I am the only daughter of the billionaire Vance family, pampered to no end by my three gorgeous, incredibly successful older brothers. I thought I would live the life of a princess forever. Until one day, I received a letter from my future self: “Chloe, Your oldest brother, Carter, will sign a high-stakes valuation bet for a female secretary, wiping ten billion dollars off the Vance Group’s market cap. Your second brother, Julian, will be framed by a female secretary and kicked out of the board, completely penniless. Your third brother, Dominic, will give up his entire inheritance for a female secretary, leaving the Vance family utterly ruined.” I panicked. I immediately investigated every single female secretary in my brothers’ offices. But I found absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. That was until Victoria Sterling, a new secretary, was suddenly dropped directly into Carter’s executive suite. She glanced at me, her voice sweet but her eyes cold as ice: “Sweetie, the executive suite isn’t a playground. If you want to play, please get the hell out.” I looked her up and down. She was gorgeous, I’d give her that. But she seriously underestimated how much my brothers adored me. I let out a cold laugh. “The one who needs to get the hell out is you.” Carter, the ultimate sister-protecting CEO of the company, was about to walk through that door any second. …….
I still had a piece of durian halfway to my mouth. There were five people in the VIP lounge. Even the one with the shortest tenure had been with Carter for six years. Right now, their expressions were hilariously identical. It was that perfect mix of wanting to speak up but being terrified of saying the wrong thing, wanting to drag someone back but not knowing who to grab. Brenda, the senior admin, was the first who couldn’t sit still. She let out a forced laugh. “Ms. Sterling, this is Mr. Vance’s…” “I know, his sister,” Victoria interrupted, not even sparing Brenda a glance. When she said the word “sister,” her tone pitched upward slightly, carrying a subtle, mocking disdain. “But even a sister shouldn’t be eating, drinking, and playing in the executive suite, right?” “The smell of durian is so strong. What if a client comes by later?” She glanced at the food container in front of me, her brows knitting together. “Besides, today is my first day. The rules of the executive suite need to be established.” “When Mr. Vance is away, I coordinate the daily affairs here.” She smiled, tilting her head to look at me like she was talking to a spoiled toddler. “Be a good girl, pack up your things, and I’ll have the receptionist call an Uber to take you home, okay?” Brenda panicked, her voice raising half an octave: “Ms. Sterling, you really don’t understand the situation. This lounge was specially set up by Mr. Vance for—” “It doesn’t matter who it was set up for.” Victoria turned around. Her voice was still sweet and gentle, but every word carried an undeniable authority. “Brenda, you’ve been with Mr. Vance for so many years. You should know better than anyone that the executive suite represents the image of the entire Group.” “If she’s in here eating smelly exotic fruit and word gets out, what will people think of the Vance Group?” Marcus, the Operations Director, finally couldn’t help but speak up as he set down his coffee cup. “Ms. Sterling, I highly suggest you wait until Mr. Vance gets back before you—” “Marcus,” Victoria cut him off, her smile unchanged as she turned her head. “Mr. Vance authorized me to manage the daily affairs of the executive suite. This falls directly under my responsibility.” “Or are you suggesting that Mr. Vance’s authorization is questionable?” Marcus opened his mouth, but quickly shut it again. I picked up a napkin and slowly wiped my fingers, my movements completely unbothered. “What did you say earlier? Told me to get the hell out?” Victoria’s smile stiffened for a fraction of a second. “I didn’t use those exact words,” she said. “I said ‘go play somewhere else.’” “Oh,” I nodded. “So you mean you get to decide where I can stay?” “Chloe, everyone in the company knows Mr. Vance spoils you. But business is business…” “By the way,” I interrupted her. “The keypad on the door? The passcode is my birthday, 0816. You can ask anyone in this room.” “Technically speaking, this lounge belongs to me.” Brenda nodded furiously beside me, looking like a woodpecker. Victoria fell silent for two seconds. She took a deep breath, resetting her expression. This time, she wasn’t smiling anymore. “Chloe, every word I say today is for the good of the Vance Group. It’s nothing personal.” She turned to Brenda, her tone shifting into that of a cold corporate director delivering an order. “Brenda, notify reception. Starting today, any non-staff members entering the executive suite must register and get pre-clearance.” She paused. “No exceptions for anyone.” Brenda’s face instantly went pale. “Ms. Sterling, this rule… I’m afraid only Mr. Vance can…” “Mr. Vance gave me the authorization,” Victoria cut her off coldly. “I don’t need to consult him on every minor detail.” Then she turned back, her gaze landing on me once more. This time, she didn’t even bother to keep up her sweet, gentle facade. “Chloe, your behavior in the executive suite today has already disrupted our normal workflow.” “As the administrative coordinator of this office, I have the right to handle this.” She walked to the door, opened it, and nodded to the two security guards standing in the hallway. “Please lock this lounge temporarily.” She looked at me, her voice quiet but crystal clear. “You can stay here for a bit, Chloe. Cool your head.” “Once I report today’s situation to Mr. Vance, I’ll let you out.” “Consider it… a little lesson.” Brenda snapped, jumping to her feet: “Victoria! How dare you!” Victoria raised a hand to stop her, the chill-inducing smile returning to her face. “Don’t get so worked up, Brenda. I’m doing this for Chloe’s own good.” “A spoiled little girl needs someone to teach her some rules, right?”
