Chapter 3

Early the next morning, I went back to the office. I'd spent ten years building this design empire without any help from the Rota family.

But the second I pushed open my office door, I froze.

I could barely believe what I saw in my private lounge.

Klaus, usually so cold and arrogant, was tucking a familiar blanket around Linda.

Klaus had given it to me years ago after finding me shivering during a late night at work. It had kept me warm through countless winters, and I'd treasured it ever since.

Only then did Klaus notice me in the doorway. Panic flashed in his eyes, then disappeared.

"Rebecca, Linda pulled an all-nighter with me," he said casually. "She was too wiped out to stay on her feet. Your office is the only one with a lounge, so I'm letting her borrow it for a bit."

"An all-nighter?"

I gave him a mocking smile and eyed the red mark on his neck. That told me everything.

"More like you spent the night screwing around."

Klaus stiffened and tugged at his collar without thinking, guilt in his eyes. "Don't get the wrong idea."

Linda sat up at once, deathly pale, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Rebecca... don't blame Klaus. This is all my fault. I'm the one who couldn't handle the all-nighter..."

Just then, my assistant, Carl Fontaine, rushed in, clutching the laptop where I kept all my designs.

"Mr. Brenner, Rebecca... your laptop can't be fixed. It's completely dead."

My heart clenched. "What happened?"

Carl lowered his voice. "Linda... accidentally spilled water on it. The motherboard is fried. None of the data can be recovered."

I took the laptop and gave it a hard shake. Water actually poured out.

My mind went completely blank.

Every final design for this season was on that laptop, and the files were due at the factory any day.

With all the data gone, there was no way to redo them in time.

Under the contract, the company would owe a staggering penalty of ten million euros!

"Ten million euros..." My fingertips went cold.

Klaus's face darkened.

Linda, who'd been too weak to move a moment ago, teared up right on cue.

"I'm sorry... I'm so, so sorry. It's all my fault. I got dizzy and knocked my glass of water over onto the laptop..."

She raised her teary eyes to Klaus.

"I'll make it right! I'll go to the client's office right now and apologize in person. I'll beg them to give us more time. Even if I have to get down on my knees and beg, I'll do it!"

She always knew how to look helpless and win sympathy.

But this time, the rescue she was clearly expecting never came.

Klaus said nothing, his face grim.

Carl stood there, not bothering to hide his scorn. He'd seen through this clumsy act long ago.

The performance was as disgusting as it was absurd.

I said, "You think that helpless little girl act works on everyone? It only works on lecherous fools who want to indulge you. No one else is buying it."

Linda glanced from my cold expression to Klaus's furious face, and her helpless act faltered.

She let out a sob, flung herself backward, and collapsed to the floor.

"Linda!"

Klaus panicked. He rushed over and scooped her up into his arms.

When he looked up at me, there was nothing in his eyes but irritation.

"Isn't this enough? She said she'd get down on her knees and beg! What more do you want from her?

"Rebecca, you're always like this. You never let up!

"Do you have to drive her to her death?"

Klaus started to carry Linda out of the lounge.

I blocked the door.

"How are we covering the ten million euros? You're not leaving until we settle it!"

"Can't you see Linda passed out? Is your heart made of stone?" Klaus stared at me in disbelief. "Get out of the way. I'm taking her to the hospital."

My coldness had clearly stung him.

"It's only ten million euros. You're telling me the company can't cover that?" His eyes were red with anger.

Ha!

I laughed coldly. "Only ten million? Don't you remember how this company earned its first hundred thousand euros? You nearly crippled yourself setting up a venue just to save on the rental fee! Now you're throwing away our reputation and every future contract for that trashy woman. You've lost your mind!"

Klaus's face went livid. I'd hit a nerve, and he was furious.

"Either you pay, or you fire her!"

"Fine. I'll pay it! It's coming out of my personal account!" Klaus shoved me aside and rushed out of the lounge with Linda in his arms.

Klaus had once lived on clearance groceries to save a few euros. Now he was willing to throw every business principle out the window and cover a ten-million-euro loss himself, all to keep Linda on the payroll.

Watching him run off, I felt nothing but calm.

I took out my phone and called finance. "Watch for a transfer of ten million euros from Klaus. Then audit the last six months of company transactions."

I wasn't going to let those two destroy ten years of my life's work.