Chapter 2

Finley was sitting in the swivel chair across from my desk, casually admiring the expensive watch on his wrist.

When I returned, he didn't even bother looking up.

"Sorry. My hand slipped. It's just an old computer, though. You're not seriously going to make a big deal out of it, are you?"

The smug look on his face was so ridiculous that I almost laughed.

I had never understood why Finley had singled me out from the moment I joined the company. Then, the day before, I'd overheard him gossiping with a few coworkers in the pantry.

"That Jayden guy dresses like he just crawled out of the middle of nowhere. He doesn't even bother doing anything with his hair."

"Do you have any idea who brought him in on his first day? The general manager personally walked him through the door."

"With that face, who knows what he does behind closed doors to keep some older woman happy? I'm the CEO's brother, and even the general manager doesn't bend over backward for me like that. What makes him so special?"

So that was it.

Finley had repeated his own lie so many times that he had actually started believing he was the real heir.

Thinking about Sabrina's warning only made me more irritated.

I pulled out my phone and took several photos of my injured palms and ruined computer.

…

The following morning, the business planning department held a meeting.

Vivian Burke, the deputy general manager, sat at the head of the table with a proposal in her hands, looking thoroughly impressed.

"This is excellent. The research is detailed, the numbers are solid, and you've identified the real problem instead of dancing around it. Did you put this entire proposal together yourself, Finley?"

Finley stood, barely able to hide how pleased he was with himself.

"You're giving me too much credit, Ms. Burke. I was only doing my job. If you care about the company, you treat it like it's your own."

He placed deliberate emphasis on the last few words.

Melanie immediately started applauding.

"That's exactly the kind of attitude we need. Ms. Burke, Finley has clearly proved himself worthy. Why make him wait out the rest of his probation? We have that opening for assistant team lead, so why not promote him while we're on the topic?"

Vivian waved a hand. "Approved."

Finley turned and shot me a triumphant look.

I sat quietly in the corner with my head lowered, barely managing to keep the smile off my face.

The proposal was mine. There was no question about that.

However, I had a peculiar habit regarding unfinished work. Until something was finalized and formally handed over, I always left a hidden trap somewhere in the data sheet.

If anyone changed the assumptions without understanding how the numbers worked, the entire profit forecast would collapse and turn into a massive projected loss.

Finley had stolen the proposal without understanding a single thing about it.

Just imagining what would happen when he got torn apart for it almost made me laugh.

After the meeting, Finley walked over to my desk, already carrying himself like an assistant team lead.

"I passed probation today, so I'm buying coffee for the whole team. Hey, pushover. Go downstairs and get 30 cups of coffee."

I didn't budge. "It's working hours. If you need someone to make a coffee run, ask an assistant."

"Do I really need to explain this to you? I told you to go, so go."

Melanie slammed her palm against the desk.

"Are you seriously telling me the assistant team lead can't assign a mere intern to a task? If you refuse to do your job, I'll dock your performance score."

It was nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit outside, hot enough that heat shimmered off the pavement.

By the time I made it back with 30 coffees, my shirt was soaked through with sweat, and my head was spinning.

I set the drinks on Finley's desk.

"That's 150 dollars. Venmo or Zelle?"

Finley had just picked up a cup, but his hand stopped in midair. "What do you mean, 1,050 dollars? Are you actually trying to charge me for making you run an errand?"

"That's what I paid for the coffee."

I stared at him.

He gave a loud yelp and suddenly pitched forward as though he'd tripped.

The scalding latte in his hand splashed all over me. I sucked in a sharp breath as my skin immediately turned bright red.

"Oops. Sorry about that. I tripped."

Finley spread his hands, his demeanor nonchalant. "Look at it this way. I just bought you a coffee, too. You're welcome."

My vision darkened as I stared down at the stains covering my clothes.

Bracing myself against the desk, I looked at Melanie. "I'm suffering from heat exhaustion, and I've been scalded. I need to go home."

She rolled her eyes.

"Do you think you can just announce that you're leaving and walk out? Did you request time off in advance? If you leave now, who's supposed to finish your work? The company isn't paying you to act like some spoiled brat."

I was speechless.

How exactly was I supposed to predict that I'd get heat stroke and have boiling coffee dumped on me?

That was it.

I ripped the employee badge from my neck and slammed it onto the desk.

"I'm done. Whoever wants this miserable job can have it," I snapped.

Melanie sneered. "Fine. Walk out without approval, and you'll lose your attendance bonus for the entire month. I'll also fail your internship review, so don't expect a permanent offer."

I couldn't have cared less about the salary.

Just as I reached for my bag and was about to leave, my phone buzzed.

Dad had sent me a message.

"Sabrina just called. She says you've been causing trouble at work again. You're staying in that entry-level position until they hire you full-time. If you quit halfway through, you can forget about the ten million dollars I promised you to start your design studio."