The security guards closed the door. The lighting in the lounge didn’t change, but the atmosphere felt like it had been plunged underwater. Victoria stood by the door, clapping her hands lightly as if she had just disposed of some minor garbage. “Alright,” she turned to Brenda, her voice returning to that sweet tone. “Brenda, please organize the minutes from this afternoon’s meeting and send them to me. Mr. Vance will want to review them later.” Brenda didn’t move. “Ms. Sterling,” she said, her voice incredibly low. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing?” “I do,” Victoria said. “I am maintaining order in the executive suite.” “And Brenda, I’m not asking for your opinion.” Brenda snapped her head up, her eyes rimmed with red. She had been with Carter for eleven years, starting when the Vance Group was just a mid-sized company. She had never dealt with this kind of audacity before. She took a deep breath, about to speak… But Victoria had already turned away, pulling out her phone and dialing a number. The call was answered almost instantly. A deep, commanding voice came through the line. “Victoria, what’s wrong?” Victoria’s tone softened by seventy percent in a second. “Uncle Richard, I just arrived at the executive suite, but I ran into a bit of trouble. I wanted to report it to you.” The name “Uncle Richard” sent another wave of silence through the lounge. Robert’s coffee cup rattled slightly, and Marcus’s expression shifted. The “Uncle Richard” Victoria was talking about was none other than Richard Harrison. He was a founding board member of the Vance Group, a close ally of my late father, and the current Head of the Compliance Committee. Victoria explained the situation, her tone dripping with victimhood. Her words were precisely crafted to paint herself as a diligent worker and me as a spoiled, unreasonable sister throwing a tantrum. “…I really had no choice. With Mr. Vance away, the office was in chaos. I had to enforce the rules.” “Uncle Richard, did I do the right thing?” There was a two-second silence on the other end of the line. “Victoria, you did nothing wrong. The executive suite needs rules.” Richard’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was clear enough for everyone in the room to hear. “I’ll call Carter later and tell him to get his sister under control.” “Running around the office all day—it’s highly unprofessional.” Victoria looked up, her eyes sweeping over everyone in the room as a smirk crept onto her lips. “Thank you, Uncle Richard. I knew you were the most reasonable one.” Hanging up, she slid her phone into her pocket and stood tall. Her entire aura was completely different now. Before, she still felt the need to maintain a polite facade. Now, she didn’t even bother. She turned back to me. “Chloe, you’re a smart girl, so I won’t beat around the bush.” She folded her hands over her knee, her tone calm. “I didn’t join the Vance Group to make an enemy out of you. But rules are rules.” “If you cooperate with me today, I’ll say some good things about you to Carter. In the future, when you come here, I’ll turn a blind eye.” “Isn’t that a win-win?” I looked down at my durian. Then I looked up, preparing to speak. Footsteps echoed from the hallway. “Who gave the order to lock this door?” It was the Chief Executive Assistant, my brother’s shadow.
Jeremy Ross stood at the door, still holding the spare key. He was in his early forties and had been with Carter for thirteen years, since the very first office the Vance Group ever leased. Everyone in the company knew an unwritten rule: when Carter wasn’t around, Jeremy’s word was Carter’s word. His gaze swept from the locked door, across everyone in the lounge, and finally locked onto Victoria. “I’ll ask one more time,” he pushed up his glasses, his tone as flat as if he were verifying meeting minutes. “Who gave the order to lock this door?” Victoria didn’t answer immediately. She sized Jeremy up for two seconds, her gaze lingering on the ID badge pinned to his chest. “Chief Executive Assistant: Jeremy Ross.” “I did.” When she said those two words, her chin lifted slightly, devoid of any guilt. “There was an incident in the executive suite. I used the authority granted to me by Mr. Vance to handle it temporarily.” Jeremy didn’t say a word. He walked past her, straight to me. “Chloe, are you okay?” I shook my head. “I’m fine.” Jeremy nodded, then turned to Brenda. “Go get some seafood soup ready. Mr. Vance knew Chloe was coming today and specifically ordered it.” Brenda looked like she had just been granted a presidential pardon. She quickly gasped an “On it!” and turned to leave. “Wait.” Victoria’s voice cut through the air. Brenda’s footsteps halted. “Mr. Ross,” Victoria stepped forward, positioning herself right between Jeremy and Brenda. “As I just stated, non-staff members are not allowed to dine in the executive suite. This rule is effective immediately.” “Having someone fetch food now—are you trying to overrule my decision?” Jeremy turned to look at her. “Ms. Sterling,” Jeremy began, “I handled your onboarding process myself. I know your authorization limits better than you do.” “Mr. Vance authorized you to coordinate the daily administrative affairs of the executive suite.” He paused. “That does not include HR, it does not include