[BL] Transmigrated as the Villain CEO's Mermaid Secretary Chapter 89: Liam Saves the Day

Neville stood before Jenna, his fists clenched tighter than before. Jenna continued to ignore him. She barely glanced up from the holographic screen. Her fingers moved across the holographic display with indifference, scrolling through another display with what looked like a shopping site.

"I said, I need to speak to your supervisor," Neville repeated, keeping his voice level despite the frustration building in his chest.

Jenna’s eyes flicked toward him for half a second before returning to her screen. A small smile played at the corner of her lips as she tapped sothing that made a satisfying ding.

"Supervisor? There were no higher ranks available in the departnt right now to tend to your important application."

Neville’s jaw tightened. "Then you should’ve approved it imdiately. The protocol already said it’s automatic if there was enough leave available."

"I also said, that’s for standard situations." Jenna looked at him, leaning her back in her chair, arms crossing over her chest. "By the way, your request was flagged for additional review."

"On what grounds?"

"Insufficient advance notice." She said it like she was reading from a script, bored and chanical. "You just gave a few hours or minutes of notice."

Neville’s hands trembled slightly. He shoved them into his pockets before she could notice. "The system already accepted my application. If there was an issue in the first place, it should’ve rejected it imdiately, not left it in limbo."

Jenna shrugged, one shoulder lifting in a gesture that scread Not my problem. "System accepts everything. Doesn’t an it’s approved."

[Host,] Shelly’s voice resounded in his head, tinged with concern. [Your pheromone levels are spiking. That’s not good.]

’I know,’ Neville thought back, careful not to let his expression change. ’Just give a minute.’

But Jenna wasn’t done. She glanced at her light brain again, this ti pulling up sothing that made her eyes light up with barely concealed glee.

"Besides, even if I wanted to approve it, I can’t. Director Hatfield is in off-planet etings all week. You can schedule an appointnt for next Monday if you like."

"But I—"

"Enough." Jenna cut him off, her attention already drifting back to her screen.

She pressed sothing on the interface where a countdown tir appeared. It looked like she was in a virtual queue for concert tickets or sothing similar.

"You should’ve thought of getting a leave this morning." Her finger hovered over a button as the waiting room countdown ticked closer to zero. "I might’ve been able to approve one day. Unpaid, of course."

Unpaid. One day. For a problem that would last at least a week.

Neville’s vision swam for a mont, and he had to blink hard to clear it.

[Host,] Shelly’s voice was even quieter now. [You really need to get out of here before soone notices.]

’I know,’ Neville thought back, his desperation mounting. ’But I can’t just leave without—’

"Is there a problem here?"

The voice cut through Neville’s spiraling thoughts—that deep, asured voice with an undertone of authority that made even Jenna snap to attention. Neville turned toward the source.

Liam Rivera approached casually with confidence. Neville recognized him imdiately. He was the one who interviewed him before. Liam looked different now; he looked sharper with an HR Supervisor badge clipped to his pressed suit jacket instead of the staff mber tag he had worn before.

Jenna straightened so fast that Neville heard her chair squeak. Her entire deanor transford in an instant, that bored indifference lting into sothing uncomfortably close to adoration.

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, smile widening. "Supervisor Rivera!"

"What brings you to this section?" Her voice practically dripped with honey. "There’s no problem, just so employee."

Just so employee. Neville’s fists clenched tighter in his pockets. I ca from the Secretarial Departnt, Missy!

"Is that so?" Liam’s gaze moved from Jenna to Neville, and sothing flickered in his expression.

"Ye—"

Neville cut her off before she could spin whatever story she had co up with.

"I’m asking why my leave was pending when I’m clearly qualified for one." He kept his voice steady, professional, even though he was clearly about to burst in rage.

Jenna’s smile tightened at the corners. She turned back to Liam, hands spreading in a helpless gesture. "No, no. He just hasn’t completed his appli—"

But Liam had already moved past her, his fingers dancing across his own light brain interface. His eyes scanned the holographic display that materialized in the air between them, brow furrows deepening with each line he read.

"I’ll handle this," he said, his tone leaving no room for argunt.

"But—" Jenna started, and this ti there was genuine alarm creeping into her voice.

"I’ll talk to Director Hatfield myself."

The color drained from Jenna’s face. Her mouth opened and closed wordlessly, the picture of soone whose crush beca disappointed with her rather than soone who felt any real guilt about her actions.

Liam gestured toward the main corridor with a tilt of his head. "Co on. Let’s sort this out properly."

Neville didn’t need to be told twice. He fell into step behind Liam, minding the distance between them. Close enough not to be left behind, far enough that his leaking pheromones wouldn’t be obvious.

Behind them, a strangled cry of frustration echoed through the HR section, followed by what could only be described as an anguished roar.

Neville glanced back to see Jenna through the slightly frosted cubicle wall. She was staring at her screen in horror; her virtual queue number had clearly tid out.

Karma, Neville thought with grim satisfaction.

As they walked through the maze of cubicles and workstations, Neville noticed the subtle shift in atmosphere around Liam. Employees glanced up from their quantum computers, offering respectful nods that Liam returned with easy familiarity.

A woman in Logistics who was just visiting the departnt actually smiled at Liam and gave him a small wave. Liam waved back.

It seed that he was thriving in HR, not bad.