Chapter 1

At three that afternoon, a phone call shattered the calm.

"Is this Selina Hart? We received a complaint filed under a real name alleging serious labor violations and invasion of privacy. The state labor department will open a formal investigation tomorrow."

Before I could ask anything, they hung up.

The moment the call ended, my phone started lighting up nonstop.

In just 30 seconds, hundreds of vicious texts and DMs flooded in.

"Drop dead, you sick capitalist!"

"You disgusting voyeur! I hope your whole family gets run over!"

"We've already doxxed your address. Get ready for hell!"

Despite the knot in my stomach, I opened social media with shaking hands.

The top trending post featured a video from Lucas Webb in marketing.

In the video, Lucas looked exhausted, his eyes red. "Oh my God, I can't take this anymore! My boss is a complete creep! She installed hidden cameras in my apartment to spy on me 24/7! She treats us like animals! We're nothing but slaves kept in a pen..."

Below the video was a dark photo. In the corner, you could just make out a camera with a blinking red light.

My blood boiled as I stared at the photo.

Hidden camera in his apartment? What a load of crap!

I recognized it instantly: it was the security camera in the hallway of the apartment building I'd leased for my employees.

Lucas had deliberately taken the photo from a dark corner after hours just to smear me.

This was absurd.

I'd always gone out of my way to take care of my employees. They got every weekend and public holiday off. I'd even used my own savings to rent an entire luxury apartment building so they could live rent-free near the office instead of paying outrageous rents or enduring long commutes.

On top of that, every time we wrapped a project, I treated the whole team to a trip to an island resort.

I happily picked up the tab for the pricey souvenirs they went wild for at the duty-free shops.

On each employee's birthday, I gave them a paid day off and a special gift, like the motorcycle Lucas had liked online, the designer handbag Lilith Moore had posted about, or tickets to a concert by David Price's favorite singer...

I treated them like family. I'd poured everything into taking care of them so they could focus on work and enjoy their lives.

And how did they repay me? By setting me up and turning the entire internet against me!

"Andrew!" I pressed the intercom button to call my assistant, Andrew Hale. My voice shook. "Get Lucas in here."

Less than two minutes later, my door flew open.

Lucas strolled in with his hands in his pockets, looking smug. Seven or eight people from his department followed him.

I pointed at the photo on the screen, my voice hoarse. "That's the security camera in the apartment hallway! It's clearly disclosed in the housing agreement! How dare you twist the facts like this?"

"Ha! So what!" Lucas scoffed. "You use the smart locks to track when we get home. That's control, plain and simple! You bloodsucker!

"And don't think we don't know what you did. You pocketed the bonuses that should have been ours, threw a little cash at some apartments to make it look like a perk, and now you want us to grovel with gratitude!"

I froze and looked past him at the others in disbelief.

David. Last month, when his family hit a crisis and he couldn't come up with the cash, I quietly covered it for him.

Emma Clarke. When she first started, she couldn't even put together a report. I stayed up late with her every night and taught her step by step.

And Lilith, who was always gushing about what a great boss I was...

But now, the moment our eyes met, each of them guiltily looked away. Not a single person spoke up for me.

At that moment, I finally understood. They hadn't been misled. Just like Lucas, they believed they were entitled to my personal money.

Heartache and betrayal twisted into a painful knot in my chest.

I drew a slow breath and blinked back the tears stinging my eyes. "So what exactly do you want?"

Lucas grinned, pleased with himself. "Simple. Put the project bonuses we're owed into our accounts!

"The moment the money hits our accounts, I'll go online and tell everyone this was a misunderstanding. Otherwise, I'll let the internet tear you apart!" Greed flashed in Lucas's eyes.

I glared at him. "Not a chance. None of you parasites deserve a cent."

Lucas's smile froze. "What did you say?"

"If you think that luxury apartment is a cage," I said coldly, "then get out! All of you! I want you out of my apartments by sundown. I won't let you freeload off me for another second!"

Lucas clearly hadn't expected me to stand my ground while the whole internet was coming down on me.

His expression shifted. Gritting his teeth, he snapped, "We're not going anywhere! Listen up, everyone. Until she pays us in cash, we won't lift a finger! As of now, we're all on strike! Let's see how she delivers those big projects!"

Then he stormed out with the rest of them and slammed the door.

I turned back to the contract I was preparing that afternoon, never imagining how far they'd go to force my hand...