Loving A STRANGER 199 Chapter 199: Her Office

Kylie met Laurence's eyes as she sat down and said, "I have some news that I think everyone here will appreciate; I have been nominated for an Oscar."

Laurence frowned and said, "How can that be?"

Kylie smiled and said, "My invitation is on the last page that I've pa.s.sed around. It turns out that The Tea Maiden has been a bit of an overnight sensation. The DVD box set is set for release in two weeks, and there have already been millions of pre-orders on Amazon alone!"

The shareholders nodded in satisfaction. It appeared that, from that project alone, without lifting a finger, much of Kylie's monthly goal would be met.

"Perhaps," one of the shareholders suggested, "you are just what this company needs at this time. I know that I, for one, am very grateful to have you on board."

Kylie smiled shyly as she took her papers and put them back into her manila envelope. "I have to go now," she said, "but I will see you all in a month."

***

Once Laurence had a moment to himself, he used it to ponder what had happened in the boardroom. He was furious that, after everything he'd done to try to get an invitation for Khloe to the Oscars, Kylie had been the one to receive the invitation. It was just unfair.

He had tried to catch Kylie in a trap of his own design, but she'd turned it against him, and her confidence had been unnerving. He was thinking about this when someone knocked on his door. He looked up and saw that it was Khloe.

Khloe came in and said, "I just ran into Kylie. It was unpleasant. She was dressed all in black. I asked her why she was dressed up like a crow, and she had the nerve to say that she'd rather look like a crow than a piece of dog s.h.i.+t. Be that as it may or may not be, I reminded her that it was me, not her, who had received an invitation to the Oscars. You should fire her!"

Laurence frowned and said, "I wish that I could fire her. She owns ten percent of the company, though, so I cannot fire her. In fact, as of today, Lily will be working under her, and there is nothing that I can do about it…"

Laurence looked at what Khloe was wearing, and he could see why Kylie had made a comment about her dress. "Why are you wearing that?" he wondered.

Khloe explained that it was the dress she was wearing to the Oscars, and she wanted to see what he thought of it. Laurence frowned and said, "It is really awful. Go change into something else. Your dress is giving me a headache… You should burn it."

Khloe pursed her lips and looked down at her dress. She had loved the dress and couldn't believe how wrong she'd been.

"Once you're changed," Laurence continued, "you can meet me in my office."

As it happened, Khloe arrived before her father, so she didn't know what to think when she saw Lucas directing movers as they emptied the office next to her father's. She approached Lucas and asked him what was going on.

Suddenly Kylie emerged from the office and said, "This is my new office. Isn't it obvious that I would want everything taken out so that I can move my stuff in?"

Khloe frowned and asked her who had told her she could have the office. "If anyone should have it," she said, "it should be me!"

Before Kylie could answer, though, Laurence arrived. He looked at Khloe and said, "Now that Kylie is a shareholder and also a manager, it is only right that I give her this office."

"I don't care about that," Khloe cried. "I have asked for that room many times, but you always said no, so I don't understand why you're giving it to Kylie. Does this mean that you love her more than you love me?"

"Don't be so f.u.c.king dramatic," he scolded her. "This is business."

Just then, Kylie asked Lucas if her nameplate was completed. Lucas smiled and said that it was and that it would be set up within the hour. "As you requested," Lucas said, "I have amended it to say, KYLIE'S OFFICE Laurence and Khloe are not welcome."

Khloe stomped on the ground and began to have a childish tantrum. With tears in her eyes, she looked at her father and asked him if he would stand for such a show of disrespect.

"Just do your f.u.c.king job," Laurence scolded her. "You are embarra.s.sing both of us. Every time you act like this, I swear, you take a year off of my life!"

It took another two hours before Kylie's office was emptied and set up to her specific specifications. Feeling proud of what she'd accomplished in just a short time, she shut the door and lay back on the couch opposite the desk. She closed her eyes and, without intending too, she fell asleep.   

About an hour later, Kylie woke up to the vibrations of her phone. She pulled it out of her pocket and saw that she'd received a text message from Lucas. It said, "That was pretty b.a.l.l.sy what you did today. I am concerned, though. I am not sure you can make your goals with a stable full of unknowns. Furthermore, I don't understand why you asked for Lily. She hates you. Aren't you concerned that she might continue to work for Khloe, but secretly – if that were the case, she could easily sabotage anything that you attempt to accomplish over the next few months."

"Don't worry," Kylie replied. "I have a plan that takes all of that into consideration. You will just have to trust me. Aside from that, though, I do not think Lily is as loyal to Khloe as she appears to be. When you look at the way Khloe has been slandered in the media, I am convinced that the only person who is close enough to her to be the 'Anonymous Informant' who is so often quoted."