"What the fu..." Before Lalita could fully grasp the situation, she was abruptly blacked out.

...

10 hours before

....

"Manager Backfield, uploading this to the media, will make our company's stocks go down like crazy. Do you not know who you're provoking?"

Manager Backfield looked at the Assistant Manager with scornful eyes and said, "We will continue with our arrangement. Please, see yourself out, Assistant Manager Brown," emphasizing the word 'Assistant.'

Mr. Brown bit his lip, hearing the mockery in Mr. Backfield's voice, as he looked at him with seething hatred.

He turned around, making his way toward the office door.

But just before leaving, he turned back and, in a hushed, deliberate tone, just loud enough for Mr. Backfield to hear, he uttered, 'You'll regret this.' With those ominous words, he exited the room.

Mr. Backfield, upon hearing those words, couldn't help but smirk and retorted, "We shall see, hahahah."

****

Lalita, quietly minding her own business while strolling along the corridor, couldn't resist the urge to perk up her ears as she caught the sound of raised voices emanating from the Manager's office.

As the office door creaked open, Lalita swiftly straightened herself, fully prepared to resume "minding her business."

However, when she heard the words, "Miss Samuel, can I have a word?" a bead of sweat formed on her forehead.

She slowly turned around to find herself face-to-face with the Assistant Manager, Mr. Brown.

With a strained and forced smile, she replied, "Yes." Mr. Brown turned on his heels, expecting her to follow, and she complied.

Upon reaching Mr. Brown's office, he courteously offered Lalita a seat.

As she settled into the chair, Mr. Brown reached beneath his desk and placed a document before her.

He instructed, "Please upload these as swiftly as possible today."

Lalita's eyes focused on the document cover, which read "Famous Singer Austin White Breakout." She glanced up at Mr. Brown and inquired, "Are you certain you want me to cover this person?"

Assistant Manager Mr. Brown returned her gaze with a peculiar smile and replied, "You've been with us for four years, a diligent worker, yet still relatively unknown. This opportunity should be your breakthrough."

Lalita beamed with a wide smile, her pearly whites gleaming, and said, "Thank you, thank you! I know the company won't let me down. Hard work truly does pay off!" She then requested to be excused so she could promptly write the article.

Mr. Brown looked at her with a half-hearted smile and nodded, saying, "Of course. I'm eager to hear the good news."

As Lalita rose from her seat with eager, ambitious eyes, she was almost overcome with excitement.

She nearly sprinted out of the office but, upon realizing she was still in the presence of her superiors, she composed herself and briskly walked towards the door.

Mr. Brown, observing her departure, couldn't help but sigh with relief.

As she exited, he sank into his chair, placing a hand on his head, appearing as if he had aged ten years, lost in his thoughts.

When he emerged from that pig office earlier, he was taken aback to see someone walking nearby.

He briefly suspected that she might have been listening to the conversation from the beginning.

As soon as she noticed him coming out, she hastened away. Doubt gnawed at him, and he called out to her.

Observing her nervous demeanor, he grew apprehensive, wondering if she knew what they knew.

He quickly summoned her to his office.

Uncertain about what to say, a thought occurred to him: Why not place the blame on her? If she had been eavesdropping, she wouldn't dare accept the task and would vehemently deny any involvement.

Yet, deep down, they both knew she had to take it on.

But if she accepted, he mused, he might implicate an innocent person.

He sighed, rationalizing that it wouldn't be his fault; after all, who told her to be there at that time?

***

As Lalita closed the door behind her, the happiness and excitement that had enveloped her just moments ago had dissipated entirely. Her once radiant expression had turned as cold as ice.

She couldn't help but imagine the relief on Mr. Brown's face, now that he had found a scapegoat to shoulder the blame for the task.

She cursed her luck, even though she had no idea what was in that document.

The mere sight of the document cover had ignited a fire within her, making her skin prickle with irritation.

Who on this planet didn't know Austin "Thee Austin White"? He was known far and wide, the darling of the world, beloved by men, women, dogs, cats—you name it.

He had never been embroiled in a scandal because if anyone dared to throw dirt at him, his fans would dig you up and find you in every corner of the earth.

There was no hiding from Austin White fan's scrutiny.

With a heavy sigh, Lalita returned to her desk and carefully placed the document down.

She had initially accepted the project with such enthusiasm because she couldn't shake the nagging feeling that refusing it might have dire consequences.

What those consequences are, she couldn't quite grasp.

Lalita had decided to play the part of a person who had been out of the spotlight, someone who hadn't had a project in months.

It seemed like the right choice, considering the circumstances.

She had noticed a fleeting hint of guilt on Mr. Brown's face, though it was incredibly subtle.

***

As Lalita gingerly opened the document, secured with a simple clasp, she prepared herself for what she assumed would be a lengthy assignment.

She had a notepad at the ready, anticipating that she might need to transcribe something or make modifications to mitigate any potential damage.

However, she quickly realized that her initial expectations were far from reality.

Page after page remained blank, devoid of any ink or text.

Frustration welled up within her, and she couldn't help but wonder if Mr. Brown was playing some kind of prank, causing her to overreact.

Just as she considered returning to Mr. Brown to voice her discontent, something unexpected occurred.

A small thumb drive fell out from between the pages of the document.

Her heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, she had the urge to storm back to Mr. Brown's office and fling it at him before quitting.

Lalita realized that with the content on that thumb drive, there was no room for editing or modification.

Whatever was on it would be uploaded under her name, and her office would be associated with it.

She felt trapped, realizing that even if she quit, her superiors could easily use her account and claim that she was the one responsible.

Her mind raced with the potential consequences.

Mr. Brown seemed increasingly convinced that she had overheard something she shouldn't have, and this situation could place the entire company in jeopardy, possibly leading to financial ruin.

Lalita was left with a sinking feeling that she had been unwittingly pulled into something far more significant than she could have ever imagined.