Chapter 2

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?"