Something was wrong.
From the moment Anna stepped into the office, she felt it the tension in the air, the weighted stares, the hushed whispers just loud enough for her to notice.
Some colleagues looked away. Others ignored her completely. But the worst was Rose.
She stood near the breakroom, arms crossed, a satisfied smirk curling at the edges of her lips.
Anna's pulse quickened. What the hell is going on?
She forced herself to focus, pushing past the anxiety that clawed at her chest. There was only one thing she could think of Kelvin. She needed to speak to him, to apologize for running out last night, to tell him why she panicked.
Maybe he would know what was happening. Maybe he could fix whatever had shifted in the office overnight.
But when she reached his office he wasn't there.
Her breath hitched, uncertainty sinking deeper into her stomach. She turned, heading back toward her desk, trying to regain some semblance of normalcy.
Then
Ms. Banner.
She froze.
Two security officers stood near the HR department, their expressions unreadable, their presence unnerving.
We need to speak with you, one of them said, his voice devoid of any warmth.
The room felt smaller, suffocating. Anna blinked, searching their faces for an answer, for anything that would explain this sudden hostility.
I—I don't understand, she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
One of the HR officials stepped forward, an envelope in hand. You've been accused of attempting to access confidential company data. And He paused, glancing at the paper, as if it were too much. you attempted to transfer a $100,000 out of Wolfe Industries's accounts.
The words crashed over her like a tidal wave.
No.
This wasn't happening. This wasn't real.
Shock slammed into her chest, her vision blurring as the accusations settled like poison in her bloodstream.
That's not true, she managed, forcing herself to speak, her voice uneven but desperate. I would never
Do not interrupt, the security officer snapped, his tone sharp, final.
And that's when she heard it.
Rose's voice.
Mocking.
Encouraging.
Cheering.
Anna turned, her eyes locking on the woman who had orchestrated this nightmare.
Rose stood at the edge of the room, her arms folded, a cruel satisfaction gleaming in her eyes.
Anna felt her pulse hammer against her ribs, felt the betrayal tightening around her throat.
She had spent her life proving herself, working harder, climbing higher and now, in an instant, it was all being torn away. She wouldn't be blackmailed!!!
Her hands curled into fists.
This wasn't just an attack.
It was war!!!!!
The security took her to the guard room and locked her up while awaiting the arrival of the CEO.
Kelvin Wolfe was drowning in regret.
The moment his eyes cracked open, he knew he had made a mistake. His head felt like it had been split in two, the pounding so relentless it blurred his vision. The sheets beneath him once pristine were now wrecked with vomit the aftermath of his reckless night.
The alarm blared in sharp, merciless intervals, cutting through the thick haze in his skull. His phone was vibrating violently against the nightstand, lighting up with missed calls, urgent messages.
But he couldn't move.
His limbs felt like lead, his stomach twisting violently in protest of the poison he had drowned himself in last night.
Kelvin groaned, barely managing to lift his arm as he fumbled for his phone, gripping it weakly. Anna. It had to be her.
But when he blinked through the blinding screen, it wasn't her name.
It was his office.
And something about the sheer number of missed calls made his stomach churn for an entirely different reason.
Something was wrong.
Kelvin tried to sit up, every movement sending a fresh wave of nausea through him. He barely got the words out before his voice cracked Nathan?! He tried calling for his male servant.
No answer.
He tried again, louder this time.
Still, nothing.
The penthouse was eerily silent, the world outside moving faster than he could catch up.
Kelvin felt the edges of sleep creeping in again, exhaustion pulling him under like an anchor. His body couldn't fight it his mind was too clouded, too slow.
He didn't know how much time had passed when he finally closed his eyes again, but something told him this sleep wouldn't bring him peace yet he fell deep in slumber.