Chapter 5

As soon as I walked into the lobby of the office building, I felt the heavy atmosphere.

I stepped into the elevator and bumped into Richard, who had just returned from his flight, along with several board members.

I nodded politely.

"Aria, I hear Chloe has been doing a fantastic job lately?" Marcus Sterling, one of the senior board members, asked me.

Before I could speak, I felt Richard shooting a warning glare at me from behind Marcus.

"Actually, Mr. Sterling, I haven't been at the office, so I wouldn't know," I replied smoothly. "If you want to know how she's doing, you should see for yourself."

Marcus nodded.

"Chloe is a bright girl," Richard chimed in quickly, trying to control the narrative. "Aria was out for a few days, and things got a bit messy, but Chloe stepped up and saved the day. In fact, we are about to sign a major contract with Mr. Arthur King from Star Media today!"

Star Media was the biggest player in our industry.

I had dealt with Arthur King before. He was notoriously difficult and extremely strict. The only reason we had even reached the contract stage was because I had spent weeks studying his preferences, addressing every possible risk before he could even ask.

"And," Richard added proudly, "Chloe's elite team of young graduates is incredibly capable. I'm planning to have them run parallel to Aria's team to foster some healthy competition."

I mentally rolled my eyes.

He wanted us to do all the heavy lifting while his niece took the credit.

I was so glad I left. Ten years of loyalty, and this was how I was treated.

"What do you think, Aria?" Richard asked, testing me.

I smiled. "Mr. Davis, you might not know this, but I actually—"

The elevator doors opened.

"Let's talk in the conference room," Richard interrupted, waving his hand dismissively. "We need to sign the contract with Mr. King first. Aria, come with us. Watch and learn."

I didn't get a chance to object before they ushered me down the hall.

When we entered the conference room, Stella saw me and let out a massive sigh of relief.

Chloe, however, sneered. "Why is Aria here? Did you finally realize you have nowhere else to go and come back to beg for your job?"

The board members' faces fell instantly.

"Who are you talking to?" Marcus asked, his tone sharp.

Richard jumped in, sweating. "This is my niece, Chloe. She's young and sometimes speaks without thinking. Please don't mind her."

Marcus glared at him. "Aria is the pillar of this department. Frankly, keeping her just in sales is a waste of her talent. You should treat her with respect."

Chloe froze, not daring to say another word as she shrank into the corner.

A few minutes later, Arthur King arrived.

When he saw me, he smiled and walked over to shake my hand. "Aria! I heard from Eleanor Vance that you had resigned, so I was actually planning to cancel our meeting today. But your team assured me you were still working here. I'm glad it was just a rumor."

I looked at Stella. She looked back at me with pleading, desperate eyes.

So that was her plan. She wanted to use my name to secure the deal, and then take the credit.

I looked away from her and faced Arthur.

"Mr. King, you didn't hear a rumor," I said clearly.

"I was indeed laid off by our new Director, Ms. Chloe Davis."