Chapter 4

SHANNON.

"Talk to me, baby," George urged in anticipation.

"I've been made the personal assistant to the new faceless boss!" I said, my anger already rising. "I'm no longer the head of the marketing team, George!"

"What the fuck?" George almost screamed.

"I've worked four damn years building that marketing unit from scratch. I trained half that team. I wrote every single pitch they now use like gospel. And now they want to make me some personal assistant?"

I slammed my palm on the countertop, more tears streaming down my cheeks. The whole universe was obviously against me and my family. I knew it!

"Who the fuck was this new boss anyway?" George shot up from his seat, "Who just wakes up one morning and decides to gut a whole department and handpick people like they're playing with toys?"

I let out a bitter laugh, wrapping my arms across my chest, "Oh, he'd better not be some smug, arrogant prick with a God complex, George. Because I swear to God, if he looks at me the wrong way..." I didn't even finish my statement before I broke into another fit of sobs.

I hated the kind of life we had. We were at the mercy of too many people. I'd prayed and hoped that soon, life would give us what we've been praying for... Our own company. George had always wanted to own his own construction company, but raising funds to see that dream come true has been like planning a trip to Mass.

Otherwise, we won't be in this condition.

George pulled me into his soothing embrace, rubbing soft circles around my back and whispering calming words to me.

My sobs were dying down, and his encouraging words were already taking root when suddenly, something occurred to me.

And then, for a split second, a chill ran down my spine.

What if... What if this isn't random?

What if George's transfer, this demotion, everything... wasn't corporate at all?

What if someone made it happen?

Someone who knew exactly how to pull the strings?

Someone who had waited eight years, just to put me right where they wanted me?

Just what if...?

No.

I was beginning to overthink things again, right?

There was no way in hell Kenai would have become that powerful to influence HR on serious matters like this.

This was me being paranoid as always.

***

George had to leave earlier than planned for the company event. HR had called him in personally. He was part of the team responsible for overseeing the logistics and making sure everything ran smoothly. Of course, he was. George was a natural planner. He was thorough, calm, and detail-obsessed. If there was a system to fix, a schedule to build, a room to organize, George was the guy.

That's why The Dial never let him rest.

He wasn't just valuable, he was essential.

And now they wanted him front and center for this overhyped party that had "CEO Ego Show" written all over it.

The so-called CEO had made his appearance a big deal. Because I still couldn't wrap my head around the fact that a whole event was being thrown just because the company's mysterious CEO decided to finally show his face.

Who does that? A man who's either completely full of himself or a complete idiot. There was no in-between.

And the way everyone at the office talked about him, like he was some kind of myth wrapped in a paycheck, made my skin crawl.

When I got to work earlier that day, HR pulled me aside to clarify my new role. Apparently, I'd still be the Head of Marketing, but from now on, I'd be doing all my work directly out of the CEO's office.

I blinked at him, waiting for the punchline.

There wasn't one.

I almost laughed in his face. "Wait, so I'm managing a department from someone else's office?" I asked.

He gave me that fake professional smile and said, "It's the new structure."

New structure, my ass. It was the stupidest job arrangement I'd ever heard.

What was this CEO trying to pull? Wait. Was this CEO or whatever the hell he was, daft?

Who works in two job roles from the same desk? And why me? Even though they mentioned a salary increase, it felt like a setup for a mental breakdown.

It didn't sit right with me.

Still doesn't.

I was done taking my bath. Valerie was meant to pick me up so we'd leave together. Sometimes I wish we worked at the same branch. It would've been easier to survive these past few months with her close by. She was the Head of Finance at The Dial's downtown location – a good position with better pay. Not that she didn't deserve it. She was smart, level-headed, and quick with numbers.

But me?

With bills piling up and everything costing twice as much as it used to, I wasn't sure I'd have survived in her role without being tempted to commit fraud and flee to another country.

Yeah. That'd be my villain origin story.

Funny.

I had just sprayed a little perfume on my wrist when the doorbell rang.

I jumped. Almost dropped the damn bottle.

Jesus Christ.

It surely won't be easy living in this house without George.

I adjusted my dress quickly and rushed down the stairs.

It had to be Valerie.

My dress swished around my thighs as I reached for the knob. "Coming!" I called out, still assuming it was Valerie. Probably forgot her phone in the car or something, knowing her.

But the moment I opened the door, my anticipation dropped flat.

It wasn't Valerie.