Elias Montgomery wore an expression of sudden realization, his brow twitching twice, as though he had just comprehended who I was. Silently, I pulled out a chair and sat down heavily, a surge of anger and frustration rising within me. Yet, on the surface, I made a conscious effort to remain composed, refraining from opening my notebook, remaining still.

Sophie, undeterred by my silence, immediately began assigning tasks. The others were engaged in a discussion about the details. To me, their words were utterly incomprehensible, as if they were speaking in some ancient tongue. Sophie, noticing my lack of response, became visibly agitated and asked,"Ryan, do you have no objections?"

"No objections," I replied curtly, a slight edge of impatience creeping into my tone.

"Do you think this is acceptable?" she pressed, her voice thick with skepticism.

"Yes," I answered shortly, unwilling to elaborate.

Sophie's patience finally snapped."What did we just discuss?"

"I don't know," I responded coldly, the frustration within me beginning to show.

"Then what were you listening to?" Her voice grew sharp and piercing.

"I was listening to you," I retorted, my anger flaring."How could I respond when I don't even understand what's being said?"

The room fell into an eerie, oppressive silence, all eyes on me as if I had just made some earth-shattering revelation. Sophie's face turned ashen, her breath steady but strained, clearly struggling to contain her rage.

"Ryan, are you talking back to me?" Her voice was icy, her gaze filled with an unmistakable warning. She slammed her notebook onto the table with such force that the sound echoed throughout the room, making everyone flinch.

"Fine. We'll proceed as previously discussed. You all may leave now. Elias, take Charlotte and the others to meet with the marketing department," Sophie instructed coldly. With a collective sigh of relief, the others left the room, leaving only Sophie and me.

Without warning, she moved behind me, grabbing my ear and twisting it to a painful angle. I nearly leapt from my chair in agony.

"So now you dare to defy me in front of everyone?" Her voice was laced with venom.

"That hurts, let go, please!" I cried out, struggling to free myself from her grasp.

Her grip tightened, as if she intended to tear my ear from its socket.

"Let go now, or I'll..." My words faltered as the pain intensified.

"What will you do?" she mocked, her hold unwavering.

"I am not your servant! Let go!" I shouted, my fury boiling over.

"This is a lesson for you," she said icily."If you ever challenge me again, especially in front of others, you will regret it." She finally released me, but the chill of her threat lingered in the air like a storm waiting to break.

Rubbing my sore ear, I muttered bitterly,"I didn't know anything. You made me attend, and now you expect me to speak? What should I say?" My voice dripped with frustration and helplessness.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

She paused for a moment, seemingly surprised."You didn't know?"

I was nearly shouting, my anger now fully unleashed,"How would I know? Did you tell me anything?"

Her voice rose sharply, and she glared at me."I didn't tell you, but you could have asked. Why didn't you ask me, or ask Charlotte Hayes?"

"Shrew," I muttered under my breath, my contempt for her obstinate nature reaching a boiling point.

Feigning ignorance, she replied coldly,"Let's go. Back to the office."

At that moment, I felt an overwhelming urge to hail a cab to the airport and return to Eldoria. However, the thought of the exorbitant ticket price, with no discounts in sight, made me falter. Money, money, money—it truly was an inescapable frustration.

Upon returning to the office, Sophie sat behind her desk, her face still clouded with displeasure. She fixed her gaze upon me, as though contemplating something.

"You know, Ryan," she finally spoke, her voice as cold as ice,"your behavior today has been most disappointing."

"Disappointing?" I scoffed,"You didn't tell me anything. How could you expect me to behave otherwise?"

She took a deep breath, seemingly striving to contain her fury."You should have been proactive, taken the initiative to inquire and understand. That is what a competent employee would do."

I gave her a withering glance, silently thinking,"How could anyone bear to work under such a boss?"

"Go to the secretary's office. I can't stand the sight of you," she ordered. In my mind, I retorted,"I'd rather not see you either. Your presence is even more unbearable," and there I sat, idly scrolling through my phone in the secretary's office.

At noon, I found Theo Westbrook in the cafeteria. We sat together, eating as the cafeteria buzzed with conversation. The prevailing topic was my"heroic" deeds of the morning. The employees of Vanguard Industries were in awe of my audacity, for no one dared challenge the boss in such a manner. Yet, there was an underlying sense of pity, as if they had already foreseen my inevitable downfall.

At that moment, Celeste Harrington from the administrative department approached, carrying her tray. She looked at me with a mixture of emotions, her gaze somewhat conflicted. She murmured,"I warned you this morning, didn't I? And yet you still defied the boss."

I quietly pushed around the rice on my plate, feeling a twinge of grievance."I didn't have a choice. I was pushed to argue with her."

Theo, surprised that Celeste had come to speak with me, asked curiously,"Do you two know each other?"

"I met her this morning when I went to pick up my notebook," I replied, attempting to keep my tone neutral.

Theo's eyes brightened, as if he had discovered a new mystery."By the way, what's your name?"

"I'm Celeste Harrington," she said, offering a soft smile that made her eyes glisten like two crescent moons.

"What a lovely name," Theo remarked, his curiosity piqued.

Celeste smiled again, continuing,"The boss isn't so bad, just a bit hot-tempered. As for our salary and benefits, they're some of the best in companies like ours. I hear you Eldoria people will be getting a raise soon. I might even come over for a while."

My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly responded,"You're more than welcome! When you come, I'll treat you to a meal."

"Really? I'd love a steak," she said, her eyes curving with delight.

"It's okay." I assured, patting my chest.

Celeste regarded me with a touch of concern."You should apologize to the boss this afternoon. She won't hold it against you. She's always been about the matter, not the person."

I felt a wave of unease stir within me, thinking that she might be judging me both personally and professionally.

Theo suddenly interjected,"By the way, what's the deal with that pretty boy in your company?"

Celeste raised an eyebrow in confusion."Pretty boy? Which one?"

"The one who came to pick us up this morning," Theo clarified.

Celeste chuckled lightly."Oh, him? His name is Lucas Steele. He's our general manager and the second-largest shareholder in the company. I hear he's courting the boss."

It dawned on me."Ah, no wonder I thought he was just an assistant at first—he's so attentive to the boss."

Celeste nodded, continuing,"He's returned from studying abroad. When the company was first founded, he was still overseas, but he contributed the funds to start the business with Sophie Summers. Later, he came back, supposedly turning down a high-paying job abroad to become our general manager here."

Now I understand. No wonder he has so much time to run around with Sophie. He is the second in command. No wonder he is jealous of me. But he is jealous of the wrong person.