Casted.

The room fell into a suffocating silence the moment Rex’s voice cut through.

“Explain.”

Just one word, and everywhere became silent, like no one even existed in there.

One word spoken in authority sent shivers down their spine, and in that moment, they wished that the ground could swallow them.

The three women standing before him trembled like leaves caught in a storm. The once bold, sharp-tongued employees now looked like cornered prey. Their confidence had evaporated, leaving behind nothing but fear.

“I… I can explain, sir—” one of them stuttered.

“Then do it.” Rex’s eyes hardened, as if he was trying to hold back his anger. “And do not dare lie to me.”

The tension snapped immediately.

It was now or never.

Two of the women suddenly dropped to their knees, their heels clattering loudly against the floor.

“Sir please!” one cried, her voice breaking. “We didn’t mean to—”

“It was her!” the second one pointed accusingly at the third woman, who was the department head, the one who had always walked around like she owned the whole company. The one who led the bully gang.

“She made us do it! She said no one would find out!”

A collective gasp escaped through the lips of the staff gathered around.

The accused woman’s face drained of color. “You liars!” she shrieked, her composure breaking. “You were part of it! Don’t pin this on me!”

But the damage was already done.

They were all doomed.

Whispers erupted once again.

“Miss V didn’t lie.”

“These women are so unbelievable.”

“They even had the nerve to steal from the company. Such audacity!”

Gracelyn stood a few steps away, arms folded, and her expression unreadable.

If anything, she looked bored.

They were all faking these tears. If they weren’t caught, they wouldn’t feel pity or remorse.

It reminded her of Ellen, her sister.

Her gaze flickered briefly to her wristwatch.

Time was ticking.

She didn’t have the luxury to indulge in this circus.

“Mr. Sinclair,” she said calmly.

Everyone went quiet again.

Rex turned to her immediately, his expression still stern, but now attentive.

Gracelyn tilted her head slightly. “As entertaining as this is, I believe we’re wasting time.”

The kneeling women froze, their tear-streaked faces turning toward her.

Gracelyn’s lips curved faintly, but there was no warmth in it.

It was more like she was enjoying the show.

“I already told you,” she continued, her tone cool, and almost indifferent, like this was not a matter of theft, “they covered their tracks. The documents they submitted are clean.”

A flicker of confusion crossed Rex’s face.

“However…” she added, her eyes sharpening, “they weren’t careful enough.”

She reached into her bag, pulling out her phone.

“I’ve forwarded the actual files to your email. The unedited versions.”

Rex didn’t hesitate. He pulled out his phone instantly, opening his mail.

The moment his eyes scanned the contents, his entire demeanor shifted.

His jaw tightened.

His grip on the phone stiffened.

The air around him seemed to drop several degrees.

Damn!

Could the apocalypse be happening right now?

Maverick, standing behind him, leaned slightly to glance at the screen, and even he inhaled sharply.

“Embezzlement…” Maverick muttered under his breath.

“Repeatedly,” Rex added coldly.

The three women froze completely.

“Company money diverted into concealed accounts…falsified expense reports…” Rex’s voice grew darker with every word. “You thought you were smart.”

“No, sir…please—”

“Silence!” he barked.

The force of his voice made them flinch violently.

Rex lowered his phone slowly, his gaze landing on them like a death sentence.

“You didn’t just steal from this company,” he said, his tone eerily calm now. “You manipulated internal systems. You falsified official records. And on top of that…”

His eyes flicked briefly toward Anna.

“…you harassed and intimidated a fellow employee.”

Anna stood in the corner, visibly shaken, clutching her bag tightly against her chest like a shield. Her eyes were red, and her body trembling.

Rex’s expression shifted again, this time, something closer to regret.

He walked toward her.

Anna instinctively shrank back.

That alone made something in Rex’s chest tighten.

Was he scary?

Or was she just too traumatized by these bullies…

“I…” he paused, his voice lowering. “I owe you an apology.”

The entire room held its breath.

Mr. Rex Sinclair was actually apologizing?

“I was unaware of what you were going through under my watch,” he continued. “That is my failure as the CEO of this company.”

Anna’s lips parted slightly, shock written all over her face.

“To make up for it,” Rex added, “the company will ensure your mother receives the best medical care available. All expenses—”

“That won’t be necessary, Mr. Sinclair.”

Gracelyn’s voice cut in smoothly, causing Rex to stop mid-sentence.

Slowly, he turned to her.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

Gracelyn slipped her phone back into her bag, her expression as composed as ever.

“It’s already been handled.”

There was a sudden pause.

Rex frowned. “Handled… how?”

She met his gaze directly.

“I transferred her to a better hospital this morning,” she said simply. “Specialists, proper equipment, immediate care is assured.”

Anna’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“W-what…?” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Miss V… I…I didn’t know…”

Gracelyn didn’t look at her.

“It wasn’t necessary for you to know if you could not stand up for yourself without being influenced by the knowledge of this,” she replied calmly.

Rex stared at her.