security dispatch, and it certainly does not include… locking doors.” Victoria’s expression stiffened. But she recovered quickly, even letting out a soft laugh. “Mr. Ross, those are just terms on a piece of paper.” “But do you honestly believe Mr. Vance brought me to the executive suite just to do busywork?” “You’ve been with him for thirteen years. You should know better than anyone…” “Mr. Vance doesn’t hire people based purely on a job description.” She tilted her head, her voice adopting an almost intimate undertone. “The relationship between Mr. Vance and me is not something that can be summarized by a mere authorization letter.” “Mr. Ross, you’re a smart man. I shouldn’t have to spell this out for you.” As soon as she said this, Robert almost dropped his coffee cup. Marcus turned his face away entirely. Brenda stood by the door, her mouth opening and closing in sheer disbelief. Jeremy simply pushed up his glasses, his expression completely unfazed. “Ms. Sterling, regardless of your personal relationship with Mr. Vance, within the office space of the Vance Group, everything goes by the rules.” “And those rules were set by Mr. Vance himself.” He turned back to Brenda, his tone unchanged. “Go. Get the food.” Brenda didn’t hesitate this time. She turned and practically bolted down the hallway. Victoria watched Brenda disappear, the smile on her face vanishing inch by inch. She turned to face Jeremy directly. This time, the polite mask was entirely gone. “Mr. Ross, I respect your seniority, which is why I’ve been speaking to you nicely.” “But undermining me in front of everyone today makes things very difficult for me.” Jeremy remained silent. “I locked this lounge because Chloe’s behavior was actively disrupting the workplace,” Victoria sneered, her voice dropping, forcing out each word. “Even Board Trustee Richard Harrison has already expressed his support on this matter.” “Are you saying a mere assistant is more powerful than a board trustee?”
Jeremy tucked his iPad under his arm, his voice still as flat as a dead pond. “Ms. Sterling, Mr. Harrison is indeed a senior trustee, responsible for supervising compliance.” “But the human resources and daily management of the executive suite have never fallen under the board’s jurisdiction.” He paused. “That is written in the company bylaws in black and white. It is not up to me, nor is it up to Mr. Harrison.” Victoria’s eyes turned absolutely icy. “Jeremy,” she said, addressing him by his first name for the first time, dropping even the polite “Mr.” “Do you have any idea who you are talking to?” “I do,” Jeremy said. “Victoria Sterling, the newly hired secretary of the executive suite. Today is your first day.” The words weren’t loud, but they stung. She turned around and looked at me. Realizing she couldn’t break Jeremy, she decided to shift her pressure back to me. “Chloe,” she walked over, her voice barely a whisper. “I am giving you one last chance.” “Cooperate with me on today’s matter, and I’ll act like nothing happened.” “You can keep coming to the executive suite, I won’t stop you. We can stay out of each other’s way.” “But if you keep pushing this…” She paused, her eyes scanning my face. “I won’t hesitate to have Mr. Harrison handle this personally.” “If things blow up, it won’t end well for anyone.” I pushed the plate of durian aside and looked up at her. “Victoria,” I said, “how long have you been in this lounge today?” Victoria frowned. “What does that have to do with anything?” “Just curious,” I said. “You walked in, locked the door, brought up your backer, threatened the chief assistant, and now you’re trying to negotiate with me.” I tilted my head. “Do you honestly think you have any leverage left?” The look in Victoria’s eyes shifted instantly. It wasn’t anger; it was the sudden panic of someone whose bluff had been called, leaving her completely cornered. But she masked it quickly. She took a deep breath, forcing a cold smirk onto her lips, her gentle disguise entirely shattered. “Chloe, you’ve got a sharp tongue.” “I’ve been like this since I was a kid. My brothers are used to it.” “Brothers?” Victoria repeated the word, her tone dripping with mockery. “Your brothers aren’t here right now.” “And no matter how much they spoil you, they can’t shield you from this.” She took a step closer. “So, Chloe, you’d better think carefully.” She raised her hand, pointing toward the door. “Now, are you going to walk out yourself, or should I have security escort you out?” Jeremy stepped forward. “Ms. Sterling—” “Jeremy, if you stop me again,” Victoria turned, her voice dropping to a freezing register, “I will call Mr. Harrison right now and have him ask you why an assistant is repeatedly obstructing the administrative management of this office.” Jeremy stopped. Victoria turned back to me, keeping her hand pointed toward the hallway. “Let’s go, Chloe.” I looked down at her outstretched hand. I stared at it for about three seconds. Then, I raised my eyes, looking past her shoulder toward the doorway. Sensing my gaze, Victoria frowned and slowly turned around. Heavy footsteps echoed from the hallway. The door swung open. Carter was standing at the entrance. “What,” he spoke, his voice dangerously level, “is going on here?”
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