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Semua Bab No More Free Rides: Bab 1 - Bab 10

10 Bab

Chapter 1

I hung up, and the smile on Administrative Manager Wade Cooper's face froze instantly."Ms. Smith, those two vans you just mentioned… what's going on with that?"I folded the disciplinary notice neatly and slipped it into my bag, keeping my tone calm."It's nothing. Since the company has decided that I've been engaging in unauthorized operations, I won't be driving my own car anymore."As for the 'unofficial vehicles' I personally paid to rent, I'll cancel those too. Wouldn't want them affecting the company's reputation."Wade frowned."Wait. Are you saying those two vans that pick up and drop off employees every day… you rented them yourself? Weren't those a company benefit?""A company benefit?" I let out a soft laugh, my gaze drifting toward the people peeking in from outside the door."Mr. Cooper, you've worked in Finance for more than a day or two. In the past three years, has there ever been a single entry in the books for 'employee shuttle rental expenses'?"Wade froze.

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Chapter 2

Yeah. Looking back, I felt kind of ridiculous.Three years of being a generous fool, and in the end, what did I get? A five-thousand-dollar fine and a label that said I was "profiting off others."I did not come from nothing. However, no one at the company knew that.My father had always taught me to start from the bottom and to learn how to work with people instead of relying on family connections right away.Three years ago, not long after I joined the company, we relocated our office to a remote tech park.It was several kilometers from the nearest subway station. There was barely any public transportation, and ride-hailing services were almost impossible to get.I saw how hard the daily commute was for everyone. Some people had to carpool, while others ended up taking unsafe, unofficial rides. So, under the excuse of "helping the company coordinate resources," I contacted a friend's car rental company and arranged for two shuttle vans.To everyone else, I said it was a benef

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Chapter 3

Then there was Amy from admin. Her elderly parent was sick, and I had asked the driver to deliver medicine for her more than once.Now, all of them were blaming me. Calling me "selfish" and saying I had "no sense of the bigger picture."I shut my laptop and stood up, my gaze sweeping calmly across every single face."First, the shuttle vans are not a company benefit. I paid for them out of my own pocket. I have the contracts, the transfer records, and the invoices."Second, since Selena reported me for illegal operations, and the administrative department has already confirmed that and penalized me, then for compliance reasons, I have to stop this 'illegal activity.'"Third…"I turned to look at Selena, who had been yelling the loudest."You're right. I'm not the one calling the shots, so I'm also not obligated to keep supporting a group of ungrateful people."With that, I picked up my bag and gave the car keys in my hand a small shake."Oh, and one more thing. Since my car is

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Chapter 4

"If the company believes this was a company benefit, fine. Reimburse me the full seven hundred and twenty thousand."And issue a public apology, revoke my penalty, and fire Selena. Otherwise, there's nothing to discuss."Wade stared at the long string of numbers, a thin layer of sweat forming on his forehead.Selena leaned in for a closer look, her eyes practically popping out."That's impossible! How could you have that much money? Your monthly salary is only fifteen thousand!"I let out an icy laugh. "How much money I have is none of your business."Selena, do you really think everyone in the world is like you, scheming against coworkers over a few dollars in ride fare?"Selena's face flushed a deep, ugly red."You… you must have embezzled company funds! I'm calling the police! I'll have the financial crimes unit investigate you!""Be my guest," I said.Of course, Selena did not actually call the police. However, she did start forming her own little clique at work, isolatin

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Chapter 5

That twisted, robber-style logic actually made me laugh."Mr. Carter, I stopped the shuttle because the administrative department ruled that I was in violation and fined me for it." I pushed the penalty notice toward him.He did not even glance at it. He waved his hand and knocked it aside."Don't give me that useless procedural nonsense! You're a sales manager. You're supposed to see the bigger picture!"The Smith Group is about to acquire Bluebell Bio Tech, and right at this critical moment, this kind of mess happens. If it delays the acquisition, can you afford the consequences?"I froze for a second.That was when I remembered mentioning to my dad before that I wanted to bring Bluebell Bio Tech under the Smith Group.I had not expected him to already set things in motion.Seeing me fall silent, James Carter loosened his tie and pointed at the copy of the rental contract, speaking with complete confidence."Since you've been paying for the vans these past three years, that

