Chapter 4

Over the next few days, I consciously distanced myself from Marcus.

I left for work before him in the morning and returned home after he'd gone to sleep, minimizing our time alone.

But what I didn't expect was for Chloe to seek me out.

She knocked on the door of my temporary office, a seemingly sincere smile on her face.

"Ms. Cassidy, I know you have a misunderstanding about me, but I really just want to learn."

I kept my eyes on my computer screen, not looking up.

"Learning doesn't require taking over someone else's studio."

She sat in the chair opposite me, her voice carrying an uncomfortable familiarity.

"Actually, I've always admired your work. It's truly an honor to work in the same company as you."

"If you truly admired it, you wouldn't use my proposal and pass it off as your own."

Chloe's face shifted, but she quickly regained that innocent expression.

"Ms. Cassidy, you're mistaken."

"Marcus said that proposal was a collective company effort, and he asked me to present it just to train my presentation skills."

I finally looked up at her, carefully observing her expression.

The girl was indeed attractive, with fair skin and delicate features.

When she spoke, her eyes would curve into crescents, making it easy for people to warm to her.

But in the depths of her eyes, I saw a trace of subtle triumph and calculation.

"Chloe, how old are you?"

"Twenty-three."

"Then you should know what honesty means."

Her smile faltered.

"Ms. Cassidy, I don't understand what you mean."

"My meaning is very clear. That proposal was completed by me, from start to finish."

"You knew that, yet you still brazenly presented it as your own. That's what I call shameless."

Chloe's face flushed instantly, but she quickly composed herself.

"Ms. Cassidy, you're being hurtful. I was truly just following Marcus's instructions."