CHAPTER TWENTY – MIGUEL’S VENDETTA

As the day progressed, Karina noticed more subtle offers of help. Elena "accidentally" left a detailed guide to navigating the company's most complex database open on Karina's desk. Tom scheduled an unusually long "performance review" that turned out to be an opportunity for Karina to ask questions and seek guidance on her toughest projects. By the end of the week, Karina realized that she had unknowingly gathered a small but loyal group of supporters. People who had seen through Miguel's manipulations and admired her resilience in the face of adversity. During a rare moment of downtime, Karina found herself in the break room with a mix of colleagues from various departments. The conversation flowed easily, touching on work projects and office gossip. "I've got to hand it to you, Karina," one of the marketing managers said. "The way you handled that Thompson account audit was impressive. Not many people could have pulled that off under that kind of pressure." Another colleague chim