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Chapter 6

The car door shut, sealing out the noise and the pounding rain. Inside, the temperature was perfect. The faint scent of agarwood lingered in the air. I leaned back against the leather seat and looked outside through the tinted glass.Selena was still clutching her rain-soaked coffee cup, her mouth hanging open in shock.Wade had dropped his folder, muddy water splashing all over his pants."Ms. Smith, would you like to head back to the main residence? Mr. Smith is currently in a meeting with several board members. When he heard you were coming back, he delayed the meeting by half an hour."The driver, Donald, held the steering wheel steady, his tone respectful.I pulled my gaze back and adjusted my sleeve. "Not the residence. Take me to headquarters.""Understood."The Maybach eased forward, its tires rolling through the flooded street. Water splashed up in a arc, landing squarely on the people standing by the roadside.Selena shrieked and stumbled backward. Her heel twiste

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Chapter 7

Top floor of the Smith Group. Executive office.I sat behind a wide desk, flipping through a thick stack of documents.The financial reports of Bluebell Bio Tech looked almost flawless. If I had not spent three years there myself, if I had not seen how aggressively they cut costs, I might have believed those numbers just like anyone else."Ms. Smith, this is the preliminary audit report you requested."Adrian placed a file in front of me. His expression was slightly strange."This James has some nerve," he said, turning the pages, his tone calm. "Every year, there's a five-hundred-thousand 'commuting subsidy' listed in the accounts. However, in the employees' payroll records, that money never appears."I stopped on one page, my fingertip lightly tapping the number."Because it was never paid to the employees at all. He assumed those two shuttle vans were extra resources the company secured, or some kind of administrative benefit. So he quietly diverted the subsidy that should ha

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Chapter 8

At ten o'clock on Friday morning, the first conference room of the Smith Group was already immaculate, the long mahogany table gleaming under the lights as the air conditioning ran high, filling the space with a sharp, biting chill.James sat at the head of the left side, but his forehead was covered in sweat. He kept wiping it, all while dealing with Wade beside him."Mr. Carter, this acquisition is basically a done deal, right? I heard that the Smith Group is very generous. If we get absorbed into them, our salaries could double." Wade adjusted his tie, greed practically shining in his eyes.James shot him a glare. "Keep your mouth shut. When you meet their executives, don't say anything unnecessary. If they ask about the accounts, just say it was a system error.""Don't worry, Mr. Carter. Everything's been taken care of."The conference room doors opened.Adrian walked in with several legal and audit staff. James and Wade jumped to their feet, all smiles and flattery."Mr. Co

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Chapter 9

"You were the one who drove away the person covering for you."Right then, the conference room door slammed open.Selena burst in, her hair a mess, clutching a crumpled résumé in her hand. Her eyes landed instantly on James, pinned to the table, and then on me standing at the head of the room."Ms…?"She froze. Every word she had prepared got stuck in her throat.Security rushed in behind her, out of breath."Ms. Smith, sorry about this. This woman insisted on barging in. She said she was here to apply for a cleaning job…"I glanced at Selena. The way she looked now, she was not much better than someone off the street."Ms. Smith! I know I was wrong!" Selena snapped back to herself and stood straight."It was all James’ fault! He forced me! He told me to report you because you were stealing his spotlight! I'm innocent!"She took a few steps forward, trying to grab the hem of my skirt. One of the bodyguards kicked her hand away. She flinched in pain, her face streaked with tea

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Chapter 10

"Thank you for the compliment." My tone was flat, like I was stating something trivial."Oh, and Mr. Carter, there's something you might not know. Your assets have already been frozen."I looked at him, a faint smile at the corner of my lips. "And your partner left yesterday. Took your jewelry with her."James' eyes rolled back, and he fainted on the spot.The officers dragged him away, along with Wade, who was still trembling. Selena shrank into the corner, trying to make herself invisible.One of the officers looked at her. "You're Selena Rogers?"She shuddered. "I… I didn't break the law…""Someone has filed a complaint against you for defamation and extortion. Come with us to assist with the investigation."As Selena was taken away, she clung desperately to the doorframe, her nails scraping against the wood with a harsh sound."Jennifer… you won't get away with this!"I stood there, watching the conference room lapse back into silence. I took a slow breath.The air sti

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