Falling For My Accidental CEO Husband
Chapter 156: Help Me Please

Chapter 156: Help Me Please

"Please, you’ve got to help me!" a woman almost begged as she hurried out of her office, struggling under the weight of a towering stack of files. Her colleague, however, merely shuddered, her own hands trembling slightly as she tightened her grip on a report she’d been working on. Normally, someone like her, someone who prided herself on a spotless track record, would have been excited—even confident—about the upcoming evaluations. But today was different. Today, she was filled with dread.

This morning, Serena Dawn—known across the company as "the Wicked Witch" now—had descended upon the employees in every department, and her arrival had sparked a wave of panic. Serena had wasted no time; by mid-morning, two senior executives had already been fired, and two others had been escorted out in handcuffs after damning discoveries in the accounting department. And now, just as people thought they could catch their breath, word had spread that Serena was turning her sights on the investment department.

The young woman swallowed hard. She knew she hadn’t done anything wrong; she was thorough, meticulous, and always on top of her work. But the rules didn’t seem to matter much with Serena Dawn in the room. If her supervisor had made a misstep, even a minor one, there was a good chance she’d be the sacrificial lamb. Her only crime would be proximity to the mess.

She glanced at her colleague, who shook her head grimly and entered the office with the file tight in her hand.

She hadn’t known what to expect when she first stepped inside Serena Dawn’s office, but the elegant woman behind the desk certainly wasn’t it. This

was the so-called Wicked Witch? No. That couldn’t be. Serena looked nothing like the tyrant everyone was fearing. Her features were delicate, framed by neatly styled hair, and she wore a graceful expression that might have even seemed kind—if not for the piercing, analytical gaze she turned toward her as soon as she entered.

"Have a seat, Miss Morrison."

The young woman swallowed hard, feeling a chill run down her spine as she obeyed. According to the office gossip, Serena would subject her to a ruthless interrogation, and if she was found wanting, she’d be sent packing on the spot. But if she somehow impressed the "Wicked Witch," then she might be granted a temporary reprieve—if only for now.

Before she could even begin to gather her thoughts, Serena looked up from her papers and pinned her with that sharp gaze. "Miss Morrison," she began in a tone as smooth as glass, "our investment department has suffered significant losses recently. Since you’re responsible for much of the preliminary research and initial recommendations on those investments, I expect you can explain why these decisions were made despite the research. Care to elaborate your thoughts on it?"

Miss Morrison felt her heart race. While it was true they’d incurred some losses, they were relatively minor—at least by her standards. Why was Serena singling her out for this? Especially when some of those decisions hadn’t been hers alone; a few had even been initiated by Ava Dawn herself, Serena’s sister and against her recommendations. But pinning the blame on Ava was unthinkable. Whatever the truth, it was clear that Serena had already decided she’d make an easy scapegoat.

She took a steadying breath, reminding herself to keep calm, even if she felt like a lamb being led to the slaughter. Reaching into the stack of files, she pulled out a folder and placed it on Serena’s desk.

Ma’am, these are the research reports and analyses I compiled regarding our recent investments. I’ve outlined the information supporting both the potential benefits and the associated risks. I stand by my assessments, but I believe the final decisions were influenced by—well, other factors."

Serena took the file from Miss Morrison’s hand and immediately began reading through the papers, her eyes narrowing as she analyzed each line. Miss Morrison sat across from her, hands clasped tightly in her lap, feeling the minutes stretch into what felt like an eternity. One hour passed, then nearly another, and still, Serena was absorbed in the file, her expression impassive.

Miss Morrison bit the inside of her cheek, barely restraining a sigh. If she’s going to fire me, why not just get it over with? The tension was unbearable, yet Serena showed no sign of hurrying. Every so often, she would pause to ask a question, prompting Miss Morrison to clarify a point or explain a statistic. Serena’s questions were sharp and insightful, and Miss Morrison responded with as much composure as she could muster, trying not to reveal just how unnerving the scrutiny was.

Finally, just when Miss Morrison thought she might be stuck in this chair until the end of time, Serena closed the folder and looked up. The faintest hint of a smile appeared on her face, and for a split second, Miss Morrison wondered if she was hallucinating from sheer exhaustion.

But then Serena spoke, her voice smooth yet unexpectedly warm. "You’ve done your research thoroughly, Miss Morrison. I see you accurately flagged the risks in these investments well in advance, and it’s clear you approached each one with diligence and caution. The decisions, as you noted, ultimately rested with management."

Serena nodded, her expression thoughtful. "I can see that you did everything within your power to ensure sound recommendations were made. Congratulations, Miss Morrison. You’ve done excellent work. Now, if you’ll step outside, my assistant will provide you with your offer letter."

Miss Morrison blinked, momentarily stunned. Offer letter? Her mind reeled, processing Serena’s words. Surely she’d misheard.

She cleared her throat hesitantly. "Offer letter?"

Serena’s smile broadened. "Yes, Miss Morrison. Your performance here has earned you a promotion. We reward diligence and commitment, and you’ve proven more than worthy."

Miss Morrison felt a flush of warmth rush to her cheeks, and she pinched her arm subtly, half-expecting to wake up from a bizarre dream. But when nothing changed, she managed a subdued, almost dazed, "Thank you." Rising to her feet, she gave a respectful nod and, still hardly able to believe her luck, slipped out of the office.

As she left, Serena leaned back in her chair, her gaze falling on the file in front of her. This was not just any file. These were the ’death’ papers of Ava Dawn’s career in this industry.