I obediently froze in place but ended up clutching Ernest even tighter., Thump, thump..., The powerful heartbeat echoed in my ears, and that's when I realized I was laying against his chest., At that moment, fear was the last thing on my mind., And so, I held him tighter because it seemed like the only way to reassure myself that it wasn't me moving, but the elevator., After a while, when the shaking stopped, I somehow forgot to let go until his voice broke the silence,

"Got a new colleague, have we?

", I blinked, moving away to look down, and was genuinely taken aback., Apart from being startled, a wave of irritation surged within me, and I impulsively pressed the button to descend the elevator., Once on the ground, Haley greeted me with her signature, insincere smile,

"Ms. Hudson.

", My mood was far from pleasant as I bluntly asked her,

"What are you doing here?

", It wasn't that I lacked manners, but her being pregnant and here just felt out of place., The place wasn't even open to the public yet, with many safety checks pending. If anything were to happen, no one could bear the responsibility., After all, she was carrying an irreplaceable life within her., But her response left me dumbfounded.

"I'm here for work.

", I doubted my own ears.

"What did you say?

",

"Mr. Wagner sent me over. He said the safety inspections here needed my oversight.

" Haley responded, and her words nearly made my blood boil., I blurted out,

"Has Conrad lost his mind, assigning you to oversee safety?

", My outburst drew everyone's attention. Haley wasn't alone; she had come with the project manager, along with Deborah and Dustin who were already present.,

"What do you mean by that, Ms. Hudson?

" Haley asked, her face turning sour but still trying to look wronged.,

"I mean, it's not appropriate for a pregnant woman to be here,

" I said, pulling out my phone to call Conrad., He seemed to be avoiding the call, only answering at the last second,

"What's up, Ms. Hudson?

",

"What's the meaning of sending Haley here?

" I asked straight up., I've always been fair in my dealings, with no hidden agendas and nothing I'm afraid to say.,

"I sent her to work. Didn't she tell you?

" Conrad replied nonchalantly., Looking at Haley, I challenged Conrad,

"Is it appropriate for her to work here? Who's responsible if something goes wrong?

",

"Of course, you are,

" Conrad caught me off guard., Before I could respond, he added,

"Felicia, you're in charge of the amusement park project. You're not only responsible for the successful completion and operation but also for the safety of all employees. Got it?

", After hearing his words, I realized he was doing this intentionally., One Dustin was not enough; now he's planted Haley to distract me further., I clenched my phone tightly, sneering at Haley's pitiful facade,

"Well, if someone's hell-bent on courting disaster, I can't be held accountable.

", Haley's face turned even sourer, and Conrad finally lost his patience,

"Felicia, why must you be so spiteful?

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