, relieved.
I drop mine. "If you wish to look out for the company, then all you need to do is your job—well. You don't have to worry about keeping valued employees 'in line'. If you face trouble with someone, involve HR.
"I don't appreciate you threatening a valued employee of Ingram Tech. Yes, Celeste Shaw is an extremely valued employee, and deserved to be treated as such.
"Consider this a formal warning."
His expression shows clearly how betrayed he feels.
"I thought we were friends. Have you forgotten what she did in high school? Do you even know her current reputation?!" His voice starts low, but rises with each syllable. His gaze is hard as it bores into mine.
"We are friends. Personal feelings have no bearings in professional situations. It goes both towards our friendship and whatever lingering grudges might prevail between all of us.
"I won't tolerate bullying, no matter how justified you might think it is."
He looks ready to argue some more before snapping his jaw shut. He inclines his head before leaving.
The door bangs shut behind him. I sigh.
I hope he doesn't escalate and force me to fire him, because I will if I have to.
—----------------------------
They tweaked the code yesterday, and so far, it looks like the changes have made a huge difference.
A cheer runs out from the engineers, before one of them speaks into my ear mike.
"It's a success! Come down for a break, and then we'll move to see if it extrapolates from an earlier moment."
I gratefully walk towards the refreshment setup and nearly run into Nolan. Since that encounter on my first day, he has been conspicuously absent in the week that has followed, though I have been introduced to the Marketing Team.
The moment Nolan spots me, he stills, a grimace already forming, before his lips tighten and he continues on without a single word.
My eyebrows rise as his exit is so uncharacteristic. What's gotten into him now?
"That was epic! I love seeing you in action!" My lips lift off their own accord as I turn to meet Kyle, whose gaze follows mine.
"Oh, don't worry about him. He won't be bothering you again." I blink in surprise. I never told anyone about our first...encounter.
"Uh—" I stammer as I try to think up an appropriate response.
He waves my words away and continues casually, "Yeah, Marcus had a chat with him. Told him he has to keep his personal feelings out of professional relationships—that bullying is not accepted in Ingram Tech. Nolan nearly blew a fuse."
I gape at Kyle in shocked wonder. Marcus did—what now?
He smiles and changes the topic, but my brain is still glitching on Marcus actively defending me.
Me—whom he hates.
My mind drifts to my first day. Our meeting on the roof. In just one conversation, he made me feel less like an outsider than I ever had.
Sure, he's actively stayed away from me after that. But that day, on the roof? He was sweet. Understanding.
His words helped me hold on for a little longer. And now—this?
Something warm blooms in my chest, before I shove it aside ruthlessly. I'm here to reclaim my career, not for the warm fuzzies.
Kyle waves and leaves, and he's soon replaced by Dr. Harper. My lips twitch, though I do my best to keep a straight face.
That man is the most efficient terror I've ever met. The whole team dislikes me, but they hate him.
So even my most hardcore haters give me a pass when he's chewed me out.
"Dr. Harper! How might I help you?" I keep my tone pleasant and subservient and watch in delight as his eyes narrow, trying to suss out any sarcasm from my tone.
"Well, I just wanted to say it was a good shoot. Your presence has been—" he looks like he's chewing on nails.
"Yes?" I prompt, waiting for him to somehow come up with a disparaging remark even in this.
"—Helpful." I blink in surprise. Well, didn't see that one coming.
"Uh, thank you?"
He clears his throat, face sour. "Are you telling me that? Or asking me?"
And...we're back. I smile and ignore his question for another that has been bothering me for days.
"You know, this device is able to extrapolate some scenes based on the acting and scripts. But can it take direction? Because no director will let AI direct a scene he's helming. Just saying..."
I walk back to the starting point, leaving a very stumped Dr. Harper by the refreshment table.
—---------------------
Dr. Harper is pacing in front of me, wearing a hole in the floor while he rants about everything wrong with our process. Then he says the words that have me sitting up.
"If Shaw hadn't pointed out such a significant flaw, we might have miscalculated the amount of work it needs and the success we've already achieved!
"You can't start marketing it just yet! We're going to have to rewrite a whole section to make sure it can take direction with at least a ninety percent accuracy!"
"So what I'm hearing is that Ms. Shaw has provided valuable feedback while also consulting and acting as an in-house actor."
"Well, yes."
"Who told you, you could make her act?"
He stills, before turning around slowly. "What?"
"You are making her work outside the scope of her contract, and you know it. You didn't bother running it by me, because you knew I wouldn't agree. What I want to know is why."
"I ran it by Kyle."
My mouth twists. "Yes. But he isn't me."
I straighten in my chair. "How long have you worked here Harper?"
He stares at me in distaste. "About ten years."
I pull a file Kyle handed me before this meeting. "And Richard Ingram personally recruited you?"
"Yes."
"I want to make something very clear to you, Harper. I am the chairman now. If you think you'll circumvent me by going to Kyle because he's an Ingram, and therefore the rightful owner, you're mistaken.
"Kyle was the one who brought your insubordination to me. He defers to me in all these matters.
"It's your last chance Harper. If you thought I wouldn't find out about your negotiations with Midea Tech, you're very mistaken."
For the first time since he barged into my cabin without so much as a knock, his face pales and he looks nervous.
"Let me end this conversation with—that's not all that I know either. Do your job or quit honorably.
"Either way, you're not getting my tech, and you're not going to go power-tripping on Celeste Shaw.
"Am I clear?"
