Joy turned around to start lecturing me.

“Ninian, I already told you plenty of times before to stay away from the clients! Stop wearing such outfits and throwing yourselves at them just for the sake of your KPI!

“Do you really lack money that much? How could you throw your shame away just to get a contract? You’re making yourself appear cheap!”

She was the one who hinted that I was single, and the client could make a move on me! Somehow, I always ended up the “cheap” one in this scenario.

When I saw how she was acting, I laughed.

“Miss Clark, you’re the one who asked me to get closer and even hinted at Mr. Xander—”

“Quiet!”

Joy did not even give me a chance to speak.

Based on her plan, she was going to kick up a huge fuss with the “perverted actions” between Henry and me.

That way, she could reduce the price of the contract and uphold her righteous image, which helped her look great in front of Mr. Wilson.

Unfortunately for her, she had chosen the wrong audience this time.

Henry scoffed in anger and shot to his feet. “That’s enough! Covering someone up is making a move on them to you?”

The faint, wooden scent from the blazer enveloped me.

“Do you take me for a fool? If we’re going to negotiate a business deal, then we should just stick to it. Why were you hinting at me to hook up with her?

“I came here to inspect this project, not to choose a lover. As for you, you’re the one who forced your employee to wear this gown and serve me wine. Now, you’re turning the tables on her and accusing her of being cheap?”

He sneered. “It seems like there’s a huge problem with your management. I’m sorry to say, but I don’t think I want to work with someone like this.

“I’m canceling the partnership for next year.”

I knew that Henry was furious.

He was angry at people mistreating me, his own sister. He was livid at the fact that I was still working there, even though the company was so full of corruption.

But I still had to pay my rent, and I was in my twenties. I did not want to keep asking my family for money.

“Mr. Xander, this is a misunderstanding!”

Mr. Wilson panicked and stood up as well.

After all, if they lost the major deal with Henry, it would be a huge loss to the company.

They had only wanted to gain the upper hand in this negotiation. They absolutely could not lose their deal with him.

Mr. Wilson immediately turned on Joy and shouted at her, “Joy, Mr. Xander has always been a man of integrity! He only removed his blazer to cover Ninian up! How could you accuse him of making a move on her?!

“Apologize to Mr. Xander now!”

Joy trembled before casting a glance at me while I sat in a corner.

She gritted her teeth. Then, with teary eyes, she said pitifully, “I’m sorry, Mr. Wilson, Mr. Xander. I acted too rashly. I was just too worked up. Ninian has always loved tempting our clients to make a move on her, and she’s always thinking about using her looks to climb the social ladder. I was only worried about you, Mr. Xander. This is exactly why I told her to dress up properly today, but she always goes on to wear such skimpy gowns. She even said you’d pay her more attention this way.

“I was just worried about things going wrong. That’s why I…”

As I listened to her twisting the truth, I sneered.

“Miss Clark, let’s be honest here. You’re the one who gave me the gown, and you’re the one who made me serve Mr. Xander. You said that if I refused, you’d deduct my bonus for full attendance. Now, you’re lying and saying that I picked the gown myself?”

“Ninian, don’t you have a conscience?!” Joy glared at me in indignation. “Everyone in the department knows you love flirting with the clients! Yet you’re trying to shift the blame and turn on me?”

“Mr. Wilson, we need to make this clear with Mr. Xander today!”

She turned the attention back to Mr. Wilson.

The other employees started whispering among themselves. Mr. Wilson was terrified of making Henry angry and causing a major loss to the company, so he just wanted to salvage the situation.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and said, “Enough, Ninian! Regardless of whether this is a misunderstanding or not, Mr. Xander’s still angry because of you. That’s an undeniable fact. You’ll be handing the project with Grand World to Joy today.

“Then, report to HR. You’ll get your salary deducted, and you’ll start over from the bottom again!”

When she saw that she had removed herself entirely from the situation, Joy sighed in relief before whispering into my ear, “See that? I’m a senior employee in the company, and I can turn you into the scapegoat whenever I want. Don’t even think about getting someone to speak up for you. It’s your fault for being so unlucky. You just had to mess with Mr. Xander.”

Despite her provocation, I did not panic. Instead, I laughed.

The company had been following up on a project with Grand World for half a year, but I got that project with the help of my best friend.

It was because I kept whining to her about how the commission from my company was too low, and I sweet-talked her into it. That was why she had given me the project while rolling her eyes at me.

How dare Mr. Wilson get someone else to take over? I just hoped that the company would not suffer another major loss so soon.

“Mr. Xander, are you pleased with this outcome?” Mr. Wilson rubbed his hands as he looked at Henry uneasily.

Joy quickly picked up her glass of wine and put on a fawning smile. “I overreacted just now and offended you, Mr. Xander, but I’ve always said whatever comes to the top of my head and am overprotective of my subordinates. Let me toast to you.”

Then, graciously, she drank the wine while Mr. Wilson spoke up on her behalf. “That’s right! Mr. Xander, don’t let this girl affect our friendship!”

I was getting fed up listening to this.

In any case, they were going to keep smearing my reputation, so I decided to just sit down and start eating.

“Ninian!”

When Joy saw that I still had the gall to sit down and eat, she got worked up and shoved me. “Don’t you have any manners at all? Hurry and apologize to Mr. Xander!”

Then, she smiled at Henry.

“Please don’t mind her, Mr. Xander. Ninian came from the countryside and is ignorant about the world. I think she only did what she did because she wants a better life. After all, when a person is poor, they’d cross any moral line to get rich.”

Henry listened to Joy as she called me poor and questioned my morals. His hand froze on his glass.

“You seem to understand your subordinate’s family background really well, Miss Clark,” Henry said slowly. His voice was devoid of emotion.

Thinking that things could still change for the better, Joy nodded. “Of course! When she just joined us, she said that she came from the mountains. Girls like that have it hard when they work in the city. They’re easily tempted by all the glamor around them and want to take shortcuts.

“She’s the only one who gets harassed during every social event, not the other employees! Why else would that be?

“There’s always a reason behind why something happens, right? If she didn’t dress so scantily, why would someone harass her?

“Mr. Xander, as her superior, I’m to blame for her questionable behavior and scheming nature, but I promise you that as long as you work with us, we’ll be clear and transparent with you and won’t make a mess of things.”

“Questionable behavior and scheming nature? Ninian?” Henry repeated the words, and his smile turned colder.

“That’s right.” Joy sighed and pretended to find the situation regrettable. “Even though it’s shameful for us to mention such scandalous behavior, I wouldn’t dare hide it from you.”

Smack!

Henry slammed his glass heavily on the table before glaring at Joy like she was already dead to him.

“You’re spreading lies about my sister trying to climb the social ladder by seducing others, and you’re doing it right in front of my face!

“Is this how your company works, Miss Clark?”