NovelXoxo Chapter 28
Chapter 28
Chapter 28
The vague comments quickly pushed Joycelyn into the spotlight, sparking currently there the one wingmy
People were naturally drawn to gossip, and with hundreds of colleagues in the company, emper sweet garistating about this
employee who had not only caught the attention of the joint venture penners ba dan want wat mar
affection.
It wasn’t even time for work yet, but the messages quickly piled up, rear
Joycelyn didn’t usually pay much attention to the company–wide chat, but it was sele’s wide wore that has circulating from other
departments, all asking about her.
“Joycelyn, have you seen the company chat? Selene says Mr. Crows is pursuing your selve’s wer was filled cars
That was when Joycelyn realized that rumors were already tying her name to Tommy’s, creating the other er der
[There’s no way Joycelyn would be interested in someone like Mr. Crowd) Aurelia, who had also seen the messages.
immediately stepped in to defend her.
Aurelia sent a laughing emoji. II was at the dinner last night too, but I didn’t notice Mr. Ces giving Joycelyn wy special attention. If
anything, he seemed to appreciate Ms. Lome more]
Meanwhile, Linda, lying in her hospital bed, watched the chaos she’d stirred with a self–tied work. When she w Aurelia’s
message, her expression darkened.
Linda quickly replied. [Joycelyn had been drinking last night. Halfway through the event, Mr. Gross gave her a ride bome They
both left early, and then, after that, they signed the contract so quickly. It’s obvious that Joycelyn must have played big part in
that (with her charm).J
This message sent even more waves through the chat.
Joycelyn read it and felt her hands shake with anger. It was clear that Linda was intentionally spreading rumors, trying imply that
she and Tommy were involved, or worse, that their relationship had taken a more intimate turn.
Joycelyn closed her eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, and then said calmly. “Aurelia, could you please distribute the
flowers to everyone?”
“Sure.” Aurelia and Selene immediately offered to help.
Joycelyn took the 52 roses to Linda’s office herself, placing them next to Linda’s professional photo on the desk, then took a
picture of the setup.
When she came back downstairs, she saw that every colleague had either a bouquet on their desk or in their hands. Joycelyn
chal uploaded her photo of the signed document and the roses to the group
Joycelyn: [Ms. Lome, the 52 roses have been delivered to your office. Everyone has benefited from your kindness.] Attached
were the three photos.
She quickly followed up with another message. [Last night, I meant to drink coffee instead of alcohol, but somehow you ended
up pouring me liquor. Since I can’t hold my liquor, my friend had to take me home. As for you and Mr. Cross–being so close–I’m
sure he didn’t need me to worry about him.]
Joycelyn added a playful emoji, combining respect with a hint of lightheartedness. Her message had a formal tone, as if she
were handling an office task, but it also clearly conveyed her side of the story.
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By presenting everything as if it were a work–related matter, Joycelyn managed to make her stance clear, without directly
confronting the rumors.
The gossiping colleagues, who had been eagerly jumping in, began to realize the tone of her messages and stopped fueling
the fire.
But Linda’s assistant wasn’t going to back down. He immediately jumped in to keep stirring the pot. [But those red roses. they
symbolize love! I heard they were for you. Didn’t you sign for them?]
Joycelyn: II signed for them on behalf of the department. Everyone got one, including you.]
That shut the assistant up, and he had no more to say.
Joycelyn kept her responses cautious, making sure not to cross any lines.
But Linda wasn’t done yet. She tried one last attempt. [Joycelyn, are you just embarrassed?]
Joycelyn was left speechless, thinking. This woman is deliberately trying to provoke me, to make me a topic of office gossip, and
give the impression that I am using an affair to climb the corporate ladder.
‘People love to talk, and who knows? By now, the photos of me and Mr. Cross might already be circulating.
This kind of office drama, especially when it was instigated by someone in a superior position, was hard to navigate. Despite
Joycelyn’s calm exterior, she couldn’t avoid being dragged into the mess.
At this point, colleagues who had been quietly observing the drama began spamming the chat with memes–essentially showing
they were watching the spectacle unfoldalt was clear this wasn’t going to blow over anytime soon.
Joycelyn was getting frustrated. She didn’t reply, but it looked like Ellison was stepping in.
Ellison, who usually never spoke in the company–wide group chat, had already posted a couple of messages this morning. and
now, his tone had shifted from calm to something much more authoritative.
Ellison: [Company chat: No more nonsense! Unless it’s an official announcement, stop flooding the group!]
As soon as this message went up, everyone who had been gleefully gossiping went silent. The chat, which had been full of
nonstop messages, suddenly froze, with the silence broken only by new notifications.
Ellison ordered with a stern expression, “William, adjust the settings so only I can post. Mute everyone else.
William immediately pulled out his phone and made the change. “Done.”
Once the mute notifications went out, the group finally quieted down. The earlier chaos was now under control.
Ellison: [Linda, if as a director, you need your colleagues to drink the hell out of them to secure each contract, it suggests your
leadership still needs improvement]
This message hit everyone like a punch to the gut. Hundreds of people reading the chat could almost feel the pressure coming
off the words.
What had started as light–hearted gossip suddenly turned serious, and everyone was on edge, silently processing what had just
been said. But Ellison wasn’t done.
Ellison: [Take a few days off to rest. Aurelia is highly capable, so I’m promoting her to co–director to manage the Planning
Department with you.]
w
17:06 he, 11 Feb M
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When Selene saw this, she rubbed her eyes in disbelief. A few seconds later, she practically screamed. “Aurelia, you got
promoted! Selene, always the bubbly one, immediately dropped her phone and rushed to give Aurelia a hug.
Aurelia, still processing the surprise, let herself be hugged but managed to stay composed. “Joycelyn, what do you think this
tans? What’s going on with Mr. Grant?”
“Of course, he knows how capable you are and how considerate you are of others–that’s why he promoted you! Looks like we’re
in for some good times!” Joycelyn responded.
Joycelyn, her earlier frustration replaced with a more serious expression, walked over and joined Selene in hugging Aurelia It felt
like they were hugging a source of wealth, so happy for her.
The rest of the department joined in the celebration.
“Aurelia, come, have some water!” Selene pulled up a chair and made Aurelia sit down.
“Aurelia, congratulations!” Joycelyn said with a gentle smile, offering Aurelia a shoulder massage.
Aurelia was nearly in stitches, laughing at the two of them. “Mr. Grant probably just said that offhand.”
Grant? The kind of guy who chooses every word carefully? No way he was just saying that casually. You’re probably going to be
the envy of the whole company. A sudden promotion? People will be talking about it for days!” Selene made a dramatic “OK”
sign, her excitement impossible to miss.
Joycelyn thought about it for a moment. This is a clever move–shifting the attention onto Aurelia, effectively putting an
end to the drama around me
Joycelyn sighed quietly, relieved. She wasn’t sure how else she could clear the air.
Just as she thought things were finally calming down, her phone buzzed a few more times. She checked it–another message
from Ellison.
Ellison: [After what happened yesterday, you still haven’t told me what’s going on?]
Joycelyn: It’s nothing, it’s all in the past.]
It wasn’t a big deal, and she’d already handled it, so she didn’t want to revisit it.
But Ellison, seeing her casual reply, felt a surge of frustration. His face darkened, and he threw his phone aside in annoyance,
not bothering to reply.
AD
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