“Slap!” The crisp sound of a slap echoed. She had used all her strength, making Callie’s head turn to the side, tasting blood in her mouth. Her hatred for Callie was so intense that she struck with such force.
“You dared to betray me!” Skye snarled, her face contorted with rage. Callie held her swollen cheek with one hand, slowly regaining her senses.
Urgent footsteps came through the earpiece. Bridger urged her to leave quickly.
Leave? Callie’s stubbornness flared up. Leave after being slapped?
A man restrained Skye. Without warning, Callie raised her hand and slapped back with even greater force.
She shouted, “Skye! I should have beaten you to death last time!”
“You! I’ll kill you!” Skye’s eyes turned red as she struggled to break free.
Bridger’s man signaled to Callie, “Hurry up and go!” Then he mouthed, “The recording is the most important!”
Callie thought rationally for a moment. He was right. She hid the recording device and turned to leave. But Skye, with sharp eyes, lunged forward and yanked Callie’s hair, pulling her back. “You have a recording!”
Caught off guard, Callie stumbled backward, her scalp in pain, and she cried out as her Bluetooth earpiece fell.
Before the man could intervene, a sharp voice rang out, “What are you doing?”
All three froze and looked towards the source of the voice.
The newcomer hurried in with bodyguards, exuding an unstoppable aura. It was Bridger.
Skye still didn’t understand. “Bridger? This is our business. You don’t need to get involved.”
Bridger raised an eyebrow at her and exchanged a glance with the man beside her. “You can leave now.”
“Yes, Manager.”
Skye suddenly realized what was happening. She looked between Bridger and Callie. “You two are in this together, plotting against me?”
With support now, Callie straightened her back. “If I were you, I’d donate my brain since it’s useless anyway.”
“You should leave now,” Bridger suggested.
Callie shot a disdainful look before striding away.
Running down the stairs, her palm was sweaty from clutching the recording pen.
Luckily, she had the evidence to prove she hadn’t plagiarized. It wasn’t too complicated.
Reaching the last step, the light suddenly brightened.
Callie adjusted to the brightness and then abruptly stopped.
Leaning against the wall was a figure so calm it was chilling, yet so familiar it made her legs weak.
Nelson? What was he doing here?
“Nelson, you’re back?” Callie smiled and ran up to him. “Did you see the messages I sent you? How did you know I was here? What a coincidence.”
In the dimly lit hallway, the emergency light cast a faint green glow, making everything eerily quiet.
Nelson’s lips were tightly pressed together, his mood clearly not good. He asked, “Did you get the recording?”
Callie nodded vigorously. “Thanks to Bridger.”
He extended his large hand. “Let me see it.”
Standing on the third-to-last step, Callie looked at him and felt a sense of estrangement. She subconsciously tightened her grip on the recording pen, feeling that even here, it wasn’t safe.
She didn’t move.
His shirt had two buttons undone, revealing part of his collarbone. His side profile flickered in and out of shadow, exuding extreme danger.
His expression was cold, adding to Callie’s pressure. She couldn’t stay calm. “You still haven’t told me why you’re here?”