His adams-apple bobs and he straightens his glasses. "Crystal."
He gets up to leave before halting at the door and turning around, as if realizing he wasn't dismissed—yet.
"Yes, you may leave. And send Celeste up."
He's out the door before I can change my mind, and I buzz Kyle in.
"The old guard giving you trouble again?" Kyle is as perceptive as ever.
I rub my temples.
"It's handled. Is the addendum to Celeste's contract ready?"
"Mmm-hmm." He hands me a file, like he was just waiting to be asked.
"Thanks."
"Are you coming to lunch at Keith's tomorrow?"
I sigh. "I am. You're such a traitor. Why did you give Ella the contract?"
"Have you seen my sister-in-law when she starts talking all low and sweet, eyes cold and smiling like she's going to carve me up?! She's scary! You try saying no to her!" He shudders at the memory.
I scratch my neck. Can't say I haven't seen her burn down the Bryces when she was spitting mad. It was awesome when it was happening to them. Not so much when I'm her target.
There's a reason I've been dodging her. And Legend.
I'm going to have to tell them everything. And they're going to be so devastated.
I sigh. "Fine. Fine. But you could've at least warned me!"
"She told me not to!"
If I'd known she knew, I wouldn't have answered her call.
I might have blamed Celeste if she hadn't told me she'd skin me alive if I breathed a word wrong to Celeste. Then she told me in no uncertain words that she made Kyle give her the contract copy because her spidey senses had been going haywire ever since she heard Celeste accepted the job.
I am so not looking forward to this Sunday.
—-----------------
I stare at my phone as it buzzes again with texts from Ella and Legend.
Ella has been texting me constantly wanting to know if I've voided the 'walking away' clause since the last time we spoke on call—
Where she yelled at me for an hour straight for signing a 'devil' contract.
When I started dodging her calls, she told Legend, who was just as devastated as he was happy when I put in my resignation and told him about the new job.
I know she means well. They both do.
But how do I explain to them what this chance means to me without getting into the truth of why I'm here, back home in the first place.
I finally open my chat with her and read the final text.
A shiver runs down my spine. She's really mad. It's best if I meet her and soothe some angry nerves.
I guess I know where I'm going to have lunch tomorrow.
"The Boss wants to see you." Harper's assistant speaks behind me, making me nearly drop from my chair. I jump up and straighten my clothes.
"Harper—?"
He shakes his head. "Nah—his Boss. The Chairman."
I'm surprised. I've caught a few glimpses of Marcus in the office, but the last time we met was on the rooftop.
"Oh, okay." I head towards the elevators, mind circling around what could possibly have gone wrong in the one week I've been here.
—------------------
A knock sounds on my door and I brace myself for impact. Every time I've seen Celeste around the office, she knocks my breath away.
I doubt this time will be different.
She walks in, dressed in a cream suit—very clearly changed out of the sweats she was wearing earlier today. My pulse skitters, and my fingers twitch.
Her face is a serene mask of tranquility that I don't trust even for a second.
"You wanted to see me?"
"Yes. How's work?"
She looks surprised, and her mask slips, replaced by genuine warmth and excitement.
"It's good. This device is super interesting. When we're done with it, it's going to rock the entertainment industry! I can just tell!"
She smiles, and I nearly forget my reason for calling her here. I wait for her to elaborate—complain about Harper, mention the contract, ask to void the clause—but nothing.
I know Ella and Legend have been hounding her as well. I wonder how Kyle knew.
Anyway, she sits there in silence, waiting for me to elaborate.
"You've been acting."
"Well, yes. Harper told me to act out scenes to test the device. It's fun, challenging the AI."
She smiles again, and I lose my thread of thought.
I clear my throat before continuing, "Yes, well. He was out of line. Acting wasn't part of your contract."
"Oh. Well, it's fine. I'm enjoying it. I'm happy to help." I stare at this woman. Who is she, and what happened to the 'Celeste' who always counted her dues?
"Well, it's not fine." I watch in real time as her expression cycles through disappointment, then sadness before it's back to tranquility.
I continue before she gets the wrong idea. "Since it's so helpful to development, I'd like to add it to your contract. Your contract should now reflect the added responsibility and a commensurate compensation.
"How about $100,000 at product launch? Regardless of how the product does, this is money you'll have earned."
I wait for her to counter and am already prepared with an argument for how it's a fair number, and keep waiting.
She just stares at me, eyes wide, like I'm speaking a language she can't understand.
"You'd do that? For me?"
Uncomfortable heat crawls up my neck. "Well, not just you. Any employee, really."
"But even me?" She insists.
I don't know what to say. Her eyes are shining brighter than usual. I just nod.
"Thank you." Her whispered words, so full and heavy, strike into my heart like a pall.
How am I supposed to reconcile this woman with the one who was poised to destroy my life?
I swallow the lump forming in my throat.
"Yes, well. Um. Here. Read this addendum. If it's fine, sign it, and I'll file it with your contract. There are two copies in there that I've already verified and signed. Take your time."
I meant for her to read the contract at her privacy and convenience, but she starts reading it right there.
My pulse rises the longer she sits there, carefully reading through the contract.
I open my mouth a few times to interrupt her, but somehow the words escape me each time.
So I sit in dumb silence, mesmerised by her hair catching the light.
Eventually, she grabs a pen from my desk and signs it right there.
"This was more than fair. Thank you. Here." She hands me one set and gets up to leave.
I watch her walk away quietly, heart aching strangely in the silence that follows.