Chapter 5

Serena's POV

The receptionist glanced down at her screen and raised her voice just enough to make sure the lobby could hear.

"HR just sent a company-wide notice. Ms. Walsh is under investigation for allegedly leaking confidential company information. All duties are suspended effective immediately."

She paused, letting her expression do the work her words couldn't.

"There's also a note in the system. Due to Ms. Walsh's unstable mental state, she is prohibited from entering any core work areas."

I looked through the glass doors toward what used to be my office.

Cassandra was sitting at my desk.

Ethan stood slightly over her, one large hand covering her small one, guiding her through signing her name on the bottom of an extremely important document.

Cassandra seemed to struggle with some of the terms. She wrote a character wrong, then tilted her head up at him with a delicate, helpless expression.

Ethan showed not one flicker of impatience. He murmured something soft to her, gently took an eraser to her mistake, and turned the page with the same steady patience.

I was done waiting.

I couldn't get through the main turnstile, so I went around to the visitor entrance, pushed past the security guard, and walked straight into the office floor.

The door hit the wall.

Everyone froze.

Cassandra let out a sharp cry and dropped her pen, stumbling behind Ethan.

He moved in front of her instantly, his eyes flat and dangerous.

"What are you doing here now, you crazy woman?"

I pointed at the leather chair where Cassandra was sitting. My hand was shaking.

"That is my seat."

"Not anymore," Ethan said. "It's Cassandra's."

"I spent three months on that project. My files are still on that computer."

My voice was coming apart.

"You suspend me, you revoke my access, you put a leak investigation on my name. Where is your proof?"

Ethan's eyes were flat and without temperature.

"The legal team will handle the investigation."

"The legal team. You mean the investigation that will turn up evidence that you handed my work to a third party? That she is sitting in my chair right now, signing documents I wrote on nights I didn't sleep?"

Cassandra's eyes went red. Tears spilled over.

"Please don't do this... I only wanted to help Ethan because he was working so hard... I didn't know this was your seat... please don't blame him for this..."

Seeing her cry, Ethan moved to her immediately, head dipping toward hers.

"You don't need to explain anything to someone like her, Cass."

I looked at the documents on the desk.

"Ethan, she can't even read half the terms in that acquisition contract. You let her sign it? Are you out of your mind?"

A ripple of sharp silence moved through the room.

Ethan's face closed completely.

"Cassandra has a real instinct for business. She never had the opportunities she deserved. That's all."

The last flicker of warmth left in my chest went out like a candle in the wind.

Three years ago, when I had handed Ethan my first funding proposal, the one that stunned the room, he had said the same thing to me.

Serena, you just needed someone to open the door for you. One day everything I've built will be ours.

Urgent footsteps in the hallway.

My father came through the door with a cluster of security behind him, face rigid, pointing at me.

"You reckless girl. Wasn't last night humiliating enough?"