Later that night, after learning who was behind it all, Elise talked to Braden on the phone before bed, casually bringing up what had happened with Killian.
After listening, Braden was a bit surprised. Last time, when Killian accidentally broke his phone, she had been so polite about apologizing. He couldn't imagine her scheming or doing anything underhanded.
Besides, she didn't have any issues with Elise; there was no reason for her to make things difficult for herself in the new company.
Leaning against the wall, Elise held her phone. "Evelyn and I agreed to show Zayne the footage from the hidden camera first thing in the morning. The script impacts the company heavily, so he needs to know. As for dealing with Killian, I'd prefer Zayne decide."
"You've worked hard. I'll be back tomorrow afternoon and pick you up at the office in the evening," Braden said, listening intently to her while wearing his headset in his hotel room.
"I still can't figure out why Killian would do something like this. She seems like such a nice girl, polite too, aside from being a bit emotional that day she offered me cake." Elise sighed, feeling helpless about the whole situation.
"Yeah, don't overthink it. If you and Evelyn feel like there's someone behind Killian, then there probably is. Personally, I think it's Mylee and Tyree pulling the strings—nobody else would bother with something this petty."
"Really? Are you sure?"
"Yeah, Tyree's got a history of bad behavior. I don't know why Gunnar brought him into H Technology—probably to keep me in line," Braden said, rubbing his forehead at the memory. "Before I agreed to the fake relationship with Mylee, Gunnar would send me with her on every business trip. I think he was trying to push us together, but when I didn't take the hint, he brought Tyree in. Since Tyree and I have overlapping work, maybe he thought I'd end up 'getting along' with Mylee eventually. Guess he didn't count on me ending up with you instead."
"Are you really okay with this…?" Elise's voice came through the phone, laced with worry.
Even over the phone, Braden could tell exactly what she was worried about.
"I've been doing a lot of thinking these past few days," Braden started, explaining his plan. "Every job has its ups and downs, and there's always going to be some drama. But I can't keep overlooking how Gunnar protects the wrong people. Plus, with you being pregnant, I want a simpler work environment—and more importantly, I want you to feel at ease. That's why I'm thinking of leaving. The team over at Games has been wanting me to join them for a while now, so maybe it's time to move on from H Technology. That's where my head's at." He laid out his backup plan for her, step by step, hoping it would ease her worries a bit.
Elise hesitated. "But what about the game we're working on together?"
"Gunnar can find someone else to figure it out. If he's protecting people, he'll have to face the risks that come with it." Braden paused his work, gently coaxing her. "All you need to do is wait for me to come home. I'll handle the rest. It's getting late, you should get some sleep."
"Just don't overwork yourself, okay? I can hear you typing away. You're still working, aren't you?"
"I'm fine, really. I'd rather you get some good rest, stop worrying about all this, and don't worry about me—I'm okay."
"You know I'll worry, right?"
"Of course, I know you. How could I not?"
"Alright, goodnight then," Elise said playfully. "And remember… I love you."
Braden chuckled, replying, "Goodnight, I love you too."
After hanging up, Elise leaned against the wall, her eyes on the hidden camera feed. Thinking back on Killian's actions, if Baden's suspicions were right and this was all Mylee and Tyree's doing, it suddenly seemed a lot less surprising.
But what she couldn't understand was why Killian would agree to go along with their plans.
As Elise pondered, Ruth walked into the room, clutching her pudding cup.
"Are you guys done talking?" Ruth asked, sitting down at Elise's computer desk.
Elise blinked, surprised. "Yeah… but were you waiting for us to finish?"
"Bingo!" Ruth laughed. "Didn't want to be the third wheel!"
"Third wheel? We were mostly just talking about the USB drive. But I didn't expect your brother to already be planning to leave H Technology."
"Oh? I hadn't heard about that either. But it's probably for the best. Mylee's always been weird, and staying there too long might make him weird too. Better to leave sooner." Ruth agreed that leaving H Technology was the right call.
"I just hope it doesn't affect the game collaboration. There was this other company where a designer left halfway through the project. They brought in a replacement, but the game lost its original essence." Elise was more concerned about this than the storyline issues.
Ruth pondered. "Yeah… but there's not much you can do. Our company's head of R&D has rumors floating around that he's retiring soon. Who knows if it's true, but everyone's talking."
"Guess that's life. Anyway, I'm off to bed. Feel free to use the computer if you want, but don't stay up too late!" Elise lay down, pulling the blanket over herself.
Ruth scooped up a bite of pudding, enjoying it silently, nodding in response.
