WE NEED TO TALK

SALEM’S POV

“What is going on here?”

The entire office went dead silent once his deep, throaty voice rang out, holding no ounce of softness.

The only thing that was going through my head right now was, oh, shit.

I was screwed—totally, utterly screwed.

He was now standing in front of all of us, arms folded and a solid glare set on his face.

He turned to the two security men who were holding me. “Let her go!”

They dropped their iron grip on me, and I was left massaging my arms. A small part of me was lit up with the hope that maybe he was coming to save me, but I was just being delusional.

“I believe I asked a question,” he said again.

Marilyn rushed over to him and attached herself to his arm. “Oh, Atlas, you have no idea… I am just taking care of work like you said. The person who made the mistake and caused us to suffer a loss with Trenton Corp has to be fired,” she said, looking at me with a disgusted sneer.

My gaze dropped to the floor.

Of course. Marilyn was here and he adored her. Why on earth was he ever going to take my side?

“Is that so?” he asked.

Marilyn laughed nervously. “Of course, Atlas, why would I ever lie to you?”

“Miss Smith, I suggest you start addressing me in a professional manner while we are in the office.”

My eyes widened, and I had to force my mouth to close before I started catching flies. Atlas had never referred to Marilyn this coldly before. She always called him by his name and he didn’t mind before—what was the issue now?

Could it be…?

I shook my head.

No, that was impossible. The marriage between him and me was a sham, a contract until I was able to pay him back for his kindness. There was no need for me to get ahead of myself.

Marilyn cleared her throat, but otherwise that smile did not leave her face. “Of course, Mr. Knight. Forgive me.”

Ben stepped forward. “Miss Smith is telling the truth, Mr. Knight. Salem was the one who made a mistake in the quotation, and she did not even show up early to work today. When we tried to reason with her, she insisted on lying and disrespecting Miss Smith.”

More tears burned at my eyelids.

Rejoice pointed right at Ben. “You talk a lot of shit, you know—”

Atlas did not even pay attention to any of them. I could feel the weight of his gaze burning directly at the back of my head. “Miss Grant, do you have anything to say to me?” he asked.

“I didn’t do it,” I said.

“Look right at me when you are talking,” he said.

I could feel my heart beating so hard against my chest, so fast that I thought I was about to pass out.

“Miss Grant…”

I lifted my eyes to meet his, and I was immediately sucked into his grey orbs… He looked at me with a gaze that made it feel like he was seeing straight into my soul.

“I did not make a mistake, Mr. Knight, I swear it. Someone tampered with my laptop to set me up.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“For God's sake, Salem, just tell the truth, there is no need to cover up your incompetence—”

“I am not speaking to you, Mr. Strafford! Be quiet!”

He turned red instantly. “Um… I am sorry, Sir.”

Atlas looked at me again, and this time he frowned. I panicked. “I am sorry, Sir, I know that you may not believe me, but please don’t have me fired… This job is really important to me…”

I was full-on panicking right about now.

I think I must have muttered every prayer under the sun.

He walked forward until he was right in front of me and pointed to my face. “What happened to you?” he asked.

My eyes widened in confusion. “What?”

“Your lip is hurt. Who hit you?”

“…”

Marilyn stepped forward. “It was an accident, Mr. Knight. I lost my temper and I shouldn’t have…”

He turned to her. “Miss Smith, since when is the policy of our company to harass other workers?” he asked icily.

“Sir… I, um—”

“Did Miss Smith not inform you that she took a leave of absence from HR concerning her emergency?”

“She did, but—”

“Then on what grounds do you have to fire her? Or have you started abusing your position?”

Is this actually happening right now?

The Atlas Knight was actually defending me right now?

I pinched myself and jerked.

Definitely not dreaming… This was fucking real life.

“Atlas—”

He turned promptly away from her. “Michael!”

“Yes, Boss!” his assistant said with the smile that was always on his face.

“Go through the security footage and check whether there was any foul play. Whoever is at fault will surely be punished to the highest degree!”

Ben cleared his throat nervously. “Mr. Knight, things don’t have to go this far…”

Atlas ignored him. “I need that footage in my office in thirty minutes.”

“I am on it, Boss,” Michael said and walked away.

Atlas turned to Marilyn, and she looked up at him with teary eyes—the type that he had always bought in the past and immediately succumbed to her whims. “Maybe this was all a misunderstanding,” she said.

But this time, he did not even crack a smile in her direction. “And you, Miss Smith—I kept you in charge here because I was of the opinion that you were diligent.”

“I am, Atlas, you know that,” she said.

“Then act like it.”

Before I knew what was going on, Atlas grabbed my hand. My eyes grew as wide as two large saucers.

Marilyn was looking at me like she had just seen a ghost.

Everyone was frozen still, while Rejoice had a smug smirk on her lips, which, by the way, was not discreet in the slightest.

I tried to push away from his hold, but for some reason, his grip got even tighter.

“Mr.… Mr. Knight, this is not—”

He pulled me with him toward the direction of his office.

“We need to talk.”