Chapter 6 THE HUMILIATION

AYRA'S POV:

I greeted Collins with a 'Good morning' as I usually do, while attempting to make my way to the changing room on coming for my afternoon shift.

"Ayra" he called out but his voice carries a constraint and sullenness.

"Hey, is everything alright? You seem off," I inquired as I approached his desk.

"Mr. Larson wants to speak with you. He's in his office waiting for you," he replied.

"Alright, let me go change first. I suppose he has some tasks for me to take care of," I remarked, making my way towards the changing room.

"No, he specifically mentioned that upon your arrival, you should promptly go meet him without delay," he replied.

"Oh," I murmured softly, a faint sigh escaping my lips, as I stood there in quiet contemplation.

"Look, here she comes," Charlotte remarked with a nod, donned in her uniform as she passed a momentary disapproving glance at me.

"Good morning, Charlotte," I greeted in a subdued tone, lacking enthusiasm.

"Did you inform her that Mr. Larson has been waiting for her in his office?" she asked Collins, who nodded in response.

"Alright, thanks Collins," I said, then hurriedly made my way to Mr. Larson's office, pondering why everyone seemed to be relaying messages from him. His office wasn't far from the reception, so I didn't waste any time getting there.

I gently knocked on his door, patiently waiting for his permission to enter.

"Enter," he said, beckoning me inside his office.

"Good morning, Sir," I greeted respectfully, remaining by the door.

I really don't enjoy coming to Mr. Larson's office, especially with all the rumors circulating around the casino, I thought, feeling uneasy about the situation.

There's a belief circulating that the women who frequently visit his office are the ones he's dating. I'm concerned about my reputation being tarnished by the rumors.

"Where is it?" he asked promptly, reaching out his hand.

"Where is what, Sir?" I asked, puzzled by his sudden request.

"Where's the bracelet?" he pressed further, his tone tinged with irritation as he looked at me expectantly.

"I'm sorry, Sir, but I'm not sure what you're referring to," I chuckled nervously, casting him an incredulous glance.

"Did you happen to clean the presidential lodge yesterday?" he asked.

"Yes, I did," I replied calmly, trying to anticipate where he was going with his line of questioning.

"Well, it turns out the person who stayed in the room is actually one of the owners of the casino," he began, shedding some light on the situation.

"And he called to report that his bracelet has been stolen," he paused, letting the gravity of the situation sink in.

"Wait, Sir," I paused, taking a moment to gather my thoughts.

"Are you suggesting that I stole his bracelet?" I asked, meeting his gaze directly.

"No, I'm stating; there's concrete evidence," he stated boldly, leaving me stunned.

"What evidence, Sir? I didn't steal any bracelet because I'm not a thief," I retorted confidently, my integrity challenged.

"Well, how do you explain the fact that he was able to identify you by name?" he chuckled.

"Sir, I have no..."

"Ayra, I judged you to be a calm and collected person, different from all those loose girls, but you've proven me wrong. Your behavior just reaffirmed something: 'there's always more beneath the surface,' right?" he said, smiling.

"This situation is getting out of hand...

"Ayra, I'm simply being courteous by asking in a gentle and polite manner. However, I'm quite certain that when the owner of the bracelet arrives, you won't appreciate it, and he won't be lenient with you," he interrupted, as if offering me a final opportunity.

Moments later, the casino's security officer walked in.

"Sir, the police officers are outside," he informed.

"See, I've been telling you to hand over the bracelet," he said firmly as he stood up.

"Sir, I don't know anything about the bracelet. In fact, I didn't even encounter the occupant of the room when I went to clean; he had already left by then," I explained, trying to clear my name of any suspicion.

"Let's go," he said, and I followed him meekly.

"Good evening, Sir. Are you in charge of the cleaning department here?" the policemen inquired, on reaching the lobby.

"Yes, Sir," Mr. Larsson replied promptly.

"We are here to make an arrest. Miss Ayra Malik," the policeman declared solemnly.

"I'm Ayra, but I swear I didn't steal anything," I pleaded, my voice quivering with fear.

"Sir, since I started working here, no customer has ever accused me of stealing anything," I said, my voice trembling with emotion.

"We are placing you under arrest for the theft of a diamond necklace," the police officer said firmly, as he reached for the handcuffs, signaling the end of my nightmare.

This is the most humiliating experience I've ever had.

"Wait, I'd like to make a phone call," I said, halting them with a gesture of my hand.

"Ma'am, we can't allow you to make a call at this moment. You'll have to wait until we get to the station," the officer said firmly as he handcuffed me and ushered me to start moving.

As I was being led away, I couldn't help but notice how the other staff stood there, their eyes filled with judgment, even Collins among them

"She's a thief after all," I heard Charlotte say as she chuckled, her words piercing through me.

CASPIAN'S POV

"In summary, cloud computing not only offers numerous benefits, including scalability and cost-efficiency, but it also introduces challenges such as data security and vendor lock-in. By comprehending these challenges and implementing best practices, we can effectively leverage the cloud while mitigating risks and maximizing its potential for our organization's success," I concluded, wrapping up my seminar on cloud computing.

The staff all applauded as I made my way out of the conference room, heading back to my office.

As the CEO of "NexGen Innovations," the pinnacle of technological advancement in our city, I lead a team dedicated to pushing the boundaries of innovation.

"Julian, you are here, it's good to see you. Please, have a seat," I greeted, as I met him already seated, busy with his phone.

"Yes, and I've been waiting for quite some time," he said, as I casually unbuttoned my suit jacket.

"Are you here with my bracelet?" I inquired, extending my hand expectantly.

"Nope," he replied simply, shaking his head.

"Then, why are you here?" I inquired, returning my attention to my laptop to resume work.

"Why are you behaving as if you're angry with me too?" he asked, a hint of confusion in his voice.

"Why do you think I'm angry with you?" I questioned.

"Well, I'm frustrated because of the lack of proper management in the casino. Just imagine, if I were a customer, would this be the level of service I could expect from Eclipse Edge Casino?" I questioned, my disappointment evident.

"Caspian, are you absolutely sure that woman stole your bracelet?" he asked, fixing his gaze directly on mine.

"Are you suggesting that I'm accusing her wrongly?" I asked incredulously, taken aback by his question.

"Firstly, the lady entered my room without permission, and secondly, she stole my bracelet," I asserted confidently as I continued typing on my computer.

"Well, she's denying taking it, and I'm at a loss on how to recover it. Plus, she doesn't strike me as a thief," he said, reclining in his chair.

"Signs of a thief aren't always evident on their faces," I retorted.

"Well, in that case, I suggest you come to the station and speak to her, cause she's insisting not stealing the bracelet neither meeting you in person" he suggested, offering a solution to resolve the matter.

"Why should I step into a police station to identify a thief?" I asked, looking at him as I paused my work.

"I could simply have the craftsmen create another engraved bracelet, but I'll let her face the consequences there," I replied, my resolve firm.

"Ha, Caspian!" Julian called out, his voice tinged with surprise.

"Come on, you can't be this harsh. Please, go and identify her first?" he insisted, urging me to reconsider.

"Alright, I'll go tomorrow," I resolved, making a firm decision.

"Come on, Caspian," he tried to cajole me, his tone filled with encouragement.

"If you don't let me focus on my work, I might just change my mind and go in two days," I said, playfully teasing him with a smug expression.

"Okay, fine, I'll go, but please don't forget," he said as he left the office.