Chapter 6
The design department was buzzing early the next morning.
As soon as Lorraine stepped in, practically every pair of eyes locked onto her. Even behind her, whispers and finger-pointing weren't subtle at all.
Those sharp almond eyes of hers quickly picked up the vibe - yeah, this drama was probably about her.
"Lorraine," Celeste leaned over and murmured, "someone pulled something last night. The competition drafts that were locked in Lucas's office? This morning, they showed up on your desk."
Lorraine's mind clicked into place fast.
At the end of each year, the department held a design contest. Once the drafts were finalized, everyone turned theirs in to Director Grant for safekeeping.
If they got leaked or lost, all that brainwork would've been for nothing - they'd have to go back to square one, which was a huge time sink and a bonus for competing departments.
Lorraine didn't speak, just glanced around sharply. That one look from her was enough to shut the whole place up. No one had expected her to be quite this calm.
The room quieted down so much it felt like you could hear a pin drop.
Lorraine gave a small laugh, still holding her bag and tablet, then noticed that stack of papers on her desk.
Pinching the edge of the top document with her thumb and forefinger like it was something gross, she raised her brows and took another sweeping look.
"So these entered my territory all by themselves, huh?" she said coolly, dropping the papers back down. Sure enough, those competition designs sat neatly on her workstation.
Everyone knew the drafts were there. No one dared touch them - just waited for her to walk in so they could pounce.
"Lorraine! If you wanted to win, you didn't have to do this!"
"No wonder you were working late! Guess you were 'studying' our stuff."
"Our work's supposed to be confidential - you've seen ours, how is that fair?"
One snide comment after another came flying her way.
But Lorraine? Totally unfazed.
"If I really wanted to cheat, I'd have snapped a pic and checked it at home, not dumped the originals on my desk like a rookie. I'd throw them straight in the trash! That way, no one would know squat."
She paused, eyes scanning the room again.
"And why the hell would I post a Story about working late while pulling this off? Wouldn't I hide it better if I was actually guilty? Who does something this obvious if they're actually trying to get away with it?"
Dead silence.
Still, plenty of people weren't buying it - especially the senior designers who looked about ready to chew her out on the spot.
Lorraine didn't care. She grabbed the batch of papers and chucked them onto the printer next to her.
Usually, she'd avoid clashing with anyone while she was still fairly new, but lately... her tolerance for being wronged was at rock bottom.
"What's going on here? Why's it so noisy this early?" Lucas finally strode in, followed closely by Tristan and Alexander.
It was the first time the big boss did a surprise drop-in. Everyone clammed up right away.
Lorraine glanced at Lucas, then briefly made eye contact with Tristan. She averted her eyes immediately.
"It's nothing," someone piped up, a little too fast. "Just Miss Cromwell doing some last-minute 'referencing' of the competition drafts. People are a little upset, that's all."
"I didn't," Lorraine shot back, her tone firm and unwavering.
She suddenly realized Tristan's eyes hadn't left her once. That icy stare sent chills down her spine. Even her voice wavered a little under the pressure.
"You can accuse me all you want, but where's the proof? Yeah, I stayed late, but that doesn't mean I did anything shady."
She exhaled slowly, then smirked.
"And if I'm being real, the work from most people here? Not exactly inspiring. I really don't think any of it's topping mine in the finals."
Another wave of murmurs rippled through the room. Some said she was arrogant, others called her conceited, and a few even claimed she was all bark and no bite.
Tristan listened, a faint smirk playing at his lips as he lowered his gaze slightly.
"Check the security footage. Simple as that," Lucas said.
"The guard said the system was down last night for maintenance. The cameras didn't catch anything except Ms. Cromwell working late. No footage of her taking the designs," Celeste said nervously.
The moment things went sideways, Celeste had gone straight to check the surveillance, hoping to clear her bestie's name.
With no real conclusion, the office was caught in endless bickering. Lorraine stayed quiet, her mind spinning over why the stack of designs ended up on her desk out of the blue.
"Lorraine." A low, calm voice cut through the noise. The room instantly fell silent. It was Tristan.
"Come with me," he said. His tone was flat, emotionless as always.
Without another word, he turned on his heel and walked toward the elevator.
As soon as his back was turned, murmurs broke out behind them. Everyone pretty much thought she was done for.
But Lorraine held her chin high and followed him without hesitation - nothing to hide, so nothing to fear.
Inside the elevator, the subtle woody scent he wore hit her, quietly calming her nerves.
As they stepped into his office, Alexander walked out and shut the door behind him.
"Grab a seat. Let's eat," Tristan said, nodding toward a simple breakfast spread on the table.
"Huh?" Lorraine blinked, confused. Wait, what?
She opened her mouth to ask, but right then her stomach betrayed her with a loud grumble.
Without a word, Tristan sat down, unwrapped a set of disposable tableware, and handed them to the still-stunned Lorraine.
She didn't get what kind of twist this was, but the smell of food was making her cave. Taking the fork, she sat across from him.
Today, she had on loose joggers and a short-sleeved turtleneck, her hair tossed into a messy bun that somehow still looked effortlessly good.
Tristan's eyes would occasionally flick over without him even realizing it.
Lorraine ate slowly, and Tristan matched her pace, chewing unhurriedly alongside her.
"Full?" he asked.
"Yeah." She pulled a napkin and dabbed at her mouth.
With working stuff keeping her swamped lately, she couldn't even remember the last time she'd had an actual breakfast.
"Focus on your work. That's all," he said while clearing the table.
Lorraine quickly moved to help, only to brush his warm hand by accident. She instinctively pulled back, tucking her hands behind her.
"I'll get going then."
"Mm," Tristan replied, not even lifting his eyes.
As she walked to the door, she paused, turned around, and looked at him. "Mr. Seymour."
"Yeah?" He flicked the empty box into the trash can and dusted off his hands, his clear eyes meeting hers.
"Let's keep this between us."
"Which part?"
That was the thing - what part?
"All of it."
"Alright," he said simply, then walked back to his desk.
Lorraine let out a small breath, still unsure what to make of it all.
Back at her seat, the mood in the office was anything but relaxed.
"Got a few extra soup dumplings. Want some?" Celeste pushed the container toward Lorraine.
"I'm good. Already ate." She sank into her chair.
"No kidding. Probably full from all that drama!"
Not long after, Alexander showed up again and called Lucas upstairs.
The whispers around the office only got louder, people openly speculating like it was a soap opera.
"So," Celeste leaned in and whispered, "Did the cold-blooded boss tear into you?"
"Nope."
"Then what did you two do up there for so long?"
"Just talked about what happened this morning," Lorraine said quickly, feeling slightly guilty as she cut off the topic and dove into her work.
