Chapter 2

The security guard closed the door, and the light in the lounge remained unchanged, but the atmosphere felt as though it had been plunged underwater.

Erin stood at the door and dusted off her hands, as if just finishing dealing with a trivial matter.

"Alright." She turned to Fiona, her tone gentle again. "Fiona, go and sort out the meeting minutes for today and send them to me. Mr. Sheffield will look at them later."

Fiona did not move. Her voice was very low. "Ms. Langley, do you know what you're doing?"

Erin said, "I know. I'm maintaining the order of the CEO's office. Fiona, I'm not negotiating with you."

Fiona abruptly raised her head, her eyes red. She had been working for Ian in Sheffield Group for 11 years, ever since it was still a medium-sized company. She had never seen anything like this before. She took a deep breath and was about to speak again...

Erin had already turned around, pulled out her phone, and dialed a number.

The call connected quickly.

The voice on the other end was calm and carried a hint of an unspoken authority. "Erin, what's wrong?"

Erin's tone immediately softened. "Mr. Chester, I just arrived at the CEO's office and encountered a minor problem. I want to report it to you."

As soon as the name 'Mr. Chester' landed, the room fell silent again.

Jerry Sommers' coffee cup stilled for a moment, while Zac's gaze changed slightly.

The 'Mr. Chester' Erin mentioned was none other than Gary Chester, a veteran director of Sheffield Group, a former subordinate of my father, and the current chairman of the supervisory board.

Erin recounted today's events, her tone aggrieved but her words precise, completely absolving herself of any wrongdoing and portraying me as a troublesome little sister who threw tantrums under her brothers' protection.

"...I had no choice. Mr. Sheffield isn't here, and the CEO's office is in such a mess. I could only handle it according to the rules. Mr. Chester, do you think I did the right thing?"

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the line.

"Erin, you did the right thing. The CEO's office needs proper rules and order." Gary Chester's voice was not loud, but everyone heard it clearly.

"I'll call Ian later and tell him to keep an eye on his sister. A young girl running around the company all day—how is that appropriate?"

Erin glanced up at everyone present and smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Chester. I knew you'd understand."

After hanging up, she put the phone in her pocket and straightened her posture. Her entire demeanor was different from before. Earlier, she needed to maintain that gentle facade, but now she did not even need to anymore.

She turned to look at me. "Ms. Sheffield, you're smart. I won't beat around the bush." ​

She placed her fingers on her knees, her tone calm. "I came to Sheffield Group not to oppose you, but some rules must be set. If you cooperate today, I'll speak well of you to Mr. Sheffield and turn a blind eye when you come to the CEO's office. Won't that be great?"

I glanced down at my cold garlic cream bun and then looked up to speak when footsteps echoed in the hallway.

"Who ordered this room to be locked?" It was the chief secretary, my eldest brother's right-hand assistant.