Chapter 4

Only then did I rise to my feet, completely unhurried, and greet Claire and Adrien in fluent Ferasian before smoothly steering the conversation toward business.

By the time the Moreau couple left, their expressions had softened considerably. They even pointed toward me and said, "She's the kind of person we trust to handle our account."

The moment they were gone, Mr. Langdon pulled Sandy aside and whispered something to her.

When he returned, he cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Well... after considering everything, we've decided that Winona will remain in charge of this project, with Sandy assisting her and learning the ropes. We need to make sure the client is satisfied!"

Sandy stood frozen, her face flushing before turning pale. Whatever composure she had left completely crumbled when she saw the astronomical bill.

"Sandy, you're such a generous person! You gave me the opportunity to work on the project again, and you even treated everyone to such an expensive dinner. That's what I'd expect from an heiress!"

"It's not a big deal," she ground out, practically clenching her teeth. "We're colleagues. It's the least I could do."

…

Time flew by, and the holidays soon rolled around.

With a long weekend approaching, our department group chat was buzzing with plans for a team-building trip involving hiking and camping.

Sandy tagged me in the group chat and wrote, "Winona, why don't you join us? It'll be a great chance for everyone to bond."

"Thanks, but I'll pass," I declined. "I've already made plans to visit the Meldives with my family."

The group chat went quiet for a moment before erupting.

"Here she goes again! The Meldives!"

"Winona, if you're going to make things up, at least put some thought into it!"

"Exactly! Even Sandy hasn't claimed she's going to the Meldives. Can't you be a little more realistic?"

I couldn't be bothered to argue with them in the group chat.

As I stepped out of the office building after work, a flashy bright yellow sports car screeched to a stop right in front of me.

The door swung open, and my sworn nemesis, Zach Fulton, climbed out clutching an outrageously large bouquet of roses.

"Winona, I was wrong! I shouldn't have provoked you at the auction and gotten you exiled. These flowers are my apology. I'll drive you wherever you want, cater to your every whim, and be your loyal servant. Please, please forgive me!"

He was loud, theatrical, and impossible to ignore. Within seconds, he'd attracted the attention of countless coworkers leaving the building, including Sandy and her little entourage, who happened to walk out at that very moment.

…

By the next morning, rumors were spreading like wildfire.

"Winona's being kept by some rich guy. No wonder she won't go hiking. She's got money to blow on a trip to the Meldives!"

"She drives a tiny car to work and gets picked up in a luxury sports car afterward. How many sugar daddies does she have?"

"Who knows how she usually lands her deals? Some people will do absolutely anything for money."

This time, I refused to stay silent.

I went straight to a top lawyer, sought legal advice in my own name, and began gathering evidence.

By that afternoon, a formal legal notice had been delivered to Sandy's desk.

She panicked. She'd never expected me to stand my ground so firmly, let alone take the matter straight to a lawyer.

She rushed over to me, her eyes red as she choked out, "Winona, why would you go this far? We're all colleagues. It was just a joke. Do you really have to make things this ugly?"

Other coworkers quickly gathered around us, all talking over one another.

"Winona, aren't you making a mountain out of a molehill?"

"Sandy can be a bit blunt sometimes. She didn't mean any harm."

"We're all just trying to earn a living. Why make things so difficult for each other?"

Mr. Langdon summoned me to his office as well, his expression dark with displeasure.

"Winona, I hear you're planning to sue a coworker? This is absolutely ridiculous!" he barked. "The company hired you to work, not cause trouble! I'm warning you—put an immediate stop to this nonsense, or you can forget about securing a permanent position.

"In fact, I'll make sure you regret it! Pack your things. You're fired!"

Before he could finish, the office door swung open from the outside.

Dad strode in, looking as though he'd come straight from a long trip. He stood in the doorway with an air of quiet authority.

Liam followed close behind with a nervous expression, along with Melville Group's HR director.

Dad's gaze swept over Mr. Langdon before settling on me, then shifted toward the open office, where everyone had fallen deathly silent.

Mr. Langdon froze for a moment before plastering on an ingratiating smile and hurrying over to greet him.

"Mr. Melville! What brings you back so soon? You must be exhausted from your business trip! You've arrived just in time, actually. We have an intern here who's been causing trouble, and I was just about to deal with her."