Chapter 3

I let out a light scoff.

I'd lived with my mom overseas since I started high school. After that, I had continued my studies there and rarely returned to my home country. Hence, I had only come back this year after graduating to familiarize myself with the business at Dad's company.

Even the domestic media barely knew I existed, let alone these ordinary workers.

So, I pulled out my phone, found Dad's number, and called him right in front of everyone. The call rang for several long seconds before disconnecting.

Kaia couldn't stand it anymore and sneered, "You deliberately picked today because you knew Mr. Linden was away on a business trip and couldn't confront you in person. You just dialed some random number to fool us, didn't you?"

She glanced at the time on her watch and said impatiently, "Cut the act already. The people from the Securities and Exchange Commission will be here any minute. If I were you, I'd spend this time preparing your statement."

Anxiety welled up inside me. Even if I were innocent, once the people from the commission arrived, the resulting public attention would still damage the company.

I looked at my surroundings.

Then, an idea suddenly came to me.

I remembered that Dad's office was directly across from the records room. I didn't have the authority to access the surveillance footage from his office, but I could access the footage from the records room.

"You don't believe me, right? If so, I'll find the evidence and show you," I said.

I took the elevator straight to the IT department to retrieve the surveillance footage.

Alas, they immediately refused my request.

One of the staff said, "To access surveillance footage, you first have to submit a formal request. Once it's approved, you'll need to provide a written application signed by Mr. Linden before we can retrieve it."

It felt as though a bucket of cold water had been dumped over my head. I bit my lip, my expression tense.

Just then, I remembered that before I joined the company, Dad had given me a black box for emergencies. I quickly took it out and opened it, only to find that it contained the CEO's official seal.

I held up the seal for everyone to see and said clearly, word by word, "According to company policy, special emergencies can be processed through the expedited approval channel. The seal in my hand grants that authority."

The staff in the IT department hesitated for several seconds. Looks of uncertainty were written all over their faces.

I watched as one of the employees finally nodded in agreement.

But before he could do anything, a sharp pain shot through my wrist. At some point, Kaia had followed me upstairs. She slapped the seal out of my hand, sending it crashing to the floor.

The seal shattered into pieces instantly.

With her hands on her hips, she looked incredibly overbearing as she exclaimed, "How dare you forge Mr. Linden's official business seal? You've got some nerve, Yelena. Do you think this company belongs to your family? So the so-called evidence you were talking about was forgery?"

The staff in the IT department finally realized they'd been tricked.

Instantly, their expressions turned indignant. They should've known that a new employee who had only been with the company a short time couldn't possibly have their boss' official seal. They had almost lost their jobs because of it.

One of the IT staff said sternly, "Get out! Unauthorized personnel aren't allowed to interfere with our work."

My face darkened, and my tone grew even more grave. "You're done for, Kaia. You deliberately destroyed the company's official seal that holds the highest authority. Not only will you lose your job, but you'll also be held responsible."

Nevertheless, Kaia clearly didn't take my words seriously. "Are you done yet? How dare you try to fake having authority when our boss isn't around? You're the one who's about to lose everything."

I no longer had the energy or mood to argue with her. I could only watch helplessly as time ticked away.

Dad was away on a business trip. And once the people from the Securities and Exchange Commission arrived, the media would be reporting on it within half a day. As a consequence, the company's market value would inevitably suffer.

My face turned ashen, and my heart sank to my stomach little by little.