Chapter 2

Parker was stunned for a moment, and then burst out laughing like he'd heard the funniest joke ever. "You? Fire me? Who do you think you are? Do you even know who I am? Or who owns this company?"

He laughed so hard that tears were streaming down his face.

The other colleagues in the conference room were all looking at Oaklee like she was completely nuts.

I thought Oaklee was out of her mind, too.

She was seriously bragging way too much.

I quietly tugged at her sleeve and whispered, "Oaklee, cut it out. Let's get out of here."

Oaklee turned and squeezed my hand, giving me a look that said, "Relax, I've got this."

Then, she pulled a black card out of her pocket and tossed it onto the table. "I've bought this company. From now on, I'm the owner here. This place belongs to me."

The atmosphere froze in an instant.

Everyone was practically blinded by the sight of that legendary black card.

Parker's laughter stopped dead, like a duck suddenly strangled mid-quack.

He locked his eyes on the card, his expression shifting from scornful to shocked, then finally to utter disbelief.

I felt like my jaw was about to hit the floor.

She bought the company.

Seriously, she bought it?

I remembered this company was worth hundreds of millions.

"You... you..." Parker stammered, totally lost for words.

Oaklee didn't even spare him a glance. She grabbed my hand and marched me right over to the boss's seat at the conference table.

She planted me firmly in the chair, and then stood beside me, hands pressed against the table, leaning forward as she scanned the room with a commanding gaze.

She looked every bit like a queen surveying her domain. "So, who had the guts to shout at my woman?" Oaklee's voice was calm, but everyone couldn't miss the authority in it.

No one dared look her in the eye. Everyone dropped their heads.

Except for Parker, who was pale as a ghost, with sweat streaming down his face.

"Now, I'm making two announcements." Oaklee held up two fingers. "First, Parker isn't fired. He's blacklisted from this entire industry. HR, take care of it.

"Second." She paused, turning to me, her eyes suddenly soft. "From today on, Briella is the owner's woman of this company. Her word is my word. Anyone who dares to cross her will end up like Parker."

A wave of shocked gasps rippled through the room.

All eyes locked onto me, their expressions so stunned that it was like they'd seen a UFO land in the conference room.

I sat in the boss's chair, feeling like I was sitting on a bed of nails.

The owner's woman?

She must be kidding, right?

What crazy stunt was Oaklee pulling now?

I was about to stand up and clear things up, but Oaklee pressed her hand firmly on my shoulder.

She leaned in close, her voice so soft that only I could hear. "Briella, don't be scared. I've got you. From now on, no one's ever going to mess with you again."

Her voice was gentle, but it carried a strength that made me feel safe.

My nose stung, and I almost burst into tears.

I'd been through so much these past three months.

Right then, it felt like all the pain and frustration I'd been holding in finally had somewhere to go.

But even though I was moved, my head was still clear.

I lowered my voice and asked, "Oaklee, seriously, did you hit the jackpot or something? How much did you win? Is it enough to cover the cost of that door?"

Oaklee straightened up and poked me in the forehead. "Come on, Briella, you're thinking way too small. A door? That's nothing. Like I said, this whole company is mine now."

Oaklee gave a quick clap. "Alright, that's it. Meeting's over. Remember what I told you."

Everyone looked like they'd been granted a royal pardon, rushing out and shooting me nervous glances on their way.

Parker was hauled out by two bodyguards like a beaten dog, still yelling, "You'll regret this!"

Soon, the massive conference room was empty except for me, Oaklee, and a cowering intern trembling in the corner.

The intern was pretty handsome, barely out of his teens, looking like a frightened fawn.

Oaklee seemed to notice him for the first time. "Why are you still here?"

The intern peeked up nervously, his eyes darting from Oaklee to me, and whispered, "Ms., um... can I say something?"

Oaklee arched her eyebrow. "Speak."

The intern swallowed hard, gathering every ounce of courage, and spoke up in a shaky voice, "This is my dad's company. Does he even know you bought it?"