Lily's POV
I could feel the stares when I walked into the lobby, the whispers of my employees following after me.
But I was a woman on a mission, and I didn't stop and chat with a few of them like I used to do.
Not when I was not sure of how deeply the rot that’s Vincent had eaten into my company.
He had been in charge of hiring for the last few years, as well as laying off staff. I shuddered at the thought of how many traitors and backstabbers I had treated like family.
I took the elevator and it opened up to the top floor, all of which belonged to Vincent as 'CEO'.
I made my way across the expansive space towards the door at the end of it.
Just before it was his assistant, Clarissa’s station, and I was forced to a stop when she suddenly jumped out from behind her desk and stepped in my way.
"Mr. Smith isn't in right now, but I can schedule an appointment for when he returns."
I stared at her with wide eyes, struck dumb by her audacity.
Like most things, I held my employees to very high standards, and the short minute I had been in her presence showed how little Vincent cared about Hart Inc's principles.
However, I had more important things to focus on than her poor communication skills.
"That won't be necessary." I tried to move, but she blocked me again, her plastic smile turning into an annoyed look.
"I can't let you go into Mr. Collins’ office without him present."
For a few seconds, I thought I misheard her.
Clarissa stared back defiantly, and a flash of realization made me understand why she was so bold.
Beautiful and fashionable, Clarissa looked more like a model about to step onto a runway than the secretary of a business executive.
So this was his ‘late nights at the office’.
My voice was low and level as I spoke.
"Excuse you, Clarissa, but I own Mr. Collins’ office just like I own your job. And if you don't get out of my way right now, I'll make sure this is the last time you ever step foot in this building."
Fear flashed over her face as she realized she wasn't in any position to mouth off when her sponsor wasn't there to protect her.
Clarissa mumbled a strained apology and stepped to the side.
I said nothing in response, knowing that when I purged the company of Vincent’s puppets, I would make sure she’d be the first to go.
I marched up to the doors and they opened to Vincent’s large office.
Stopping at the threshold my eyes swept over the extravagance with distaste and anger toward myself for letting it happen.
In one room was a pool table, a massage chair, as well as a couch, a TV and console so he could “de-stress” by playing video games.
The cherry on top was the door to the right.
It led to a small bedroom that Vincent insisted he needed for when work kept him at the office till it was too late to return home.
Like a dummy, I believed, ignoring Clarissa's flowery perfume that clung to his sheets the few times I had gone in there.
The safe was hidden behind a portrait on the far wall, and I got in on my first try.
My hand hovered midair as I stared, dumbfounded, at the only thing sitting in the large safe—a box.
Bringing it out, I began to search through it until I found what I was looking for and then some.
A draft of a contract for a merger was what caught my attention because I had never agreed to such.
The company proposing to merge with Hart Inc. was even more distressing.
It was Monroe Industries, Stacy’s dad’s company.
Mr. Monroe was infamous for his mergers that were really just violent takeovers of smaller businesses.
Vincent had come to me with the offer before, and I had turned it down because, unlike him, I knew who I was dealing with.
Our advisors should have warned him about this, and the fact they didn’t made me very suspicious.
My leading theory was that Mr. Monroe had planted his people in Hart Inc., and that created a bigger problem than I was ready for.
Vincent forging documents was one thing. Going up against a man as powerful as Mr. Monroe was another.
I quickly packed up everything and left the office, too disturbed by my discovery to notice the satisfied smile Clarissa sent my way.
"Ready to go home?" Matthew asked with a pointed look at my bandaged arm.
Home. Butterflies fluttered in my belly at the mention of Sebastian's home being mine too.
We had only known each other for a few days, yet Sebastian was a steady force I found myself drawn to.
He was there to help me, and I knew that if it came to it, I wouldn’t be going up against Mr. Monroe alone.
My anxiety calmed. I smiled. "Let's go home."
I settled into the seat for a calm ride, lazily watching the city go by.
The light turned red and we were forced to stop and wait.
My eyes casually drifted out my window and I stilled when I met the intense stare of the man in the car on the right.
It was impossible to ignore, and I turned to inform Matthew about it, only to find him in a staring match of his own with the guys in the car on our other side.
A foreboding feeling grew in the car and my heartbeat picked up.
"What's going on?" I asked, watching Mathew study the car behind us through the rearview mirror.
His eyes suddenly widened as he saw something in the reflection.
"Get down!" he yelled as the windscreen suddenly exploded in a shower of broken glass.
