Chapitre 19: Meeting Old Acquaintances Again

Irene was glad when lunchtime arrived. Although she knew that Damian could not detect the listening device once it was broken, she could not help but be paranoid.

Ever since she joined Die Rache and started completing one mission after another for them, this was the first time she met someone whose feet were also deeply submerged inside the same thick, muddy water.

Irene chucked the broken listening device into a random trash can by the streetside before she made her way to a sandwich deli nearby.

Inside, she found three women from Primavera who were immersed in a deep discussion.

Since they skipped the free lunch at Primavera's posh canteen to eat sandwiches some distance away from their office building, Irene could guess who they were talking about. Certainly a boss or two.

When they saw Irene move through the aisle to get to the sandwich counter, they immediately shut up.

One glance sufficed to tell Irene who they were. All three of them were her ex-subordinates, her junior researchers. Or better said, Amalia's junior researchers back then.

Jemma Jenkins, Janine Mayer, and Janette Nicholson.

The J3, as they liked to refer to themselves.

Back then, these three women backstabbed their superior to curry favor with Chris Henderson and June Schmidt.

Thanks to them sneaking out Amalia's papers and experimental results, Amalia was unable to prove that her creations were hers. When she insisted that Chris and June had stolen her perfume recipes, she was instead ridiculed and became an outcast.

Irene remembered distinctly when she confronted the J3 and demanded an explanation.

"You came here as fresh graduates!!!" She reminded them, her heart breaking into pieces when she had to say it out loud. "I taught you everything you knew about perfume-making! I worked so hard to promote all of you, and helped you with your own inventions! How could you do this to me???"

Jemma and Janette kept their heads lowered, unable to answer. Janine was the one who answered her, "We are just acting according to the flow. Don't take it personally, Amalia."

-- Don't take it personally? --

So how was she supposed to take it?

Just because Chris' position was higher than hers, and also because he was the grandson of the company owner, the three women did not hesitate to join the bandwagon to bring about Amalia's ruin.

Irene shook her hair and took a seat in front of the sandwich bar.

"Hi Ken," she greeted the man at the counter after reading his name tag.

"Yo, Miss. New here? What would you like to have?"

Not really new, but she did disappear for three years.

Irene lowered her head and let her eyes wander to the menu.

"The salmon is fresh from this morning," Ken told her. "It is very popular around here."

"Then I will have the salmon with everything else," Irene beamed at Ken.

Salmon delivery was every Wednesday. Today was Monday. At least the deli had a very good refrigeration system.

Acting dumb and agreeable was necessary. The three women were like moths that were drawn to the flame, unaware that they would get burned when they came too close...

"Ahem. Hi."

Irene turned around and found Janine awkwardly standing behind her.

"You are Irene Gallagher, the CEO's new secretary, right?"

"Yes, I am."

"Can we talk to you about something?"

"Oh, about what?"

Janine took Irene by her elbow and tugged her in the direction of her table, where her two friends were waiting for them with straight backs and widened eyes.

"Let's go over there, shall we? Let's get to know each other."

Irene almost chuckled. She knew them well enough, in and out. What she wanted to know was what they wanted from her.

Jemma and Janette did not look comfortable with Irene. They practically clammed up as soon as Irene joined them.

"So, um, welcome to the company!" Janine beamed at Irene. "A little too late but better than never, right? And also, congratulations! Not many secretaries can climb up the corporate ladder so quickly. One week? That is an achievement!"

Irene faked a shy smile, her eyelashes fluttering convincingly as she mumbled a soft "Thanks".

Janine gave her two friends a look before she breached a subject.

"Irene, we heard that Mr. Damian Henderson ordered a sudden audit for select suppliers. Do you mind sharing which ones?"

"I am sorry, I am fairly new. I can't remember at all," Irene answered cheerfully.

"Oh."

Janine pursed her lips.

"Then, can you please check whether a certain L' Adour is on the list? Here, let me write it down for you."

She ripped out a sheet from her notebook and wrote down the supplier's name along with her phone number.

"Please message me once you find out," she folded the note and slipped it into Irene's hand. "I will be very thankful."

"Of course," Irene said. "Always happy to help."

The question was: who would she bring down by doing Janine this favor?

The rest of the lunch was unsurprisingly awkward.

You could not force people to bond, not even over food. Although the three women tried their best to be friendly to Irene, their real nature kept floating to the surface.

Janine was aloof and distant. Jemma kept suppressing her laughter whenever Irene stuttered something out. Janette, the pretty one, kept wrinkling her nose every five minutes. She seemed to be unable to stomach the fact that they were even eating lunch together. At the same table.

Irene's time was too precious to waste with these three women.

Pretending to be self-conscious and suffering from low self-esteem, the CEO's ugly, new assistant excused herself to go back before the lunch break was over. Through her side view, she could see how elated the three women were.

Just as Irene thought, they had been worried about walking into Primavera's posh building together with Irene. Just what would people say???

Honestly, she was not dying to buddy up with them at all.

Neither was she worried about not having friends at her workplace.

This fake life was a theater stage, and she was there to play her role as the angel of vengeance. Afterward, Irene Gallagher would disappear forever, just like Amalia Jones. Only "Leah" the Die Rache member would remain and continue to do jobs that their clients did not want to sully their hands with.

After a lunchbreak escape, it was time for her to face Damian Henderson again.

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