All Chapters of My Four Childhood Friends Betrayed Me, I Became a Crisis Fixer: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Jared quickly composed himself."Cora. So you found out."Faye's health isn't great, and she couldn't handle conditions that rough. You're tough. You'll make it through."Faye tugged nervously at his sleeve.I didn't make a scene.I just pointed at the chat on the projector screen."Who changed the final roster?"Jared owned it without blinking. "I made that call.""And that whole 'we face life and death together as a team' act at the party? Whose idea was that?"Faye's eyes darted away.Nash Porter immediately stepped forward and blocked her from view."All the partners made that decision together. Cora, stop staring at Faye like she's on trial."I nodded and turned back to Jared."So you only promised to marry me to get me to sign?"Jared casually adjusted the strap of his watch."You hate long-term overseas postings."Without a promise, you never would've signed that contract."He said it like it was obvious, without a trace of guilt.Faye's eyes went red, and she rushed to the lapt

At nine the next morning, I headed for the elevator with my personal files and the handoff paperwork in a folder.As I passed the lounge, Faye's newly promoted assistant, Brianna, came toward me with two other people."Look, it's Cora, the chief expert who's never lost a case."I heard you were trying to use this to force Jared to marry you. Instead, the four of them are staying in Nova City with Faye, and you're the only one getting exiled to a war zone.""Exiled? Please. She lost a power struggle and took herself out of the game."The other two chimed in.Brianna lifted her chin, her eyes landing on the folder in my hand."You look awfully nervous. You didn't make secret copies of a bunch of company data, did you?"She reached out to grab it.I pressed my hand against hers, stopping her, and held her gaze."Let go.""Why are you being so aggressive?" She raised her voice on purpose, and other employees turned to look. "Faye was right. You think you're irreplaceable just because you'v

The military plane roared down the runway and took off.Following protocol, Reyes took my anti-tracking pouch."From now on, your Alliance code name is 'Envoy C.'"Your old job, your relationships, your communication records. They all get sealed up with this pouch."I looked out the window at the thick darkness and nodded."Understood."For the whole 13-hour flight, I was calmer than I'd ever been.I didn't have to watch for red alerts in the media monitoring system, clean up after someone who'd angered the press, or tiptoe around Faye's fragile ego.It felt a little strange, but it cleared my head....Third-person POV:At that same moment in Nova City, Faye's senior partner party was in full swing.Nash had just had the staff adjust the warm lights over the flower wall. Grant was setting up the projector, and Ray was cutting into the custom fondant cake with five little figures on top.Jared glanced at his watch.10:15 p.m.Cora still hadn't shown up.He called her, but an automated

The next day, word spread throughout Nova City's PR industry that Cora had started her classified mission as an envoy ahead of schedule.International Relief Alliance headquarters issued an official announcement. Cora had ranked first in the overall evaluation and been chosen for a special program at the Dayaka Crisis Intervention Center.That deployment agreement had never been an ordinary business contract. It was an offer to join an elite program, and Cora was the only person in Nova City who'd made it.The employees who'd cornered and mocked her in the lounge two days earlier went pale when they saw the announcement.Outside the break room, Brianna, Faye's newly promoted assistant, was still trying to explain herself to Jared."Mr. Blake, we were just joking around with Cora that day. Who knew she was so petty she'd actually leave?"Jared stopped and looked at her coldly."That cup of scalding black coffee two days ago. Did you knock it over?"Brianna's smile froze. "I swear, my ha

Cora's POV:In the fifth year, the situation in Dayaka finally stabilized.I was 35 that year.I'd risen from a newly arrived envoy to the International Relief Alliance's Chief Crisis Officer.The Dayaka Multilateral Mediation Model I'd developed had even been adopted as a textbook case study in global public crisis intervention.At the end of that year, Alliance headquarters arranged for me to fly back to Nova City as a special representative to the Global Public Relations Summit, where I'd give the opening keynote.When my flight landed at Nova City International Airport, I finally regained access to my personal communication devices after five years.The moment my screen came on, my old voicemails and work emails flooded in.Jared alone had sent hundreds of emails.The early ones were condescending demands and orders. Then came anxious questions, and finally, apologies.The most recent one was timestamped three months earlier."Cora, I'm not asking you to forgive me. I just hope you