It was Christmas eve, the 24th of December.
Though the night before Christmas sounded like a very romantic day, it was not.
It happened to be on Sunday, What a coincidence! However, some unlucky ones had to work overtime
until they were exhausted.
The sales team also had to negotiate with the customers to sign the contract.
At IP&G headquarters, many employees went to work early this morning.
The competition was so fierce that anyone could be replaced if he did not work hard, Even during the
holiday, no one dared to relax at all.
"Director Parker, you are also working today?"
Most of the employees here knew Barbara Parker.
When they saw her, they immediately greeted her.
Barbara was competent in work and polite to her subordinates.She enjoyed immense support among
employees.
"You don't go out with your boyfriend today?"
Several female colleagues walked into the elevator with her.
Today was Christmas eve, so that question sounded reasonable.
"Men don't even like me." Barbara smiled and chatted with them.
"Director Parker, if you say that, singles like us will be ashamed.As long as you agree, most of the
colleagues in our company will line up waiting for you."
The elevator was going up, and Barbara responded casually, "I just want to do my current work well."
"Director Parker is right.We women can also be financially independent.There's no need to rely on
men.Those managers are a bit like toads lusting after a Swan's Flesh."
Afew women were flattering their superiors.
Barbara was not interested in their conversation.Suddenly, a colleague from the Office of the Secretary
exclaimed.
"Ah, I see.Mr.Hopkins also said he was coming today"
Ting.
Just then, the elevator door opened.
Two colleagues of the advertising team got off on the 42nd floor, leaving only a female colleague from
the Office of the Secretary and Barbara.
"Is Mr.Hopkins going to work today too?" Barbara asked casually.
"Yes.”
"Because of the company's project?"
"I don't think so.But I not sure."
Barbara was very influential in IP&G, so everyone would like to please her.
"It should be a private matter, but we don't dare to ask." The secretary replied deferentially.
In fact, in IP&G, especially the secretaries, they all knew that Barbara had feelings for Mr.Hopkins.
The Office of the Secretary was full of adorable women, and each of them was talented and charming.
It was understandable that those women somewhat admired Mr.Hopkins.
But mostly, they only thought of it in their mind.
Few women could get close to Mr.Hopkins, and Director Parker was an exception.
"Do you know where Mr.Hopkins has been to recently after work?" Barbara suddenly asked anxiously.
The secretary should tell the truth when asked a question by a superior like Barbara.
However, it was inappropriate to do so this time.
Although she was a newcomer, she knew the rules.
Moreover, Mr.Hopkins was a rather difficult person, so she didn’t dare to say anything about his privacy
at all.
Barbara realized that immediately.
Upon noticing her misbehaving, she smiled kindly at the secretary.
"Yesterday, when I was having dinner in the house of the Hopkins family, I heard the driver say that
Mr.Hopkins had been driving himself recently.
Senior Mr.Hopkins asked me about this, but I was not sure.
I thought people in the Office of the Secretary would know it"
Barbara explained casually.
She even mentioned that she went to the house of the Hopkins family for dinner, and Senior
Mr.Hopkins personally asked her about it, as if she was just purely curious.
The elevator stopped on the 68th floor with a "Ting" sound.
Both of them got off.
The secretary didn't think much but told her directly, "I don't know where Mr.Hopkins has been to after
work, but he's been driving himself recently"
Then, she added jokingly, "Last week, Chandler happened to come over when we were about to leave
for home, but Mr.Hopkins said he didn't have time to see him and left through the VIP Corridor.It seems
he doesn't want others to disturb him in his private time"
He didn't want anyone to disturb him in his private time.
Barbara stopped with a mixed expression on her face.
Patrick had not been living with the Hopkins recently.He said he lost some of his memory, so he treated
his family and friends more coldly.
But where on earth did he live now? It was not easy to investigate Patrick's private assets.
Besides, he didn't like others to interfere.
Today was Saturday, although some employees came over to work, the office seemed relatively quiet
at first glance.
When looking at the door of the president's office in front of her, she felt hesitant.
The chief secretary didn't work today, so there was no need to do reporting to him.
Barbara opened the door.
In fact, she didn't think too much.She just suddenly wanted to see him.
That was all.
But as soon as she got in the room, she realized that Patrick was not there.
This office was spacious but looked cold without normal human nature, just like his way of handling
work.
Barbara turned around and wanted to leave but found a slanting document on the bookshelf on her
right-hand side as if it was about to fall.
People who worked intensively always had some obsessive-compulsive disorder.She walked over and
organized it.
The door creaked.
"Who is so interested in my private life?"
At this moment, the thick door of the president's office opened abruptly, accompanying a cold and deep
voice of asking.
The footsteps coming in were extremely heavy and filled with anger.
Barbara squatted down immediately and hid behind the huge office desk.
She knew better than anyone how much Patrick hated others interfering with his privacy.
If he found out that she had run into the office without permission, it would only make him alienate her
more in the future.
Barbara didn't know who he was talking to on the phone.However, his tone had hinted that he was very
impatient.The USB drive hasn't been found yet!" He said.
"You wanted to tell me the USB drive suddenly disappeared? Or you didn't try your best?"
The USB drive? What was that? Barbara thought.She quickly recalled the recent major projects but
couldn't find any clue.
"The relevant medical staff are out of contact.So you don't think it's necessary to continue?"
He walked to the French window with an increasingly cold tone.
Nobody knew what the person he was talking to had reported to him.
Suddenly, he angrily threw an antique vase down to the ground.
With a smash, the vase broke into a million pieces.
Barbara was terrified, then heard him ordering furiously.
"The USB drive is definitely not in Derek's hands.Expand the scope and keep looking for it.If you can't
find it before the new year, then you will be fired"
The USB drive.
Patrick was looking for a USB drive.
Barbara pondered.She was in a trance.
Her body was stiff, but she did not dare to move, hiding behind the huge office desk until her legs felt
weak.
It was not until Patrick had left for a long time that she slowly stood up.
Her breath slowed down, but it was suppressed and short.Her heart beat so wildly that her face went
pale.
"Director Parker, you haven't gone back yet?" A sudden voice coming from the back startled her.
Barbara turned around with her neck stiff.It was that secretary.
"I'm leaving now"
She replied, and her voice stiffened uncontrollably.
The secretary didn't ask further.
She organized the documents herself and planned to leave too.
However, when she saw Barbara leaving hurriedly, she felt something suspicious.
Working this weekend was not compulsory.
Besides, today was Christmas eve, so everyone only worked until noon, and no one should be working
at this moment.
However, Director Parker's expression was really strange.
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