Chapter 700

On the flip side...

Mira rolled outta bed, whipped up some breakfast, and got dressed like clockwork, all while scheming how to mess with Juniper today.

Anthony said he'd dig into it. She wondered if he found anything. Couldn't help but feel a bit jittery.

'If the truth comes out, I'm toast. Nah, I covered my tracks too well; no one saw me. Chill out, Mira,' she told herself. But then her phone buzzed. Unknown number.

"Yo, this is Mira..."

"Fork over two hundred grand!" the voice demanded.

Mira frowned, thinking it was some prank, and was about to hang up when the caller added, "Or I'll spill the beans about your contract heist."

Mira's hand shook, spilling milk everywhere.

"What are you talking about? Wrong number, buddy."

"I got pics of you swiping the contract from the bag when you got outta the car."

Mira gulped.

The voice, all distorted, continued, "A blue bag, right?"

Mira's grip tightened.

'How the hell did anyone see me?' she thought.

"As Eilish Group's secretary and Mr. Eilish's right-hand gal, you pulled this stunt and pinned it on another secretary. If Mr. Eilish finds out, losing your job will be the least of your worries; you might end up in the slammer. Two hundred grand to keep your job and stay outta jail-sweet deal, huh?"

Mira tried to keep her cool. "I have no clue what you're talking about."

"Take your time. You got an hour. If you still play dumb after that, the pics go straight to Mr. Eilish's phone."

Click. The caller hung up.

Mira's face went ghostly pale.

"Mira?" Terry called out a few times before she snapped back, looking all jittery.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Is the contract ready?"

Mira scrambled but came up empty.

"Sorry, I took it home to work on it yesterday. Must've left it there."

Terry looked surprised. Mira had been on point for years, never slipping up like this.

Seeing her pale and frazzled, he asked, "You feeling okay?"

Mira shook her head. "No."

"But you look like crap. Everything cool at home? You can tell me. You haven't taken a break in forever. I can give you some time off. Don't push yourself too hard."

Terry not only valued her but also felt bad for her sometimes. Knowing her folks were out of state and she was hustling hard in this city, Terry thought she was tougher than most guys.

Having such a solid assistant was a relief, but Mira was still a girl who deserved some care. She'd given up so much for this job, and Terry sometimes felt guilty about it.

That's why, even though he knew Anthony had a thing for Juniper, he still stood up for Mira in front of Anthony. Mira was capable and helpful, and he had a soft spot for her, naturally siding with her.

"Thanks, Terry. I'm really fine. I'll bring the contract tomorrow." Mira felt grateful to him. She felt guilty for betraying Terry's trust in this mess.

But she didn't regret it. She thought, 'Losing the contract will only cost the Eilish Group a few bucks, no biggie. But if I can boot Juniper outta here, it'll save Anthony. A wild card like Juniper can't stick around Anthony; she'll mess up his chances with Hera. Only someone like Hera can level up Anthony's life. Only she can give the Eilish family top-notch kids. So yeah, everything I did is worth it. To protect my love, I sacrificed myself. I don't need anything back, just wanna see Anthony happy. I'm a badass.'

"Alright, if you're not feeling well, don't push it. Let me know," Terry said, then walked off.

Mira was still rattled by that morning call and couldn't focus, making a bunch of mistakes. But her team didn't dare say a word.

Juniper dropped a document on her desk and said, "Make sure you see this. Don't say I didn't submit it later."

Juniper emphasized it because Mira had pulled this stunt before. She'd submit stuff in the morning, but Mira would claim she hadn't by the end of the day, making her redo everything in a rush.

Mira frowned, sensing Juniper's smug vibe.

'Could that morning call have been her doing? Sneaky witch,' Mira thought.

Mira asked, "Was that threatening call this morning your doing?"

She didn't say it outright but was fishing.

"What threatening call?" Juniper looked genuinely clueless.

"The call threatening me not to come to work."

"I didn't set up any call," Juniper shot back, then paused. Could it be about the contract? "Did you mess up and get threatened?"

Mira had dabbled in psychology. She watched Juniper's eyes and thought she seemed genuinely unaware.

"Did someone find out you swiped the contract?" Juniper immediately asked.

"I didn't steal the contract. You lost it, and now you're trying to pin it on me? Juniper, when will you stop?"

Juniper reminded, "Every crime leaves a trace. There's no such thing as a perfect crime."

Normally, Mira would laugh off Juniper's words, but after that morning call, she felt a bit shaken.

But she still held her ground, "If I didn't do it, I didn't do it. If you wanna frame me, wait till you have proof."

Juniper replied, "Don't worry. I will."

The more Mira thought about it, the more anxious she got. She couldn't sit still.

Anthony walked in, and she remembered the threat.

'If I don't pay up now, Anthony will get those photos.' Thinking of this, Mira panicked. 'Even though I did it all for Anthony, he might still send me to jail for Juniper. Even if I dodge jail, I might never see him again. No way, I can't let that happen. I gotta stay by his side forever.'

At that moment, the anonymous call came in again.

Mira quickly ducked into the bathroom, trying to stay calm.

"Made up your mind? Two hundred grand or jail? As the Eilish Group's chief secretary, two hundred grand is chump change. This is a sweet deal; you shouldn't need more time to think."

Mira asked, "How do I know you really have the photos? Show me the photos first."

"If I send them, they'll go straight to Mr. Eilish."

Mira continued, "What if you got nothing? Then I'd be handing you two hundred grand for nothing."

"If you really didn't do it, you'd just hang up. Since I called you, I have proof. If you don't believe me, go ahead and hang up now."