Regina's POV The office felt heavier than usual, like the air itself was thick with tension. I noticed the stares the moment I walked in. Some eyes were curious, some cold, and some downright hostile. Mary, of course, gave me that smirk—like she was waiting for me to slip up. She was patient, dangerous.I buried my head in my work, trying to focus. But my nerves betrayed me. That mistake on the finance report... it wasn't huge, but it was bad enough to almost cost us a major client deal. I spotted it just in time, fingers shaking as I recalculated everything. I fixed the numbers, rechecked, triple-checked. It was right now. But the thought that I could have blown this made my stomach twist.Mary's victory smirk got worse as the day went on. She whispered to colleagues, and I caught her saying, "Guess Regina's not as perfect as she thinks." Perfect? I never claimed to be. But I was damn good at my job.At lunch, I caught a glimpse of Kimberly across the room, her lips curled into a sl
Regina's POVI didn't sleep that night.The image of Cassandra and Nicholas replayed in my mind on a sickening loop. Her perfectly manicured hand on his arm. His smile—lazy, familiar, like he wasn't hiding anything.I couldn't stop thinking: Had he planned this? Had she? Was I the fool in the middle, again?By morning, I looked like I'd gone three rounds with insomnia and lost all of them. But I still showed up to work in my best blazer, heels sharp enough to stab egos.Because no one would see me crumble. Not Mary, Not Jenna. Definitely not Cassandra.And especially not Nicholas.I was halfway through reviewing a quarterly report when my phone buzzed.Nate texted, Meeting confirmed. 7pm. Excited to talk more.My stomach did a tiny flip. This consulting gig could be more than a side hustle—it was a parachute. A way out of the Walton vortex. Out of being the girl who got tangled in office politics and someone else's drama.Maybe even a way to start over."Regina." Jenna's voice pulled
Regina's POV The office buzzed with energy, but none of it reached me.I sat at my desk, staring blankly at my screen, pretending to read an email I'd opened five times already. My heart was still racing from the boardroom ambush. Mary had come in swinging with half-truths and sugar-coated insults, and Nicholas... he just sat there."What the fuck..." I thought in my mind. This pure silence was deafening!I wasn't expecting a sword fight on my behalf, but damn. A word? A glance? Anything!?Instead, he nodded at the end of Mary's little performance and moved on like I was invisible. Like the dagger hadn't landed.I bit my lip, forcing down the heat in my chest. This wasn't about emotions. It was about power.And I was done giving mine away."Regina," a voice called from behind me.I turned to see Jenna approaching, her expression unreadable."Hey," I said, trying to sound normal."Got a minute?" she asked, already walking toward the break room.I followed, tension knotting in my stoma
Regina's POVI couldn't sleep last night. Nicholas hadn't come home. No text. No call. Just silence.I tossed and turned, staring at the ceiling in his apartment, wondering if I was losing him, not again By morning, my eyes were swollen. My phone had no new messages. My heart had nothing left to hope for.I dragged myself out of bed, pulled my hair into a messy bun, and forced myself into a pencil skirt. The real estate world didn't care about your broken heart. Deals didn't wait for tears to dry.When I arrived at work, the whispers started again. Louder now."She's the reason the Carter deal almost fell apart...""...caught crying in the break room last week...""...Nicholas hasn't looked at her in days."I kept walking. Mary shot me a smug smile as I passed her desk. That witch had been on a power trip since Nicholas pulled back. And now she was bold enough to wear the same red lipstick I wore last week.In the conference room, I was the last to enter. Nicholas was already seated a
