"Not really," I replied as I noticed Alex waving at me from a distance.

His friendly demeanor felt less like that of a superior and more like that of a friend.

I returned his smile and turned to Ashton. "You seem to be getting along with him. It’s the first time I’ve seen an employee having lunch with their boss."

As I spoke, Derick’s words came to mind—he’d once mentioned that the person backing Alex had the last name "Drake." My suspicions about Ashton flared up ...