Chapter 83: The Devil’s Sabotaging Employee
The marketing department was eerily quiet during the lunch hour. Most of the team had headed down to the main cafeteria or out to nearby cafes, leaving the vast, open-plan floor bathed in a calm afternoon stillness.
Mia slipped through the glass double doors, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs like a trapped bird.
Her palms were slick with sweat as her anxious eyes scanned the rows of empty desks. She vividly remembered passing by a few days ago and spotting Anastasia’s desk near the sunlit windows. Stealthily weaving through the cubicles, Mia located the workstation.
She dropped into Ana’s chair, her knees trembling violently. From her pocket, she pulled a master keycard and an IT admin override credential she had secretly swiped from an unattended desk in tech support earlier that morning.
Mia typed in the bypass code. The screen flickered, instantly unlocking and granting full access to Ana’s local drive.
Folders flooded the display. Global Tech Launch, Q3 Strategic Marketing, Executive Brand Identity, and Confidential Product Blueprints. Mia’s mind spun into a panic. She had no idea which specific file Vivian wanted most.
"Damn it... just take it all," Mia muttered under her breath, her fingers shaking as she jammed Vivian’s encrypted flash drive into the USB port and clicked Select All -> Copy.
A progress bar appeared on the screen, slowly filling up. 15%... 42%... 78%...
Mia gripped the edge of the desk, staring at the blue bar, her breathing short and shallow.
"What are you doing?"
The sudden, firm voice cut through the silent bullpen like a knife.
Mia flinched violently, her heart nearly leaping straight out of her chest. She whipped her head around to see Marcus standing a few feet away near the hallway column, a folder in his hand and a sharp, suspicious look in his eyes.
"W-What?" Mia stammered, frantically leaning back to block the computer screen with her shoulders.
Marcus took two slow, deliberate steps forward, his brows pulled down into a tight crease. "That’s Anastasia’s workstation. Why are you on her computer? And why are you even on this floor?"
Mia’s mind raced, adrenaline flooding her system. She forced a strained, overly bright smile onto her face, smoothing down her skirt with trembling hands.
"Oh! I... I came by to congratulate Ana!" Mia squeaked, trying to sound innocent. "About the proposal from Mr. Sterling! I saw the news online and wanted to drop off a quick note. When I walked up, her computer was already unlocked like this, so I was just... checking if she left a note saying when she’d be back!"
Marcus’s eyes narrowed into razor-sharp slits. He looked at Mia, then glanced down toward the glowing monitor behind her. "Anastasia never leaves her terminal unlocked. Security policy is strictly enforced in this department."
"Well, it was wide open when I got here," Mia insisted smoothly, backing away from the chair with forced nonchalance. "I guess she was in a hurry. Anyway, I should get back to my desk. Please tell her I stopped by!"
As she turned to leave, Mia’s hand deftly brushed past the back of the computer tower. With a practiced, lightning-fast flick of her fingers, she pulled the flash drive free from the USB port, slipping it cleanly into her pocket before Marcus could catch the movement.
"Right," Marcus murmured, his tone dripping with skepticism as he watched her hurry toward the elevators.
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Twenty minutes later, Ana returned to her desk, holding a cup of iced tea and laughing at a joke Clara had just made.
As she pulled out her chair to sit down, Marcus walked over, resting a folder on the partition with a friendly, casual smile.
"Hey, Ana," Marcus spoke up. "Just a quick heads-up... make sure you lock your workstation before heading out to lunch next time."
Ana stopped, holding her cup in mid-air. She blinked, looking down at her screen. "Oh, did I leave it unlocked? I thought I locked it out of habit!"
"Yeah, it was open," Marcus replied with a light shrug. "Some girl from another department came by while you were gone. She said she wanted to congratulate you on the engagement news, but when she saw you weren’t here, she left."
"Oh, really?" Ana smiled warmly, completely unbothered. "That was sweet of her! I’ll have to figure out who it was so I can thank her."
