Chapter 3

The next morning, I arrived right on time at the front entrance of Innovatech Solutions.

Ten years later, that impressive office building still dominated the city's prime location. The company logo was practically glowing, way bigger and brighter than I remembered.

I was in basic casual gear: a T-shirt, jeans, flats, and totally bare-faced.

I looked like I'd stumbled in fresh out of college, completely out of place.

The two young girls at the front desk were gossiping about the latest drama. When they saw me, they barely bothered to look up.

"Hi, do you have an appointment?" one of them asked, her tone totally robotic.

"I'm here to see Michael Reed," I said.

"Mr. Reed?" The girl gave me a once-over, her eyes full of contempt. "Sorry, without an appointment, you can't just walk in and see Mr. Reed."

The other girl leaned in, thinking she was being quiet, and whispered to her friend, "Another nobody trying to become a queen overnight."

Her voice was loud enough for me to catch every word.

I ignored their snide whispers.

"I'm not here to see him," I said calmly. "I'm here to work."

The two girls exchanged a look, like they'd just heard the biggest joke of the year, and snorted with laughter.

"Work? Miss, this is a public company, not some street market. You're definitely lost," one of them scoffed.

I pulled out my phone, ready to call the security office.

Just then, the elevator doors slid open.

Victoria stepped out, surrounded by a crowd. She was dressed in a designer suit, makeup flawless, oozing confidence.

She acted like she was the queen of the building.

When she saw me, she paused for a second, and a hint of smugness flashed in her eyes.

She probably thought I was here to admit defeat.

"Sarah? What brings you here?" she said, her voice sugary sweet, but she looked down her nose at me. "Are you here to see Michael? He's in a meeting right now. He probably doesn't have time for you."

The execs behind her eyed me with curiosity and suspicion. I vaguely remembered a few of them. They used to be Michael's college friends.

At this moment, their gazes were distant and evaluative, like I was a total outsider.

"I'm here to work," I repeated.

Victoria's smile faltered for a second.

"Work? Sarah, don't be silly. You barely know anything about the company. What could you possibly do here?"

Her tone was gentle, but every word cut deep. "I know yesterday's events upset you, but you can't just throw a tantrum like this. This isn't your personal playground."

"Ms. White is right," a middle-aged man with a receding hairline spoke up. He was the CFO, Raymond Clark, one of Michael's most loyal cronies.

"Chairwoman, we've got the company running just fine. You should stay home, relax, and wait for your dividends. Coming here would only make things harder for us, wouldn't it?"

All around, people tried to hide their snickers, but I caught every suppressed chuckle.

To them, I was nothing but a punchline, just some useless, clueless rich wife who only knew how to depend on her husband, a crazy woman who thought she could challenge the authority of the pros.

I swept my gaze around the room, burning every single one of their faces into my memory.

"Is that so?" I said coolly. "Then let's call an all-hands meeting."

"What?" Victoria blinked, thinking she'd misheard.

"I said, right now, call an all-hands meeting," I repeated, my voice quiet but packed with authority. "I've got something to announce."

Victoria opened her mouth, but I brushed right past her and headed for the elevator.

A security guard tried to block my way.

I shot him a cold look. "I'm Sarah Lane, the biggest shareholder here. Are you sure you want to stop me?"

The security guard was so intimidated by my presence that he froze, not daring to move.

Victoria's expression shifted again and again, but in the end, she gritted her teeth and followed me.

She couldn't let me lose control in the company, and she definitely couldn't let the employees see that even the Chairwoman was beyond her control.

Half an hour later, the company's largest conference room was packed with people.

Most of the employees were whispering to each other, their faces brimming with curiosity and gossip.

Michael sat at the head of the table, his face dark, while Victoria sat beside him, her expression just as sour.

I strolled to the other end of the table, taking my place at the Chairman's seat, untouched for a decade.

I sat down.

The whole conference room went dead silent.

Every single pair of eyes in the room locked onto me.

Michael cleared his throat loudly, trying to regain control. "Sarah, what exactly are you trying to do? Stop making a scene. Everyone's busy."

I didn't look at him.

I just picked up the microphone and tapped it lightly.

"Hello, everyone," I said.

"Many of you may not know me, so I'll introduce myself.

"My name is Sarah Lane. I'm the founder of Innovatech Solutions, and the only legal owner of this company."

My announcement set off a storm in the room.

The crowd instantly erupted.

Everyone stared at me, Michael, and Victoria, their faces stunned.

They all believed Michael and Victoria were the founders, wondering who I was.