Chapter 5
The busy tone echoed through the dead-silent office, sharp and jarring.
I was completely thrown off.
My financial advisor had just pulled a fast one on me.
This was so not in the plan!
Matthew's face was as dark as a thundercloud.
He slowly turned to look at me.
His eyes were so intense, it was like he wanted to eat me alive.
"Special assistant to the CEO?" he growled, barely able to get the words out.
He practically forced the words out through gritted teeth.
"So, care to explain yourself now?"
"Yvette. Jennings. Special. Assistant?" he bit out, each word laced with disbelief and sarcasm.
I'd become the CEO's special assistant.
The news dropped like a bomb at Sliver Tech—everyone was freaking out.
In just one day, I went from the basement archives to the top floor, moving into the CEO's office suite.
My new office was right next to Matthew's.
Only a frosted glass door separated us.
I could see his blurry silhouette through the frosted glass, and he could watch my every move whenever he felt like it.
Everyone thought I'd lost it.
Or maybe the mysterious shareholder behind me was the one who was nuts.
Who else would let a clueless newbie run the show like some kind of queen regent?
Everyone in the company gave me looks full of suspicion and hostility.
I was the thorn in everyone's side.
Especially Matthew.
He didn't say a single word to me all day.
The atmosphere in the office was so cold and heavy it felt suffocating.
I knew he practically wanted to kill me right now.
A newly appointed special assistant with veto power was the most serious challenge to his authority.
He was just waiting for me to mess up.
Then he could confront the mysterious shareholder and get rid of me once and for all.
I couldn't let him get that chance.
That afternoon, his assistant tossed a file onto my desk.
It was the final layoff list, along with the severance package.
"Mr. Leigh said you signed off on this.
"You're in charge of wrapping things up."
There was a hint of gloating in his voice.
This was the most hated, back-breaking job nobody wanted.
Soothing angry employees, handling messy labor disputes.
One wrong move, and it could blow up into a PR nightmare.
Matthew was making sure I knew who was boss.
He wanted to watch me scramble, getting mobbed by pissed-off employees.
I pulled up the list.
Name after name—every single one meant a family.
I spent a whole hour just looking at it.
Then I grabbed the file and headed into Matthew's office.
This was the first time I took the initiative to approach him since becoming his special assistant.
He was reviewing documents, not even bothering to look up.
"What is it?"
"Something's off with this layoff list," I said.
I set the file down on his desk.
He finally looked up, giving me a frosty stare.
"What's the problem?" he asked.
"The list cuts over thirty people from the tech department, including five of our key team members," I said.
"But not a single admin or marketing staffer—those deadweight nepotism hires—was affected.
"Mr. Leigh, our goal is to cut costs and improve efficiency, not cripple ourselves."
I stated the facts plainly.
This was the conclusion I reached after reviewing all the project files in the archives yesterday.
Matthew snorted, his expression icy.
"So now you're teaching me how to run things?
"Ms. Jennings, did you forget your role?
"You're here to follow orders, not call the shots."
He stood up and walked over to me.
His tall figure completely overshadowed me.
"I'm the CEO of this company," he said, his voice cold and commanding.
"I decide who gets laid off, period."
His aura was suffocating.
Back then, I would've been shaking in my boots.
But now, I just met his gaze calmly.
"Mr. Leigh, you forgot," I said, my voice cool and even.
"Now, I have veto power."
I pointed at the list, spelling it out, clear as day.
"I reject this list. Redo it now."
The air seemed to freeze.
Matthew's eyes were like two ice-cold blades, cutting right into me.
The office temperature turned arctic.
I held his gaze, refusing to flinch.
This was my first battle—I had to win.
After a long moment, he suddenly smiled.
His smile was full of contempt and mockery.
"Good. Very good."
He slowly settled back into his chair, leaning back with a cold, mocking smile.
"Ms. Jennings, you didn't disappoint me at all.
"Since you think my list isn't good enough, then go ahead and make a new one."
He tossed the ball right back in my court.