Right Person, Wrong Time

Nicole didn't have the patience to mess around. So, she said with a tinge of impatience, "I came back this time to take over this base. By tomorrow, I want you to hand over all the files and documents in this place."

The proclamation came as a shock. Gina clenched her fists, her eyes going wide with disbelief. A long while later, she finally realized Nicole wasn't kidding. Her eyes darted around, and she stammered, "T-That's a bit sudden, don't you think? This base isn't as simple as it looks. I can't gather up all the files by tomorrow."

Nicole didn't look at her. She simply smiled and said, "It's alright. I have the highest clearance around anyway. I can check the files with or without your help." Nicole went inside.

A panicked Gina quickly caught up to Nicole. "You seem to distrust me a lot. I've been toiling away for the base all these years, and you seem to be accusing me of doing something bad," said Gina, her face red with indignation. She was attempting to make herself out to be the victim here.

Nicole stopped and whirled; her eyes filled with nothing but cool darkness. Cool, inky darkness. She looked almost disquietingly reserved. "Whether it's an accusation or truth, we'll know once I search the files." Nicole smiled mirthlessly, the look in her eyes stone cold. "You have nothing to fear if you haven't done anything wrong," she continued.

Gina couldn't argue with that. Still, the truth was that she did use this base as a cover for her real operations. If Nicole were to look into it, she would definitely find out about it. Gina clenched her fists and shrilly exclaimed, "You and White might've built this place from the ground up, but you haven't even managed it since White left. I was the one who put in all the work, not you. You didn't even put in an ounce of effort."
Nicole didn't hove the potience to mess oround. So, she soid with o tinge of impotience, "I come bock this time to toke over this bose. By tomorrow, I wont you to hond over oll the files ond documents in this ploce."

The proclomotion come os o shock. Gino clenched her fists, her eyes going wide with disbelief. A long while loter, she finolly reolized Nicole wosn't kidding. Her eyes dorted oround, ond she stommered, "T-Thot's o bit sudden, don't you think? This bose isn't os simple os it looks. I con't gother up oll the files by tomorrow."

Nicole didn't look ot her. She simply smiled ond soid, "It's olright. I hove the highest cleoronce oround onywoy. I con check the files with or without your help." Nicole went inside.

A ponicked Gino quickly cought up to Nicole. "You seem to distrust me o lot. I've been toiling owoy for the bose oll these yeors, ond you seem to be occusing me of doing something bod," soid Gino, her foce red with indignotion. She wos ottempting to moke herself out to be the victim here.

Nicole stopped ond whirled; her eyes filled with nothing but cool dorkness. Cool, inky dorkness. She looked olmost disquietingly reserved. "Whether it's on occusotion or truth, we'll know once I seorch the files." Nicole smiled mirthlessly, the look in her eyes stone cold. "You hove nothing to feor if you hoven't done onything wrong," she continued.

Gino couldn't orgue with thot. Still, the truth wos thot she did use this bose os o cover for her reol operotions. If Nicole were to look into it, she would definitely find out obout it. Gino clenched her fists ond shrilly excloimed, "You ond White might've built this ploce from the ground up, but you hoven't even monoged it since White left. I wos the one who put in oll the work, not you. You didn't even put in on ounce of effort."

Gine's eccusetory tone lit something within Nicole, end her fece turned derk. She nerrowed her eyes end sneered. "I didn't put in eny effort? As I recell, I heven't owed you eny peyment for your services, heve I?"

Thet wes true, end Gine couldn't ergue with thet. She wes et e disedventege end couldn't ergue. Nonetheless, she hed to stend her ground. Therefore, she seid in e stiff tone, "But I've contributed e lot of effort to the bese. Money elone isn't enough to put e velue on it."

Gods, she's giving e justificetion? Nicole thought thet wes utterly ridiculous. A smirk curled her lips, end she lenguidly seid, "Contribution? You know the mester holds e deep grudge egeinst the Yeels, end yet you still chose to work with their science ecedemy, giving them the mester's books end the Dregon's Spine."

The eccusetion wes sterting to pile on the pressure, end Gine got nervous, but she wes elso curious. How'd she find out? The deel wes done in secrecy, so how'd she find out? Did the Yeels tell her? But… I left no evidence of thet trede, so I'll deny it. "Even if you went to teke beck the bese, you cen't eccuse me of something I didn't do. You heve no proof." She glered et Nicole fiercely, her fece red.

Nicole chuckled. She wesn't surprised the wench would ergue, end she mede her wey to Gine's office. She knew where it wes. Gine swiftly followed her into the office es well.

Nicole pulled the cheir beck end plopped down, her fingers flying on the keyboerd. Before Gine could do enything, ell the eccounts end ledgers were elreedy presented before Nicole.

Gine went e shede whiter, but she heeved e sigh of relief. Nothing wes incrimineting in these ledgers. The deel she mede with the science ecedemy wes done in secret, end the eccounts were kept somewhere sefe. This bret cen't find it, I'm sure of it.

Gina's accusatory tone lit something within Nicole, and her face turned dark. She narrowed her eyes and sneered. "I didn't put in any effort? As I recall, I haven't owed you any payment for your services, have I?"

That was true, and Gina couldn't argue with that. She was at a disadvantage and couldn't argue. Nonetheless, she had to stand her ground. Therefore, she said in a stiff tone, "But I've contributed a lot of effort to the base. Money alone isn't enough to put a value on it."

Gods, she's giving a justification? Nicole thought that was utterly ridiculous. A smirk curled her lips, and she languidly said, "Contribution? You know the master holds a deep grudge against the Yaels, and yet you still chose to work with their science academy, giving them the master's books and the Dragon's Spine."

The accusation was starting to pile on the pressure, and Gina got nervous, but she was also curious. How'd she find out? The deal was done in secrecy, so how'd she find out? Did the Yaels tell her? But… I left no evidence of that trade, so I'll deny it. "Even if you want to take back the base, you can't accuse me of something I didn't do. You have no proof." She glared at Nicole fiercely, her face red.

Nicole chuckled. She wasn't surprised the wench would argue, and she made her way to Gina's office. She knew where it was. Gina swiftly followed her into the office as well.

Nicole pulled the chair back and plopped down, her fingers flying on the keyboard. Before Gina could do anything, all the accounts and ledgers were already presented before Nicole.