Ms. Vance Stays

Nobody spoke as Mr. Shawn shut the door behind us. Two security staff were already inside, both looking nervous the second the CEO walked in behind me. One of them stood immediately. "Sir."

"I need footage from the Meridian floor." His voice stayed calm. "Throughout the day."

The guard nodded quickly and moved to the computer. I stayed near the back of the room with my arms folded tightly across my chest, trying not to look at him. Trying not to remember waking up in his bed this morning.

Sienna stood near the door beside Mr. Shawn, composed again. Calm again. Like the panic from downstairs had never happened. But I saw the tension in her jaw. I saw it.

The footage loaded slowly onto the screen. 10:00AM. The office floor appeared. Rows of desks, employees moving around, me at my desk. My stomach twisted watching myself on screen like that. Head down. Focused. 

I watched myself gather files and walk toward the conference room with two coworkers. Then my desk sat empty. 

One minute passed. Two. Three.

The security guard leaned forward. "There!"

Someone entered the frame. A woman. Dark ponytail. Blue blouse.

My breath caught.

Amara.

She walked straight to my desk. Not hesitant, not nervous. Like she already knew exactly what she was doing. Nobody in the room spoke anymore. The footage showed her sitting in my chair, typing, opening files. Then she plugged something into the desktop. A flash drive.

Mr. Shawn swore quietly under his breath.

I stared at the screen. Amara.

The same Amara who sat beside me during lunch breaks.

The same Amara who called me sweet every time I helped her with reports.

The same Amara I bought cake for two weeks ago because she said nobody remembered her birthday.

I felt sick.

The footage continued. Amara looked around once, then logged out and left my desk casually like nothing happened.

The room stayed silent for a full five seconds after the video ended. Nobody moved.

Then quietly, the CEO asked, "Who is she?"

Mr. Shawn cleared his throat. "Junior assistant strategist. Amara Wills."

"Call her."

One of the security staff rushed out immediately. I couldn't stop staring at the frozen screen. Amara smiling at my desk. My desk. My login. My entire life blown apart by someone who used to sit beside me asking if I wanted coffee.

I laughed once under my breath. Not because anything was funny. Because I genuinely didn't know what else to do.

Sienna folded her arms tighter. "This doesn't prove she acted alone."

My head snapped toward her. The stranger, or should I say CEO, looked at her slowly. "Interesting statement."

Sienna immediately corrected herself. "I mean someone could've manipulated her into it. And his doesn't prove Nora is innocent."

Nobody answered. A knock came at the door a minute later. The assistant from earlier stepped inside first, nervous. "Sir, the board members are waiting upstairs for your introduction meeting."

He didn't even look away from the screen. "They can wait."

"Yes, sir."

Then Amara walked in behind him and froze. The second she saw the room, me, the footage paused on screen, her face lost all color.

"Sir, I was told you needed me—"

"Come inside," the CEO said. Quiet. Controlled.

She walked in slowly. The door shut behind her. Nobody offered her a seat.

The CEO nodded toward the screen. "Would you like to explain what you were doing at Ms. Vance's desk yesterday evening?"

Amara looked at the footage. Then at me. Then immediately at Sienna.

That was the first thing she did. Look at Sienna. I saw it. And apparently he did too, because his eyes narrowed slightly.

Amara swallowed hard. "I-I was just helping with the project files."

"Using her login?"

"I—"

"Using a flash drive?"

Her breathing became shaky. Mr. Shawn stepped forward angrily. "Do you understand the level of damage you've caused? Because of what you did, those Meridian designs are now in a competitor's hands. The company's lawyers are already being brought in to handle this and someone will be held fully responsible!'

"I didn't mean—"

"Nora could've been sued because of this!"

"I said I didn't mean to!" Her voice cracked loudly. Tears filled her eyes instantly.

I just stood there staring at her. This girl used to hug me. God. People were terrifying.

The CEO stayed calm through all of it. Too calm. "Who told you to do it?"

Amara's eyes widened immediately. "No one."

"You're lying."

"I swear nobody—"

"You entered her desk confidently. You knew her password. You came prepared with a storage device. That isn't random." His voice hardened slightly. "So I'll ask once more. Who told you to do it?"

Amara started crying harder. "I didn't mean for it to get this bad."

Sienna suddenly moved. Fast. Before anybody expected it. The slap cracked across the room so loudly even I jumped. Amara stumbled sideways with a gasp.

What in the world?!!

"How dare you?" Sienna snapped. Real anger this time. "How dare you frame another employee because you were careless?"

Amara stared at her in shock, holding her cheek. "I didn't—"

"You embarrassed this entire department!" Sienna shouted over her. "Do you understand what you've done?"

I frowned immediately. Something felt wrong. Very wrong.

She was suddenly playing the "catch the bad guy" role.

The CEO looked at Sienna carefully. Too carefully. Then he asked quietly, "And you weren't involved?"

The room went still again. Sienna blinked once, then forced herself to stay calm. "No, sir."

He kept looking at her. Long enough to make even me uncomfortable. Then his attention shifted back to Amara. She was crying too hard to even speak properly now.

"I just..." She wiped at her face desperately. "I just wanted the promotion." Nobody said anything. She looked down at the floor. "Sienna said..." She stopped herself so suddenly it was obvious. Too obvious.

Sienna's head turned sharply toward her. Amara immediately shook her head hard. "No—I mean—not Sienna—I just—"

The CEO noticed it. Of course he noticed it. Nothing about him suggested he missed much. But surprisingly, he didn't push further. Not yet. Instead he looked at Mr. Shawn.

"Terminate her employment immediately."

Amara broke completely. "Please, sir—"

"You manipulated company systems, framed another employee, caused reputational damage, and handed confidential designs to a competitor before my first official day even began."

"I said I'm sorry!"

"And if security footage didn't exist?" he asked flatly. "Would you still be sorry?"

Amara couldn't answer. Because everybody in the room already knew the truth. No. She wouldn't have been.

The CEO stepped closer slightly. Not loud. Not dramatic. Worse. Controlled. "I walked into this company today expecting professionalism. Instead I found lies, gossip, false accusations, public humiliation, and employees destroying each other to climb higher." Nobody breathed. Nobody moved. Even Sienna stayed completely silent now.

"If anyone in this building ever attempts something similar again," he continued calmly, "forget about working here. Forget about being hired anywhere."

The words landed hard. Cold. Final. One of the guards beside me straightened immediately. Mr. Shawn looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him whole.

And me — I just stared at him. Because every single person in that room looked terrified of him now. Except me. I was still stuck on the fact that less than twelve hours ago this same man had his mouth against mine in a dark hotel room.

The assistant knocked carefully again before opening the door halfway. "Sir... the board really is waiting."

This time he nodded once. "I'm coming." The assistant disappeared again immediately.

The CEO looked toward Mr. Shawn. "Ms. Vance keeps her position." Relief hit me so suddenly my knees almost weakened. "And from now on, accusations are investigated properly before public action is taken. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," Mr. Shawn answered immediately.

His eyes shifted one final time toward Sienna. Just one look. But something about it made the back of my neck tighten. Like this wasn't over. Not even close.

Then he walked toward the door. Everybody moved out of his way instantly. The room stayed silent as he left. And just before the door closed behind him, he stopped walking for half a second.

Without turning around, he said quietly, "Ms. Vance."

My breath caught.

"Come see me after the board meeting."

Then he walked out. Leaving the entire room staring at me.