Workplace Drama: My Ex is in Charge

Part 14 Unspoken Tensions

Owen noticed her hesitation as her fingers paused, and he looked up at her, asking, "Do you need to take that call first?"

Emma blinked in surprise, meeting his gaze. "No, it's fine."

Their eyes locked in the stillness of the room. Emma assumed Owen was merely reminding her not to let a phone call interfere with work.

With that thought, she switched her phone to vibrate. Owen raised an eyebrow at her action.

The incoming call was from an unknown number—one that had been ringing sporadically for weeks. At first, Emma had blocked it, but the caller simply switched to a different number, creating a relentless cycle.

This method of harassment felt futile; even reporting it to the police yielded no results. Eventually, Emma decided to ignore it entirely, letting it ring without engaging. She likened it to a fist hitting a pillow—a futile endeavor for the puncher, while the pillow remained unbothered.

Had this been her teenage years, she would have dug deep to find the caller, seeking to confront and retaliate. But now, she had matured, aiming to be a soft, unbothered cushion instead.

In Owen's eyes, however, this behavior suggested she was hiding something, feeling uncomfortable taking a call in front of him. He could easily deduce that the caller wasn't exactly someone appropriate.

When she tucked her vibrating phone into her pocket and sat up straight, asking, "What can I do for you?" Owen couldn't help but see her discomfort as a sign of guilt.

He felt a lump of frustration in his chest but kept his face impassive, sliding a few documents across the table to her. "Please review these."

Emma accepted the papers, flipping through them, only to find they were contracts from other departments.

"Isn't this Mary's responsibility?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. If the documents had made it to Owen, he'd likely reviewed them already—probably multiple times. Mary was always meticulous in her work.

"Review them again, just to be thorough. Compliance is not something to be taken lightly," Owen replied.

This was just busywork.

Emma sighed, recognizing that as an employee, she had no choice but to comply. "Okay."

"Is there anything else you need, sir?"

Owen regarded her closely, considering whether to ask his next question. "What's going on between you and Ami?"

Emma feigned ignorance. "What do you mean?"

"I thought you two were close before..."

You used to be my boyfriend, too. How does that matter now when you're just a self-serving manager who constantly deducts my salary?

The anger simmered inside her. Remembering how they once had a good relationship only added to her irritation.

Emma coolly interrupted, "Sir, we shouldn't discuss personal matters during work hours."

Noticing the slight annoyance in her expression, Owen quickly changed the subject, though he directed the conversation back to a topic she wasn't fond of. "What were you just about to ask me?"

To invite you to dinner.

But she'd already declared that personal matters weren't up for discussion during work hours. While she could apply double standards, she didn't want to embarrass herself by contradicting her own words.

With her plans falling apart, the phone in her pocket buzzed again—likely a text from Rose. Emma hesitated to check it, focusing instead on her façade. "I just wanted to ask if there was anything urgent. If not, I'd like to leave for the day."