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Novel Catalog
Chapter 14
Kyle positioned himself protectively in front of Noel, his posture firm and defensive as he confronted Cordy. “What are you doing here?” he asked.
“To collect my things,” Cordy replied coolly. She wasn’t fazed by their presence anymore—nothing about them was worth her energy. Ignoring them, she made her way to her desk, casually turning to Noel. “You really enjoy hand-me-downs, don’t you? Why not get something new instead?”
The double meaning of her words made Noel’s face flush with embarrassment, while Kyle stepped in to clarify. “Noel’s here to check out our fashion products for the new season. I only brought her to visit your office. Don’t get the wrong idea.”
Cordy’s gaze hardened. “Then what’s the right idea? To see you and her in bed?” she sneered, her voice dripping with contempt.
“I’m talking about work, not my relationship with Noel. Don’t make this weird,” Kyle shot back, his lips tight in annoyance. Then, as if extending an olive branch, he added, “Like I said yesterday, you can come back anytime. I’ll keep your position here, as compensation.”
Cordy laughed bitterly. Did he really think she’d beg to return? Jessop Corp was only surviving because of her! How could he be so delusional?
“Save it,” she growled, locking eyes with him. “I’ve already submitted my resignation to HR. From now on, Jessop Corp and I have nothing to do with each other.”
Kyle’s tone grew colder. “Do you really think you can do well without us?”
Noel chimed in, attempting to defuse the situation. “Calm down, sis. Don’t be so harsh on Kyle. There aren’t many people who still care about their exes after a breakup.”
Cordy’s frustration bubbled over. “So this is what people mean by a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
“Cordy Sachs!” Kyle snapped, his patience finally wearing thin.
“Sis…” Noel murmured, trying to soften the tension, but Cordy wasn’t having it.
“The only acceptable behavior from an ex is for them to disappear,” Cordy shot back. “And I don’t need any compensation from you.”
She turned her gaze to Noel, her voice sharp. “As for you, don’t even think about it. You want me to stay so you can steal Starstream Group, don’t you? Don’t even dream about it!”
Noel’s wide-eyed innocence didn’t fool her. These two were deluded if they thought she’d play along with their twisted game. Taking her inheritance while making her work for Kyle? Not happening.
“How could you think of us like that, sis?” Noel said, her voice dripping with fake concern. “We’re just doing this for your own good. You wouldn’t want to lose out because of that firefighter, right?”
Kyle chuckled, his arm around Noel’s shoulders, as if their little act was convincing anyone.
Cordy scoffed. “At least I can be with him openly. Can you say the same about yourself?”
“Who comes first doesn’t matter in love,” Noel retorted, a sanctimonious tone in her voice. “What matters is whether there’s real love.”
“Right,” Cordy quipped, “but I’m sure morals play a part too. It’s a shame neither of you seems to feel any shame.”
“Enough!” Kyle snapped, his patience finally snapping.
Cordy’s lips curled into a smirk. “Fine. I don’t need this stuff anyway.” She abruptly stopped packing. “It’s all just filth now.”
With that, she turned on her heel and walked out.
Noel’s eyes filled with tears as she watched Cordy leave. How dare she carry herself so confidently? She was supposed to be broken, not walking away with her head held high!
Kyle pulled her into his arms with a tender gesture. “Don’t let it bother you. She’s just upset because we’re happy together.”
Cordy exhaled in relief once she was outside Jessop Corp’s headquarters. There was nothing left for her here—not even sentiment.
She headed straight for Starstream Group’s headquarters, making her way into the chairman’s office. To her surprise, it was neat and organized.
Cordy wasn’t sure whether Simon Sachs had capitulated to her threats or had some other plan in mind, but she remained calm as she took a seat and called for the secretary. “Come to my office.”
“Yes, Ms. Sachs,” the secretary replied.
Soon enough, Fiona Lamb entered, her attire flashy and overdone. Cordy noted it with a silent judgment. Simon had truly never changed his poor taste in women.
Without addressing Fiona’s appearance, Cordy got straight to business. “Inform all department heads that we’ll have a meeting at 2 PM. Have them prepare summaries of each department’s current tasks.”
She paused, looking at Fiona. “Did you get all that?”
Fiona fumbled with her notes, her handwriting sloppy and hurried. “Yes, Ms. Sachs.”
Cordy didn’t miss the flustered look on Fiona’s face, but she kept her tone even. “Once you send the notifications, make me a cup of coffee. I take mine black.”
“Yes, Ms. Sachs,” Fiona replied, eager to leave.
Cordy called out as she was about to leave. “What’s your name?”
“Fiona Lamb.”
“Alright. You can go now.”
“Yes, Ms. Sachs.”
Fiona exited with a scowl, muttering under her breath. Once back at her desk, she began texting Simon angrily. [She’s so annoying!]
[What happened?]
[Your daughter gave me a ton of work and even tried to pull rank on me!] Fiona’s frustration was evident. [What is she planning?]
Simon smirked as he read her message, thinking that Cordy was more calculating than he had given her credit for. She was clearly gathering information about the company before stepping into her role. But he knew that in the long run, Cordy wouldn’t be able to hold control over the employees who were loyal to him.
Fiona’s mood brightened as she received a response. [I’ll wire you three grand. Get yourself a nice handbag.]
Fiona smiled, eager to please. [You said you’d be back in three months at most. I’ll entertain your daughter in the meantime. Just not a day more. You know you’re the only one I want to entertain.]
Simon’s reply was teasing. [Oh, you minx.]
At 2 PM, the department heads gathered in the conference room. Cordy wasted no time getting to the point.
“It’s my first day, so I don’t know everything. Please provide summaries of your departments, starting with HR.”
Hank Rogers, the head of HR, responded, “Sorry, Ms. Sachs, we couldn’t prepare a summary on such short notice. However—”
Cordy met his calm gaze, unflinching. She didn’t let his lack of preparedness faze her. “Corporate?”
“We’ve got too many ongoing projects. My team’s still sorting through the mess,” came the reply.
“Marketing?”
“The department head isn’t here. I’d rather not overstep his authority,” the deputy said nervously.
“And finance?” Cordy asked, already knowing the answer.
“No,” came the curt response.
Finally, Cordy turned to Noel. Despite being denied the CEO role, Noel still held her position as the head of the fashion design department, though the CEO position remained vacant.
Noel stood up, her voice sweet and submissive. “I’m ready, sis— I mean, Ms. Sachs.”
Cordy nodded, not letting herself get emotionally affected. She knew Noel was always playing the innocent, harmless act for the others. As Noel elaborated on her new designs, Cordy listened closely.
“Will production start next month?” Cordy asked, keeping her tone professional.
“Everything’s ready except for marketing,” Noel replied.
“There’s no rush. I see areas for improvement,” Cordy said, her voice neutral.
Noel’s eyes flashed with irritation. She knew Cordy wouldn’t go easy on her.
“What needs improvement?” Hank Rogers suddenly snapped. “Noel’s designs have always set trends in the market!”
Cordy raised an eyebrow. “This season’s design draws inspiration from current trends. It will sell, but there’s always room for refinement.”
Hank’s pride flared, but Cordy ignored him. The real question was whether they could pull off the next collection under these conditions.
And then came the shock—Noel had been Lilac?