Chapter 4

On the third day of my suspension, I returned to the office to pack up my remaining things.

When the receptionist saw me walk in, she quickly averted her eyes, looking completely uncomfortable.

My cubicle had already been halfway cleared out, and my nameplate had already been stripped from the desk.

The board of directors was desperate to give Genesis Capital an official explanation, so my offboarding paperwork had been fast-tracked much quicker than I had ever anticipated.

I placed my old notebook into a cardboard box. Sitting at the very bottom was a faded, yellowing receipt.

It was for the five-thousand-dollar server subscription renewal.

The payer's name read: Natalie Cross.

Right next to it lay my very first company badge. On the back, there was a sentence I had scribbled in tiny print all those years ago.

Save up five thousand dollars, and Winston won't ever have to beg anyone for help again.

Staring at that line, a wave of sheer absurdity washed over me.

The office door was pushed open.

Sera walked in, my grey cashmere shawl draped casually over her shoulders.

The moment she noticed me, she instinctively reached up and wrapped it tighter around herself. "Winston said you didn't want this anymore. I easily get cold, so I figured I’d put it to use."

I set my cardboard box down. "Take it off."

She blinked, stunned. "Natalie..."

"I said, take it off."

Sera’s eyes instantly flushed red. "Why do you always have to be like this? I’m already so terrified that I haven't been able to sleep for days. What more do you want from me?"

I took a deliberate step closer to her. "Are you losing sleep because you used my account credentials, or because Winston pinned your dirty laundry onto me?"

Her face completely drained of color.

From the doorway, Winston’s voice suddenly thundered. "Natalie!"

He strode into the room, instantly pulling Sera securely behind his back. "Are you cornering her again?"

A bitter laugh escaped my throat. "Winston, your timing is always impeccable."

His brow furrowed tightly when he caught sight of the packing box on my desk. "You were suspended, not fired. What are you doing packing up your things?"

I forwarded the formal termination email directly to his phone. "The offboarding process is already complete."

He looked down to read the screen, and his expression changed instantly. "Who approved this?"

"The board."

"That's impossible. It's completely invalid without my signature."

"Winston, Article 37 of the company bylaws explicitly states that executive termination takes effect upon a majority vote from the board of directors. If you recall, I was the one who pulled an all-nighter to draft that amendment for you."

He completely froze.

Sera spoke up from behind him in a fragile, hushed voice. "Winston, the representatives from Genesis Capital are going to arrive any minute now. Please don't get into another fight with Natalie on my account."

Winston instinctively turned his head to look back at her.

With that single glance, every remaining shred of my hesitation completely dissolved.

I picked up my cardboard box and headed straight for the exit.

He chased after me, keeping his voice down to a harsh whisper. "Natalie, where do you honestly think you can go if you leave this place? Every single ounce of your resources, your network, and your projects from the past five years are rooted entirely in Sterling Tech."

I stopped in my tracks. "I've already signed a new partnership agreement."

He blinked, caught entirely off guard.

I looked at him with absolute tranquility. "For this current round of due diligence, Genesis Capital’s independent advisory consultant is me."

The elevator doors slid open.

Frank Cole stood inside, flanked by two board directors and the corporate legal counsel.

He looked directly at Winston, his tone entirely detached and professional. "Mr. Sterling, regarding your company's operational incident, shareholder disputes, and executive departures, we require Director Cross to join us for a separate, private briefing."

The color drained from Winston’s face, degree by degree, until he looked entirely hollowed out.