For a moment, words failed him.

Something flickered in his eyes; surprise, confusion…he couldn’t tell.

“…I see,” he finally said, swallowing hard.

Then he turned back to the culprits.

And whatever softness had briefly appeared in his expression vanished completely.

“You’ve heard enough,” he said coldly. “Effective immediately, you’re all terminated.”

The words hit like a hammer.

“No, sir please!”

“You can’t do this to us!”

“We’ll fix it, we’ll return everything!”

Rex didn’t even blink.

“Your salaries for this month and all pending bonuses will be seized,” he continued, his tone merciless. “Consider it partial compensation for the damage you’ve caused.”

Their cries grew louder and desperate.

“And one more thing,” Rex added, his voice dropping low. “I will personally ensure that your names are circulated across every major firm in this industry.”

The room went dead silent again.

Blacklisted. They were blacklisted.

“No company will ever employ you again.”

That was the final blow.

They collapsed fully now, sobbing, begging, crawling…

But Rex had already turned his back.

He was done here.

“Let security handle the rest,” he said to Maverick without looking back.

“Yes, sir.”

Rex walked away.

Maverick followed closely behind, after signaling the security guards to take them out.

Gracelyn lingered for half a second longer, her gaze sweeping over the scene one last time, cold, and detached.

Then she turned and walked off.

Unbothered.

The elevator ride up was quiet.

Gracelyn stood in the staff elevator, her reflection staring back at her from the mirrored walls. Her posture was straight, her expression calm, but her eyes…

Her eyes were distant, as if she was lost in thoughts.

The past had a way of creeping in at the worst moments.

And Rex…

She exhaled softly.

No.

Not now.

The elevator doors slid open.

At the exact same time, the executive elevator beside it opened too.

Rex stepped out.

Their eyes met instantly.

She wanted to walk away, but she heard…

“Gracelyn.”

His voice stopped her just as she began to walk away.

She paused, and took in a deep breath, before she turned around, her brow raising questionably.

Maverick glanced between them, sensing the change in atmosphere.

“I’ll… wait in the office,” he said, excusing himself quickly.

Smart man.

Gracelyn folded her arms.

“I wanted to—”

“If this is about thanking me,” she said flatly, “save it.”

Rex held her gaze. “It’s not just that.”

A faint, almost mocking smile smeared her lips.

“Oh?” she said. “Then this should be interesting.”

Rex took a step closer.

“You helped expose something serious today,” he said. “Even though you didn’t have to.”

Gracelyn tilted her head slightly.

“But I did.”

“Yes.”

He paused, unsure of what to say.

“And I appreciate it.” He added, anyway.

She let out a soft, humorless chuckle.

“Appreciation doesn’t pay debts, Mr. Sinclair.”

His brows furrowed.

“Debts?”

“I don’t do things for free,” she said calmly. “You of all people should know that.”

Something about her tone, the underlying meaning… made his chest tighten.

“I’ll make it up to you,” he said. “Whatever you need.”

Her eyes sharpened.

“I’ll hold you to that.”

Then Rex asked, “How did you find out?”

There it was. The question.

Of course, he would want to know how someone who had just entered into his company in less than a month discovered a secret that had lasted for a while under his nose.

Gracelyn’s smile returned. “You really want to know?”

“Yes.”

She took a step closer now.

Close enough that her words would only reach him, and he could feel the tension rising between them.

“Because unlike you,” she said softly, “I pay attention.”

Rex’s jaw tightened.

This was not the response he was hoping to hear.

Gracelyn’s gaze didn’t waver.

“The signs were obvious,” she continued. “The inconsistencies. The behavioral patterns. The flaws.”

“But then again…” she added lightly, “you’ve always had a habit of overlooking what’s right in front of you.”

The words landed hard like a blow on the face.

Rex’s expression darkened.

“That’s not—”

“Isn’t it?” she cut in smoothly.

Her eyes locked onto his, unrelenting.

“You only see what you want to see,” she said. “And when reality doesn’t fit your narrative and assumptions…you ignore it.”

A flicker of something like anger, guilt, and frustration crossed his face.

“Gracelyn—”

She stepped back.

Creating distance.

Physically and otherwise.

“You should focus on your company,” she said, her tone returning to neutral. “Scrutinize your employees better.”

Her gaze held his for one final second.

“Because when something is gone…” she added quietly, “it’s gone.”

“And not everything can be recovered.”

The meaning behind her words was unmistakable.

Rex opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out.

For once, he had no answer. He didn’t even know what to say.

Gracelyn smiled, politely. “I have a conference to prepare for,” she said. “Try not to miss anything else.”

And with that, she turned and walked away.

Her heels echoed against the floor like a ticking clock.

Rex stood there, unmoving. Just watching her go.

Something about her words lingered longer in his mind, and he couldn’t help but think about the past.

What did she mean by those words?

Was there something he was missing?

Gracelyn reached her office door.

Her hand had just touched the handle when, she heard her name.

“Miss V.”