Chapter 4

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?"