Chapter 59 Trapped
"What brings you here then?" Lanny crossed her arms, holding herself back from killing Bob.
"I'm here to collect my payment," Bob replied. "You promised to pay me 200 bucks a day for stalking Edward."
Lanny's eyes widened as her jaw dropped. She could not believe what she was hearing.
"It's been a week since I started working for you. That's a total of 1,400 dollars," he continued.
Bob's eyes quickly wandered around the living room filled with lavish decorations. The chandelier's price alone was worth the net income of an average family. He expected that Lanny would not have difficulty paying him his fees.
"Are you really asking me to pay you for screwing up?" Lanny chuckled without humor.
Bob creased his forehead upon hearing that. "What are you trying to say? Aren't you going to pay me?" he asked. "Despite failing my job, I still did my best. It even almost cost me my life! I deserve to get paid!"
The anger surging in his body made him temporarily forget the pain.
Lanny did not like the grimace on Bob's face. She wanted to tear it off with her claws, but she still needed him to get the job done.
"Calm down, Bob. I'll pay you when you get that hair," Lanny tried to console him.
Instead of calming down at her words, Bob was horrified. "I will never go back to that house, Lanny!" he shouted as if he was traumatized. "If you want to get that hair, do it yourself!"
Bob tried to scamper out of the house, but his injuries made it hard for him to escape.
Lanny quickly reached out to pull him back, only to flinch when the stench hit her nose.
As Bob turned to her, Lanny forced a sweet smile while holding her breath. "Don't worry. I won't let you go alone," she said. "It's Bella's birthday this weekend. I'll take you with me and make things easier for you."
The thought that he would be able to celebrate Bella's birthday brought a small smile to his face. Bob could not help but get swayed once again.
Seeing that Bob was reconsidering his decision, Lanny took the opportunity to feed him with more fantasies. "Just imagine..." she started and leaned closer to his ear. "Once you discover that Edward's making a fool out of her, Bella will surely leave him and run into your arms. You'll be her savior!"
"And you'll pay me on the spot?" Bob probed.
He still needed the money if he wanted to start a new life with Bella once that happened.
"Of course. I'll reward you handsomely for saving my sister from a fraud."
"Okay. I'll come with you." Bob nodded, which brought a smile to Lanny's lips. "But I need an advance payment. I need money to see a doctor and buy a new phone."
'What a beggar!' Lanny thought before reluctantly pulling out the cash from her wallet nearby.
Bob instantly took the money and left the house, satisfied with the bare minimum.
On the other hand, Lanny gritted her teeth and clenched her fists in anger. She then screamed to release her frustration and disappointment.
'I'm still not done with you, Bella and Edward. It is just the start. I won't give up until I ruin the both of you,' she vowed with a renewed vigor.
***
The next afternoon, Bella was busy compiling the quarterly reports of the company. It used to be an overwhelming task to do alone, but she was grateful to have Kelvin by her side.
Fortunately, Kelvin was a fast learner and had a positive attitude. After just a full day of training, he had the initiative to take most of their workloads. He also dedicated himself to attending to the president's personal needs, making her feel more relaxed.
It might sound rude, but Bella was already tired of facing the president every day. She could not help feeling exhausted while trying to read his mind or constantly guessing the expression under the mask. The uncertainty was too much for her to take as it kept her on edge all the time.
On the contrary, Kelvin seemed to enjoy dealing with the president. He was very patient with him, facing him every day with a warm smile.
While doing her work, an unexpected message from the company's administrative staff pulled Bella back to reality.
'Dear Ms. Bella, the company has prepared a birthday gift for you. Please come to the administrative office on the 26th floor to collect it.'
The surprise brought a huge smile to her face. Bella immediately stopped what she was doing and left the office to go to the administrative office.
However, on the way, Bella noticed that some of her colleagues were acting strange. They greeted her warmly, making her feel slightly uneasy. She was used to their indifference, so she could not help but wonder.
'Looks like they all know my birthday is coming up,' she thought. 'I hope they don't celebrate my birthday, or I'll have to buy them lunch or dinner in return!'
Bella avoided their gazes, lowered her head, and quickened her pace until she arrived at the administrative office. She then lifted her gaze to the table, and her eyes lit up to see the latest model of MacBook.
"Is this for me?" Bella asked the staff to confirm.
The employee beamed at her. "Yes, it is."
"Can I take it home with me now?"
"Of course! It's yours!" She chuckled. "Happy birthday, by the way."
Bella almost jumped out in excitement. "Thank you!"
After expressing her gratitude, Bella stepped out of the office while hugging the box of the brand new laptop. However, when she saw a group of colleagues waiting outside, the smile on her face dimmed as she got wary.
"Bella, we heard your birthday's this weekend!"
"Happy birthday!"
"We're so excited about your party!"
"Yes! We can't wait!"
'What? What birthday party?' Bella looked clueless as she stared at her excited colleagues.
"I'm visiting my parents for the weekend, and they live in Texas," Bella made up a wild excuse to politely deny the idea of having a birthday party. "I'm sorry, but I don't have time to throw a party."
"Oh, c'mon, Bella! You don't need to lie to us." A colleague she was not familiar with chuckled and tapped her shoulder. "Lanny just dropped by earlier to say that she's preparing a party for you this weekend and invited everyone. She's your sister, right?"
'What the hell?' Bella's eyes widened as she knew Lanny was not kind enough to throw her a party without hidden intentions. 'She must be up to something bad.'