"Miss Thompson." Mr Moore welcomed her as she came back on Friday. She was still slightly bruised but somehow she carried herself so elegantly that it didn't seem to be noticeable.
"Mr Moore." Claire walked up and handed him a tidy pile of paper. "Mr Pattison said that I must hand it to you in person."
"Thank you." Mr Moore took it while focusing on hiding how excited he was to see her. The past few days were a turmoil for him, and it was an elaborate plan to get Pattison to ask her to come into his office without raising suspicions.
"If that's everything, I'm going to take my leave." Claire was so cold to him today. She didn't smile or take her time with pleasantries.
"Miss Thompson, may I just say that I hope that you're better now and that your recovery is going well." Mr Moore stood up. Claire sneered.
"Mr Moore, thank you for your concern. I am indeed much better. I'm sorry if this is not the outcome you probably hoped for."
"Whatever do you mean?"
"Mr Moore, I understand that my time here is numbered. I'm saddened that my life is equated to this place alone and one disagreement between us might cost me everything, but I was fully aware that this will be an eventuality if I stay here. I am going to see the end of the Marble Project and I'll resign then. I do hope that I can be spared until then."
"Miss Thompson, I am not sure what you're implying."
"Mr Moore, I should take my leave now. I do not want to cause more friction between us."
"No, Miss Thompson. I want to hear what you have to say."
"Mr Moore, your intentions towards me were made clear last Friday."
"And what are my intentions towards you?"
"It has been made clear that I am a thorn in your side and I suspect that there's nothing you wouldn't do to get rid of me."
"Do you, by any chance, believe that the vile attack on you was my doing?"
"I have my suspicions, sir," Claire said so coldly that Mr Moore felt a chill go down his spine.
"So, you rather believe some made-up rumours than your judgment?" Mr Moore stormed towards Claire. He lost his temper again. He hated being accused of something that would be the last thing he'd do. As Claire moved towards the wall, he moved closer, spitting his words out in anger. "And I thought that you're meant to be smart!" And thump, he punched a wall. Concrete crumbled under his knuckle, opening up the injuries from earlier in the week, his blood poured out, staining the dust and concrete. Claire was between him and the wall, his punch landed just by her ear. She was still unshaken. Even as dust fell onto her navy blouse along with the blood droplets.
"I am using my judgment, sir. It is the second time that I'm on the receiving end of your intimidation parade, and it is the second time that I'm seeing you in person. I can only conclude that you intend to harm me. I wish to not be mugged again for the next few weeks as I'm finishing the Marble Project. If that's not something that can be accommodated, I will resign immediately. Frankly, having some thugs after you is rather troublesome and time-consuming."
"I am not responsible for those thugs." Mr Moore said coldly. "I don't do things like that."
"Indeed, you personally rather punch holes in the wall than me, which I do appreciate. Even though it was my best blouse and now it's ruined with your blood and this horrendous dust, I can't say I'm not a little bit upset." Claire put her hand on his chest to push him away and to add distance between them. Mr Moore looked down at her small hand on his chest. He didn't have a blazer on this morning, and he could feel the cold of her fingers on his skin through the fabric. "It did have significant value to me." Claire took her hand off him and started wiping the dust away.
"Miss Thompson, I did not send these thugs behind you." Mr Moore repeated.
"I'll make full judgment once I get all the evidence for it. For now, all I know is that I have been pushed against the wall twice in a week by you, personally." Claire smiled, "don't worry. I'll keep it a secret for now. People have enough to talk about already." She walked past him and left the office.
"Miss Thompson." He followed her out. "I'll compensate you for the damage."
"Are you sure you still have that in your budget if you are to punch holes in the wall?" She asked with a bite in her voice. Everyone around watched the scene with keen interest. Claire turned around and walked away.
"Pattison." Mr Moore turned around to face his assistant. "Compensate Miss Thompson for the damage to her blouse and get someone to fix the wall in my office."
"Sir, your hand?" Pattison asked worriedly noticing the trail of blood behind Mr Moore.
"Some bandages might be useful." Mr Moore uttered as he returned to the office,
"Miss Thompson, may I talk to you for a minute?" Pattison showed up at her office later in the day.
"Mr Pattison! Of course, what brings you here?"
"Here's a cheque for you." He placed an envelope on Claire's desk.
"Cheque? What for?"
"For the damage to your blouse."
"Oh, I don't think it's necessary."
"Mr Moore insisted."
"I hope that he didn't break his fingers."
"I don't think so." Pattison smiled.
"Good."
"May I say something? I do understand that it's personal but I wanted to share my observation."
"Mr Pattison, you do not need to ask my permission to speak your mind. What would you like to tell me?"
"I am fully confident that Mr Moore hasn't been involved in your mugging. He didn't ask me to say anything, and I'm not sure he'd be happy to know that I've said it, but I felt that I should say it to, maybe, ease your mind a bit. He can be ruthless, but he isn't a murderer."
"I appreciate that you came and spoke what you think," Claire said carefully. " I haven't made a full judgment on that matter yet. I wish I could find more solid evidence before fully believing it. But my instincts do point towards Mr Moore. His behaviour towards me is quite a good indication of how he feels about me."
"I'm not sure whether his behaviour fully reflects his thoughts and feelings. Mr Moore is very cautious about displaying his true self to others."
"I see. Anyways, thank you."
Pattison left her alone, and she was quick to check the envelope with the cheque. As she saw the number written on it, she rushed to the forty-second floor.
"Mr Moore, what is this cheque a compensation for?" She walked into his office with no warning, finding him behind his desk, his face hidden in his hands. He looked up at her in surprise.
"I'm sorry, sir." Pattison showed behind Claire.
"For your blouse." Mr Moore replied dryly.
"My blouse did not cost five thousand pounds."
"Is that not enough? I'll write out another cheque then."
"No, it's more than enough." Claire looked worriedly at the cheque. "It's too much."
Mr Moore looked at her without a word for a few moments.
"You've said that this blouse has significant value to you. I'll write another cheque for five thousand pounds so that you are compensated appropriately."
"Mr Moore, please, I do not want that money." Claire walked up and placed the cheque on his desk. "I don't want to cause trouble over my twenty-pound blouse. Honestly." She blushed. "Thank you for your consideration…" she left hurriedly, leaving the cheque behind.
"I'm confused." Mr Moore admitted to Pattison. "I caused damage to her blouse, and I've tried to compensate for it. What's the problem?"
"I think that Miss Thompson is too proud to accept that money and that she feels that her blouse is not worth the trouble."
"Find her a similar blouse and send it to her."
"Yes, sir"