"Yeah, no worries," Marcus said, returning her smile before heading back to his desk. "Just wanted to let you know."
Ana sat down in her chair, shaking her head lightly with a small, happy smile.
She logged into her computer, utterly unaware that every secret blueprint, strategy, and campaign file she had poured her heart into had just been stolen... setting the ultimate, explosive trap right under her feet.
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The heavy, suffocating bass of the nightclub vibrated through the floorboards, drowning out the world outside in a haze of strobe lights, sweat, and cheap alcohol.
Deep inside an exclusive VIP booth tucked into the dark corner of the club, Vivian Stark was utterly unraveling.
She sat sprawled across the velvet couch, completely dazed and wildly intoxicated. A tall, heavily tattooed male stripper was seated beside her, his large hands roaming freely over her exposed skin.
He leaned down, pressing his lips against her collarbone, taking a messy body shot off her chest before pulling her into a deep, filthy kiss.
Vivian groaned out loud, her head rolling back against the leather cushion as the man squeezed her breast firmly through her thin dress. She giggled, a high-pitched, unhinged sound that was entirely devoid of real joy.
She didn’t care about the disgusted glances from passing patrons or the sheer indignity of her fall. She was spiraling out of control, self-sabotaging in a desperate bid to numb the bitter rage consuming her soul.
A shadow fell over the glass coffee table in front of them.
Mia stood there, clutching her handbag tightly, her stomach churning in complete discomfort as she watched the filthy display. Her eyes darted around nervously, terrified that someone might recognize them.
"Vivian," Mia called out, her voice trembling over the booming bass.
Vivian barely blinked, continuing to kiss the stripper’s neck while her fingers tangled into his hair. "What?" she rasped, her eyes heavy and bloodshot.
Mia reached into her coat, pulled out the metallic flash drive, and slammed it onto the glass coffee table between half-empty tequila glasses.
"It’s all on there," Mia said, her heart hammering against her ribs. "Every single campaign file, strategic plan, and confidential blueprint from Anastasia’s workstation. I did my part. Now give me the rest of my money. The cash you promised."
Vivian slowly broke away from the stripper’s mouth, letting out an annoyed, heavy sigh. She looked at the small pendrive on the table, then glared up at Mia through her dark, smeared makeup.
"Don’t ruin my mood, Mia," Vivian slurred, her voice dripping with lazy disdain. "The rest of the cash will be delivered to your apartment tomorrow."
Mia’s face went pale. "What? No! That wasn’t the deal, Vivian!" she shouted, stepping closer, her voice laced with sudden panic. "You said I’d get the full amount tonight! I risked everything by stealing those files from Sterling Global! I want my money now!"
The playful smirk vanished from Vivian’s face. Her eyes narrowed into razor-sharp, venomous slits as she sat up, a cold, terrifying aura flaring through her drunken state.
"Watch your tone with me," Vivian spat, leaning forward over the table, cursing her under her breath. "If you push me right now, Mia, things aren’t going to end well for you. I suggest you take your anxious little face out of this club, go home, and wait for the damn money like a good little girl."
Mia flinched, stepping back as a cold wave of regret washed over her. She realized with sickening clarity that she had made a deal with a madwoman who had nothing left to lose.
Before Mia could say another word, the male stripper wrapped his broad arms around Vivian’s waist again, pulling her back into his lap.
He peppered soft, distracting kisses along her jawline, his tone voice purring in her ear. "Calm down, sweetheart... forget about her. Focus on me."
Vivian’s tense frame instantly relaxed.
She threw her head back, letting out another needy moan as she melted into his touch, giggling hysterically as she reached for the flash drive on the table.
Mia didn’t wait another second.
She turned on her heel and sprinted out of the VIP lounge, vanishing into the crowded, pulsing dance floor, leaving Vivian alone in the dark with her stolen prize... and her deadly obsession to ruin Anastasia Vance.