Regina's POVI couldn't breathe.The moment I saw the video on Nicholas's phone, everything around me blurred. The hallway, the murmurs, even his voice faded out.Just me and the screen. And the gut-punch of betrayal threatening to drag me under.He lowered the phone. "Regina, I swear to you—it's not what you think."I blinked at him, once. "Then explain it."Nicholas looked torn and he hesitated, "Wrong move." I growled. My heels clicked hard against the marble as I turned and walked—no, stormed—toward the exit. I didn't care who saw. Let them whisper. Let them have their scandal. Again.He caught up to me at the parking lot. "Regina, listen—Geneva was over a year ago. It was before I even met you."I froze. "Then why lie about it? Why hide it?""I wasn't hiding anything," he said, exasperated. "That video's edited. Whoever sent it wants to break us apart."I stared at him. My voice was ice. "And why would someone have a video of you half-naked in a hotel room in Geneva to begin wit
Regina's POVI didn't sleep. How could I? That text haunted me all night.By morning, my body felt like lead, but my mind was sharp. Angry-sharp. Ready-for-war sharp.Nicholas left before sunrise, headed straight to Legal. He didn't say much—just kissed my forehead, told me to trust him, and disappeared in a swirl of tailored suit and tension.I stared at my coffee for ten minutes before I finally moved. This wasn't the time to sulk. Or cry..It was time to act. And I had my own cards to play.I walked into the office just after nine, dressed like I had nothing to hide—sleek black pantsuit, red lips, hair slicked back. The kind of look that said: "Try me, and I'll bury you with a smile."The whispers started again, but I didn't flinch.Mary was waiting by the elevators like she was the queen of spite. She gave me a sugary smile."Morning, Regina. Sleep well?"I didn't stop walking. "Better than you will tonight."Her smile dropped."Small win." My brain thought.At my desk, a folder wai
Regina's POVBy the time I got back upstairs, Nicholas was pacing. Where did you go?" he asked, voice low but sharp."To breathe," I said simply, shrugging off my coat. "And to call Jenna." That stopped him."What did she say?" His brows furrowed "They're coming after you," I said. "And me. Hard."His jaw clenched. "I figured.""But there's more," I added. "There's talk about you getting demoted." That seemed to have gotten his full attention.He stood stilled. "What?""Jenna doesn't know if it's real. But if it is, guess who takes the fall for everything?"His eyes darkened. "No. Absolutely not.""Then stop hiding," I snapped. "If this is war, stop playing like you're trying to win by playing nice. These people don't care about honor. They care about optics. Control."He stared at me, then slowly nodded. "You're right."I blinked. "Wait, what?""You're right," he repeated. "It's time to fight back."I wasn't used to hearing Nicholas Walton agree. It was... weird. But satisfying.He t
Regina’s POVNicholas didn’t hesitate. He told the concierge to hold the delivery and send security to check who dropped it off. Then he locked the door and turned to me, jaw tight.“They’re not just watching. They’re trying to rattle you.”I crossed my arms to keep them from shaking. “It’s working.”Nicholas stepped closer. “We need to be smart. We hit back—clean, legal, brutal. But first, I want you safe.”“I’m not hiding,” I snapped. “I’ve been through worse. They don’t get to scare me into silence.”His eyes flashed with something I hadn’t seen before—respect. Maybe something more.But I couldn’t afford to feel anything tonight. Not with Kimberly and Dan circling like sharks, not with HR breathing down my neck, and definitely not with some shady delivery waiting downstairs like a ticking bomb.Nicholas grabbed his laptop. “I’m going to send a statement to the board. Get ahead of the leak.”“About us?”He paused. “Not yet. Just about the dinner. Business-related. Routine. I’ll spin
Regina's POVI was drowning in work.Mary had dumped a pile of last-minute revisions on my desk, claiming it was urgent, but I knew what she was doing. She was trying to rattle me. Make me slip up. I wasn't going to give her that satisfaction.Not again.I kept my head down, fingers flying over my keyboard. My phone buzzed once. Twice. I ignored it.Third time.I finally checked. A message from Jenna."Come down. Now. Just trust me."No emojis. No fluff. Just that.I glanced around. Mary was watching me from across the floor, a little too interested. I didn't care. I grabbed my phone and went downstairs.Jenna was waiting by the loading bay, arms crossed. "You've got a stalker," she said before I could even say hi."What?" I blinked.She nodded toward a black car parked near the side gate. A man leaned against it, sunglasses on. He wasn't part of the usual staff."He's been coming around," Jenna said. "And I have a pretty good idea who sent him."My stomach dropped. "Dan?""Bingo."I