Filed to story: Watch Me Win Alpha (Olivia & Ethan)
“Been working here long?” I asked, stabbing my steamed vegetables with my fork.
“Six years,” said the one with a braid, maybe in her early thirties.
“This one’s been here ten.” She pointed to a shorter woman across from her.
I nodded thoughtfully. “Ever run into any issues clocking in?”
They exchanged a look.
“The machine’s right at the shop entrance,” said the third woman. “Sometimes it glitches.”
“No cameras?” I asked.
“Nope,” said the one with the braid. “No one checks.”
I leaned in a little. “I heard something odd, actually. Some say the factory’s haunted.””
They stiffened. The braid woman set her spoon down slowly.
“Who told you that?” she asked, her voice low.
1 shrugged. “People talk”
The shorter one whispered, “There are two names that show up on the register every day. But no one’s ever seen them. Not once.”
“Jennie Williams and Alan Fraco,” the third added, then quickly looked around.
I stayed quiet, pretending to pick at my food, while the recorder in my bag captured everything. They said the shop supervisor had warned everyone not to bring it up again. That even the timekeepers looked the other way.
That was all I needed.
By afternoon, I had gathered everyone involved-John, the shop supervisor, the personnel lead, the statistician, and the accountant-into a medium-sized meeting room near the admin wing. I smiled as I set my notebook down.
“I appreciate your time,” I said cheerfully. “There’s just a small matter I’d like to clear up before I submit my report to Alpha
Alexander.”
Everyone shifted in their seats.
“I’d like to meet Jennie Williams and Alan Fraco,” I said, casually flipping a page in my notes.
Cha
Dead silence.
No one moved. The room grew heavy.
Then the shop supervisor stood, face unreadable, and walked to the door. I watched his hand reach for the knob as he turned the lock and quietly shut the door behind him.
Olivia’s POV
I kept my tone calm as I looked at John. “Why lock the door?”
John smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “There are some things better discussed privately.”
I didn’t say anything. Just waited.
He folded his arms and leaned forward. “Jennie Williams and
Alan Fraco… they’re real. They were among the earliest employees here. Good people. Until the accident.”
My brows knit. “Accident?”
“A safety issue-years ago,” he said quietly. “It left them both with permanent injuries. They couldn’t work after that.”
I looked around the room. No one corrected him. No one met my eyes either.
John continued. “We offered compensation. Kept it out of court.
But they didn’t want a one-time settlement. They insisted on monthly wages for the rest of their working years. We agreed… off the record.”
I crossed my arms. “So for over a decade, they’ve been receiving salaries as if they were still working.”
“Theywereloyal,” John insisted. “We didn’t want to drag the company’s name through mud. It’s just two names. Small thing, really.”
“And Alpha Alexander doesn’t know?”
He hesitated, then gave me a pleading look. “He doesn’t need to. He’s got bigger things to worry about. This is internal. It’s handled.”
I nodded slowly, pretending to consider it. “Fine. But I still want to meet them. Just for verification.””
John paused, then nodded. “Of course. I’ll have someone bring them in.”
About ten minutes later, he returned with a bright smile.
“They’re already at a nearby restaurant. It’s quiet there, easier to talk.”
I nodded and excused myself from the room. The moment I stepped outside, the cool island breeze hit me. I followed the directions John had given, walking down a side street toward the restaurant. It wasn’t far.
But before I could turn the corner, I felt a sharp sting at the back of my neck.
Something cold, something fast.
My vision swam.
I stumbled forward, disoriented.
The world tilted.
And everything went black.
Alexander’s POV
The summit dinner had run longer than expected. It was nearly eight when I returned to the hotel, loosening my tie, preparing for a video conference with the European board.
Before I could even connect, Gai burst in.
“She hasn’t returned,” he said. His breathing was uneven, his composure frayed-something I rarely saw from him.
I turned from the window. “Who?”
“Olivia.”
