Chapter 3

The office fell quiet for a few seconds.

Then the murmurs started. A few people glanced at me before quickly looking away, turning to Samora with careful smiles.

“Welcome to Stockdale, Miss Leone.”

I did not stand. I only lowered my head and packed the documents on my desk into a kraft folder.

For years, I had worked endless nights here, revised proposals, handled difficult clients, fixed mistakes no one else wanted to touch, and helped Ross keep the company running when it was still one bad quarter away from falling apart. Everyone knew he had once said the next general manager would be me.

Now he had handed that position to Samora as if it were a welcome gift.

I told myself it no longer mattered. My resignation had already been submitted.

Still, seeing it happen in front of me made my chest tighten.

Samora tilted her head with a practiced smile.

“I hope everyone will take care of me from now on.”

Then she stopped in front of me, bent slightly, and lowered her voice.

“You must be Izzy. Ross has mentioned you. He said you’re the most capable secretary he has. Now that I’ve met you, I can see he wasn’t exaggerating.”

Her tone was gentle, almost gracious, but her eyes said something else.

I did not answer. I picked up my folder and turned to leave.

Ross frowned.

“Samora is speaking to you. Did you not hear her?”

I stopped.

“I heard.”

“Then say hello.”

“I don’t want to.”

I kept walking.

Ross’s voice sharpened behind me.

“Izzy, stop.”

I did not turn back.

Samora gently held his arm, as if she were trying to smooth things over.

“Forget it, Ross. She has been by your side for so many years. Seeing someone else stand beside you so suddenly must be hard for her.”

She paused, then smiled with perfect composure.

“My fiancé is admired by others. I should take that as proof that I chose well.”

The office stirred at once.

Someone gasped.

“Fiancé? Ross, are you and Miss Leone engaged?”

Ross did not deny it.

Samora linked her arm through his and smiled.

“After the birthday banquet, the Leone family will officially announce our engagement. I hope all of you can attend.”

Then she looked at me, her tone still pleasant.

“Izzy, you should come too. There will be many Dons, councilmen, investors, and business partners at the Leone banquet. I may be able to introduce you to someone suitable. Someone as capable as you shouldn’t remain a secretary forever.”

Every word sounded considerate.

Every word also reminded everyone that I was only the woman she had just reduced to Ross’s secretary, while she was the fiancée who would stand beside him.

Ross stood in the middle of the room, calm and composed, with a faint smile on his face.

He did not correct her.

He did not look at me.

For a moment, all I could hear was the word fiancée.

I had waited seven years for Ross to give me a public place in his life.

Instead, I got his engagement to another woman.

“They look perfect together.”

“Samora is the Leone heir. Stockdale is really going to rise now.”

“No wonder Ross is so gentle with her. I thought he was just cold by nature. Turns out it depends on who he’s with.”

“With the Leone family behind them, Stockdale won’t have to worry about funding again.”

The comments kept coming.

A few people lowered their voices for my sake.

“But wasn’t that position supposed to be Izzy’s? She practically helped build this company.”

Someone quickly cut in.

“Stop. Samora is a Leone. What she brings is worth more than one position.”

“At the end of the day, Izzy may be capable, but she has no background. Ross has already done enough by looking after her for so many years.”

“Exactly. She has no family and no connections. How could she compete with Samora?”

Listening to them, I slowly calmed down.

In their eyes, all my late nights, proposals, contracts, and client negotiations were worth less than Samora’s surname.

The irony was that the surname had always been mine.

I closed my laptop, packed the last few files, and walked toward Ross’s office with my resignation letter.

Through the glass door, I saw Ross and Samora inside. She was looking down at a cooperation file while Ross stood behind her, leaning forward to point out a line.

They stood close enough to look like a real engaged couple.

Without hesitation, I pushed the door open and placed my resignation letter on Ross’s desk.

“I’m done with Stockdale.”