Chapter 6 The Replacement

The morning after the security break-in felt strange. The Aethelgard Tower ran with its usual smoothness, but under the surface, a nervous energy buzzed. People whispered in the hallways, not about me, but about what happened the night before.

I’d arrived early, determined to show my value wasn’t just about getting through a crisis. My first job was to send the finished progress report for the Zenith project to Julian.

I attached the file, wrote a professional email, and hit send. Almost right away, my internal chat pinged.

Julian Thorne: My office.

My heart did a little jump. Was something wrong with the report? Had Cipher found something else?

I walked in to find him at his desk, not looking at financial reports, but at pictures on his monitor—different very fancy, over-the-top cat carriers. He didn’t look up.

“The report is fine. You found the problem with the silicone supplier. Good.”

“Thank you, sir,” I said, waiting for the ‘but’.

It didn’t come. Instead, he turned his monitor to show me.

“Which of these shows both top comfort and total security?”

I blinked. “Sir?”

“For Isabella. The air pressure on the plane can be upsetting. A familiar, safe space is important to keep her calm on the way to Tokyo.”

He said it with the seriousness of a general planning a battle.

The Tokyo trip. My mind raced. Victoria was supposed to go with him. Was he asking for my opinion on Victoria’s travel plans for his cat? It seemed oddly personal.

“The… the grey one looks very strong, sir,” I guessed, pointing to a model that looked like a tank for a cat.

“Hmm. A practical choice. Maybe too plain. She likes a view.”

He clicked to another tab, this one showing a live video from his home. Duchess Isabella III was sitting on a velvet cushion, staring royally at the camera.

“She’s been uneasy since the trouble last night. The change in my schedule has messed up her routine.”

He sounded truly worried. This was the man who had just faced a corporate spy, now completely focused on his cat’s feelings. The difference was staggering.

“The business trip,” I started, trying to bring the talk back to work. “I’m sure Secretary Sterling has it all handled. She’s very detailed.”

At the mention of Victoria’s name, his mouth tightened a little.

“Secretary Sterling’s focus has been… split.” He didn’t say more, but he didn’t need to. The unspoken words hung in the air: the gossip, the doubt.

He finally looked at me, his gaze calculating.

“Which brings me to my next point. I have another business trip to finish the Shimura Holdings deal. Victoria is supposed to come with me.”

I nodded. “Yes, sir. I’ve gotten the briefing papers ready for her.”

“I know. However, given the… situation… and how you did last night, I am thinking about a change.”

He put his fingers together. “Victoria never seems to like Isabella. I can’t take her with me, nor can I leave her alone. She gets sensitive towards people who don’t like her.”

He looked at me, and for the first time, I saw it—not an order, but a hesitant, almost hopeful question.

“You don’t hate them. They are cute, you said.”

The original request. He was asking me. Me.

“So,” he continued, his voice gaining a bit of eager speed. “I think it would be best to leave her with someone who likes cats. Don’t you agree?”

The logical part of my brain yelled that this was crazy. He was talking about trusting his precious cat to a fairly new employee over his experienced head secretary because of a feeling.

But looking at him—the CEO who led boardrooms yet worried over his cat’s carrier—I heard myself say, “Sure thing.”

The relief on his face was clear.

“Good. I will send you extra money for her care.” And just like that, it was settled. A business deal, as always.

I left his office feeling strangely picked, yet confused. The feeling didn’t last long.

The bad mood in the office was getting worse. The whispers about Victoria had turned from quiet doubt to a constant buzz of judgment. I saw it wearing her down. She was at her desk every morning before anyone else and stayed long after everyone left, trying to prove her loyalty through pure, impossible effort.

I brought her a coffee one afternoon.

“Victoria, you should take a break. You’ve been at it for ten hours straight.”

She looked up, her eyes tired. “I’m fine. The supplier lists for the Tokyo trip need to be checked again. I just… I need to be sure.”

Her voice was thin, stretched tight.

“The trip is next week. You have time.”

“No,” she said, a hint of panic in her tone. “I don’t. He expects perfection. Everyone is watching. They all think…”

She didn’t finish, shaking her head, and went back to her screen, a woman trying to escape a shadow.

The day of the accident, we were at the last Aethelgard fashion store on the inspection tour. Victoria was a shell of herself, her steps shaky, her face a mask of focus as she tried to concentrate on the stock reports.

The store manager was talking, but I saw her eyes losing focus.

“Victoria?” I said softly.

She didn’t hear me. She reached up to a high shelf to point out a stock mistake, her movements slow and unsteady. Her balance shifted. Her shoulder hit the shelf.

It was like a bad dream in slow motion. A stack of heavy display boxes wobbled, then fell, crashing down onto her.

She cried out, a short, sharp sound of surprise and pain, before falling to the floor, unconscious.

“Victoria!” I screamed, rushing to her side. The world shrank to her pale, still form on the shiny concrete floor.

At the hospital, after the doctor said she had a badly hurt wrist and needed full rest for a week, Julian arrived. His face was as unreadable as ever.

“What a messy state you’ve gotten yourself into, Secretary Sterling,” he sighed, his tone holding more irritation than worry.

I saw Victoria flinch, and something in me broke.

“What? Is that all you can say? Didn’t you hear the doctor? She needs rest!”

He turned his cool gaze on me. “I don’t see how worrying is related to business. I am here to pay her, as I should as her boss.”

I was furious. But Victoria, ever the loyal worker, just nodded.

“It’s okay, Evelyn. He’s right.”

He was already moving on.

“Now, what will you do about the business trip?” he asked her, as if she hadn’t just been knocked out by her own hard work.

That was the last straw.

“I’ll go instead of her,” I said, my voice firm and clear.

He looked me over. “You? Can you really take her place?”

“Aren’t I in better shape than her? I can learn. I’ll do my best.”

A flicker of something—respect?—crossed his face.

“I like your confidence.” But then he frowned. “But Isabella… I cannot leave her with Victoria like this. It would be careless.”

I saw my chance and took it.

“No! Let’s take her with us instead!” The words spilled out. “Victoria is not in good shape. What if Isabella gets sick because of that? Isn’t one of the business trips for a modeling event? If Isabella can be a model with you, wouldn’t it be cute?”

I played my last card, the one I knew he couldn’t say no to. I talked to the one thing that could beat the cold CEO: his love for his cat.

He was quiet for a moment, thinking. The idea of his cat being a model, of having her with him, was clearly a tempting thought. The businessman and the cat lover fought inside him.

A slight, almost invisible smile touched his lips. He was convinced.

“A logical idea,” he agreed, his voice softening. “Alright. Get ready to leave the day after tomorrow.”

He looked at me, a new, curious light in his eyes. “And Miss Sharpe?”

“Yes, Mr. Thorne?”

“Don’t forget to pack for two.”