The women exchanged glances before one of them stepped forward, narrowing her eyes to slits. "How are you still alive?"
Maia blinked. "What?"
"How are you still working for Ian Staniforth?" Another woman immediately jumped in. "I worked for him a few days and quit."
"I cried every single day until I finally quit in my second week," the tallest one said at last. "And I was the only assistant who lasted that long." She glanced at the other women. "Right?"
They all nodded in agreement.
She returned her gaze to Maia. "We heard you've even made it past your probation. What's your secret?"
"Yeah. How did you tame that ruthless man?"
"Do you have blackmail material or something?"
"Are you a sorcerer?"
Maia's travelled from one woman to another, a sympathetic look glazing across her face.
Oh, Ian Staniforth! Look what you've done!
Just how badly had he treated these poor women to make them grow such a tight connection against him?
