CHAPTER TWO

Nathan didn't say a word. But his expression said all that needed to be said. He turned his head slightly, and gave an unknown signal to the man who walked in with him. The man nodded at his gesture and stepped forward.

“Please get your things and follow me out Sir”, he said addressing the intern who looked white as a ghost. 

A few silent gasps could be heard among the workers but nobody dared to voice out whatever they had in mind.

The intern stood frozen for a second, holding the edge of the table like he needed it to support himself. His eyes flickered around the room like he was searching for someone; anyone to defend him.

But everyone avoided his gaze. Mr Harrison, who was the man in authority just a few days back, was also silent.

Nathan didn't look bothered. He watched with a cold expression as the intern shakily gathered his things and was escorted out by the man.

His silence spoke louder than a raised voice ever could. And just like that, the message was passed across clearly: The new CEO was not someone to be messed with or underestimated in any way.

Charlotte kept her gaze on her screen, but her mind was far from calm. She wasn't exactly scared, but she felt this intimidating pressure and it made her uncomfortable. Nathan was always seen as a mystery, but now, after witnessing his wrath firsthand, she was starting to see how serious the rumors might be.

The door closed behind the intern, and a heavy silence followed. A tense, suffocating type of silence followed. Everyone pretended to be busy. Some clicked around their dashboard randomly, and some stared at their cursor like it held the answer to their unanswered questions.

Nathan's eyes swept across the room slowly. Observing. Calculating. Most people lowered their gaze immediately.

Charlotte didn't.

She was observing him, probably more than he was observing her.

He noticed and paused at her for a split second before looking away.

And with the composure of someone who knew he didn't need to shout before he was obeyed, he walked straight to his temporary office and shut the door.

No one moved for a full ten seconds.

The room finally came back to life, not in sound, but in anxious and tense movements.

Charlotte exhaled shakily.

“What kind of first day energy is this?

The rest of the morning went by unpleasantly slow.

Employees worked like their lives depended on it. Not because they suddenly love their job but because now, a mistake wasn't just a mistake. It was a risk they were unwilling to take after what they witnessed earlier that morning.

By exactly 12:45pm, everyone received the email.

MANDATORY STAFF MEETING: 3:00PM. CEO'S BOARDROOM. ATTENDANCE IS COMPULSORY.

The moment Charlotte read it, her stomach dipped.

She glanced around. Everyone has frozen mid-breath, staring at their screens with identical expressions.

No one asked questions. They just waited with nervous anticipation.

At 3pm sharp, the entire staff gathered in the board room. The atmosphere was stiff, charged with silent uncertainty. No one made eye contact. 

Just a few people whispered among themselves, which quickly died at the sound of him approaching.

Nathan walked in like he owned not just the building, but the ground it stood on. Calm, composed and emotionless.

“Good afternoon’, he said mildly.

A few murmured responses followed. Too weak to even be considered a response, but Nathan didn't seem to give it a thought.

He placed both hands on the table and looked at every single person in the room before speaking again.

“This morning should be a clear indication of someone; I don't tolerate carelessness”.

A few throats tightened. Charlotte felt hers do the same.

“This company has been running on weak structures. Too many errors. Too much leniency. That stops now.“

He straightened. With a stoic expression.

“I will be implementing a new system. One that prioritizes efficiency above all else. There will be a company wide reshuffle. Some positions will be dissolved. Some people will lose their job. And the rest will have to prove they deserve to stay.

A thick wave of tension rippled across the room.

Charlotte remained still. But her heartbeat thudded loudly in her ears.

Nathan continued, “Every department will be reviewed. Every staff member will be evaluated. Nothing is personal—this is business.”

He closed a file in front of him.

“If you’re confident in your work, you have nothing to worry about. If not… fix it.”

He didn’t wait for questions. “Meeting dismissed.”

And with that, he walked out, leaving a cold impact. Some people even visibly shivered.

By the end of the day, one thing was clear to everyone; Nathan wasn’t here to blend in. He was here to take over.

The next morning, Charlotte arrived earlier than usual, trying to shake off the anxiety that had settled in her chest overnight. She powered on her system, logged in, and waited for the morning mails.

A new message popped up almost instantly.

She clicked it, and her eyes widened, her mouth parting slightly.

DEMOTION NOTICE 

Effective immediately, you have been reassigned from the Marketing & Communications Department to the position of Data Entry Clerk.

Her heart dropped.

The next line felt like an insult slapped onto her face.

Your former position has been reassigned to Ms. Vanessa Chase, newly appointed as the CEO’s secretary.

Vanessa... The one person who treated work like a competition. The one person who celebrated other people’s losses louder than her own wins. The one person Charlotte never wanted to lose to.

Charlotte sat back in her chair, fingers trembling slightly. She wasn’t just shocked,she was humiliated. This wasn’t a simple reshuffle. This was a fall from grace.

A deliberate one.

Without thinking twice, she stood up, smoothed the front of her blouse, and headed straight to Nathan’s office.

She knocked once.

“Come in.”

He didn’t look up immediately. He signed a document, placed the pen down, and finally lifted his gaze to her.

“Yes?”

“I received an email this morning,” she said, keeping her voice calm. “It says I’ve been demoted.”

Nathan nodded once. “I’m aware.”

She stepped forward. “Sir, I’ve worked in Marketing and Communications for years. I…”

“...you were expecting a promotion,” he finished for her. “Based on what, exactly?”

Her jaw tightened. “Based on my work. My record. My…”

“That is not my concern,” he cut in flatly. “The old structure was inefficient. I’m removing weak links wherever I find them.”

Her chest stung at the word weak.

“Sir, with all due respect—”

He raised his hand slightly. “You still have a job, Miss…”

“Charlotte”, she said through gritted teeth.

Nathan leaned back in his chair, eyes cold and steady.

“And the only reason you do,” he continued, “is because the previous owner recommended you personally. Otherwise, you would have been let go with the first batch.”

Her breath caught.

“The demotion stands.”

And with that, he looked back at his screen.

“You may leave.”

Charlotte didn’t move immediately. She wasn’t shocked.She was burning. But she swallowed it, turned quietly, and walked out of the office.

She didn’t slam the door. But inside her, something cracked cleanly into two.

Nathan had made himself very clear. And Charlotte wasn’t about to forget it.

She moved a few steps away from the door, her movement wobbly, like she had lost the will to fight. At that moment the door opened swiftly, and Charlotte subconsciously felt chills as she turned towards the door.

The moment she locked eyes with the person by the door, her expression soured.