Good Novel
League 327
League 327
“Dr. Caldwell!”
Millie was eating when Vanessa suddenly called out to her and sat across from her. She smiled and nodded at the latter. “Dr. Xander, is there something you need?”
“Do you have any plans after work tonight? If not, I’d like to treat you to dinner,” Vanessa said, beaming with friendliness.
Suddenly, Millie sensed that something was off. Vanessa had always been nice and never hostile to her. However, her friendliness today seemed over the top.
“Dr. Xander, do you… need to talk about something?” asked Millie.
She was certain Vanessa had something important to discuss. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have invited Millie to dinner out of the blue.
Vanessa felt somewhat embarrassed. She looked at Millie, pondered momentarily, and uttered, “This is a tough subject to bring up.”
Millie hurriedly shook her head. “It’s okay. Just say whatever is on your mind.” This text is © NôvelDrama/.Org.
‘I’ll still treat you to dinner tonight,” Vanessa insisted. That way, she would feel less burdened.
Millie pressed her lips together. But seeing Vanessa’s reluctance to speak, she decided to drop it.
“Okay, let’s meet at the Wiscadian restaurant across the street tonight,” Millie suggested.
Vanessa immediately broke into a smile and then stood up to leave.
Millie stared at her retreating figure. Although she was bewildered, she didn’t press further.
That evening, Millie wrapped up her work and headed to the restaurant.
Vanessa waved at Millie. She had left work ten minutes early and had already secured a ta1 and ordered the food.
That day, Vanessa wore a black dress, looking quite different from her usual white coat attire. To Millie’s surprise, she had a five or six–year–old boy with her.
Millie took a seat across from them, feeling somewhat uneasy.
“Dr. Caldwell, this is my son, Jasper Parker,” Vanessa introduced with a smile. “Sorry about this. He just got out of school, so I brought him with me.”
Millle nodded. The little boy was adorable, but he seemed quiet and reserved.
Most of the dishes had arrived, and Millie noticed they were all the priciest items on the menu. With Vanessa’s salary, she would likely be feeling the pinch from today’s bill.
Dr. Xander, just say whatever you need to say,” Millie urged, sipping her juice. She hated when people beat around the bush.
Vanessa gazed at Millie, who kept urging her to speak Yet, Vanessa felt too embarrassed to bring up the
topic.
After a long pause, she finally spoke. “Millie, have you heard that our department is currently choosing a new deputy chief?”
Millie nodded instantly. Everyone knew about that. Besides…
“Didn’t everyone say you were definitely going to be the deputy chief?” Millie remarked with a smile.
Vanessa quickly shook her head. “They were just joking.”
“But everyone seemed pretty serious about it. You and Yoel joined at the same time. Since he’s no longer here, it’s only natural for you to take his place,” Millie replied seriously.
Vanessa blinked repeatedly. “You really think so?”
“Who else could it be?” Millie chuckled.
As she ate her steak, she suddenly paused and asked, “Dr. Xander, did you invite me to dinner because you’re worried I might compete with you for the deputy chief role?”
Vanessa’s lips parted, and she lowered her head. In truth, that was exactly why. She wanted to discuss it with Millie. If possible, she hoped Millie wouldn’t vie for the position.
After all, Millie came from a prominent family with significant influence and didn’t really need to be the deputy chief.
However, things were different with Vanessa. She was divorced, with a child to support. Her small family relied entirely on her support. She needed to hold onto this position firmly to ensure her chance for promotion.
Though everyone claimed that capabilities and experience were what mattered most, Vanessa believed that power was what really made the difference.
On top of that, seeing Millie’s exceptional performance that day made Vanessa oddly unsettled.
Millie understood what she was implying. She couldn’t help but smile. “Dr. Xander…”
P
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