Hidden Sanity

Chapter 20 - Odd Phase

Jack went to the office after. Well-groomed and composed. When he just sat in his chair, the vice president entered his office and told him about the rumor spreading around the whole office.

"Sir Jorge, what have you been up to? This might affect the image of our company."

Jack, looking so confident, did not even look at him and kept himself busy from reading the newspaper laid on his table. "What did I do?"

"You and Ms. Alice Simone. What is with you two?"

He immediately looked at him as soon as he heard him say her name. "Why?"

"You went to her house last night, right? It was very late. What is going on? What are you two up to?"

He dodged it right away. "It was a rushed business task I asked her to do."

"And so that's the reason why you got out of her house in the morning? Too long of a task then."

He curled his eyebrows. "Who is creating all of this? Where did this all come from?"

"Unknown source."

"As far as I know, I applied for a presidential job, not a celebrity's. Why do they need to dig up all this?" He didn't react too much about it. Like he was not affected at all.

"What do we do about this then? It's unstoppable. It can spread outside the company and ruin our image for being unprofessional."

"Then hire an outsource to stop it!"

"This is dangerous, sir. What is really going on between you two?"

"Alice is my secretary. We're close like that. Nothing is going on between us. Please keep off your dirty minds in this, you filthy peasants." Now, he sounded angry.

The vice president got a little bit nervous because of it. He knows Jack when he's angry. "I just want safety for this company, sir."

"Everything is safe. Now get out!" He furiously pointed the door and waited for him to step out of his office.

"What about the rumors?"

"Let them spread! Rumors are spread by fools!" He irately stated while reading an article from the newspaper.

"Yes, sir." He stepped out of his office and instantly hired outsources to stop the rumors even though the president didn't insist for the order.

When the vice president was already out of his office, it gave Jack a moment to think. "Fuck! Who is behind all this?! So I will be a candidate for being a suspect if ever I succeeded in my plan for Alice?! No, I can't let it happen... Not like this... Let me give that person what he or she wants, I will let him or her get what he or she deserves............. until blood rushes down my own hands..."

But Jack didn't let it beat him up. He knew when to rise in his own game.

An hour later, Alice just arrived at the office and Jack saw her from the window. She sat on her chair, looking very serious. He was observing her. But he can't just distance himself from her like that, he needed to step his game up. He went out of the office and walked toward Alice's table.

All eyes were lent on him and Alice.

Jack ignored them all. He talked to her and said, "Hey,"

Alice looked at him and wondered why he's acting like that in front of many people. They are supposed to have it like that, exclusively. "Uhh, Good Morning, sir."

"Lunch later?"

Alice was signaling through her eyes that he shouldn't be talking like that, not in front of their officemates. Looked like she had no idea about the rumors yet.