Chapter 3

As soon as I walked in, David's face darkened. "How did you get in here? Who let you in?"

Sophie let out an over-the-top shriek and ducked behind Lucas. "Lucas, how did she even find the company? Is she here to hurt you?"

Her voice was so sugary it made my skin crawl, like I was some wild beast ready to pounce instead of a normal person.

Lucas patted her back to calm her down, then looked up at me, his eyes full of disgust and impatience. "You again. What do you want this time?

"Wasn't it enough to embarrass yourself in front of the whole country yesterday? Now you show up at my office? Seriously, do you have any shame left?"

I ignored him completely and strode right up to the head seat, acting like I owned the place.

David shot to his feet, blocking my way with a smug, superior look on his face. "Ma'am, this is an executive meeting. Outsiders need to leave now, or else we'll have security throw you out."

"Yeah, get her out of here." Sophie poked her head out from behind Lucas, her voice dripping with malice. "She's totally nuts.

"Ms. Rivers will be here any minute. If she sees someone like her in the office, it'll make the company look bad."

"Ms. Rivers?" I repeated, a smirk tugging at my lips.

I swept my gaze around the conference room.

Some of the execs kept their heads down, too scared to meet my eyes, while others looked like they were waiting for the drama to unfold.

They all knew exactly who I was, but not a single one of them dared to speak up.

That was human nature. Everyone was out for themselves.

Lucas was the company's golden boy, their cash cow.

As for me, to them, I was the internet's favorite punching bag, a "creep" everyone loved to drag through the mud.

Lucas was clearly used to being the center of attention, basking in all that admiration.

He leaned back in his chair, legs crossed, and spoke to me like he was doing me a favor, "Since you did help me out a few times before, I'll overlook what happened last night."

Lucas pulled out a black card from his wallet and tossed it onto the table. "Take this card. There's 300,000 dollars on it. Take the money and get lost. Don't ever let me show up in my sight again."

300,000 dollars.

I spent more than that paying for his sister's bone marrow transplant back then.

Sophie let out an exaggerated gasp. "Wow, Lucas, you're way too nice to her. After everything she's done to you, you're still giving her money? You're too generous."

She picked up the card and strutted over to me, her voice dripping with condescension. "Did you hear that?

"300,000 dollars, enough for someone like you to live on forever, right? Take the money and get out. Stop embarrassing yourself."

She shoved the card right at me. I let my hand hang at my side, refusing to take it.

Her hand was left hanging awkwardly in the air, her face turning red with embarrassment. "What, not enough for you?

"For someone like you, even 300,000 dollars is more than you're worth. Don't be so ungrateful."

Lucas's patience finally snapped.

"Security!" he barked. "Throw her out. I don't want to see her for another second."

Security guards stormed in, making a beeline straight for me.

Everyone in the conference room watched with icy indifference, not even bothering to lift a finger.

In their eyes, I was about to be tossed out of the very building I poured my heart into, like a kicked-out mutt with nowhere left to go.

Finally, I lifted my gaze, scanning the room until my eyes landed on my assistant, Chris. "Chris."

My voice was calm, steady, and unwavering.

Chris caught on right away and grabbed the intercom phone.

"Get Alan Smith from Legal and Joe Lewis from HR up here. And tell Security to escort these security guards out." I pointed at the security guards who'd barged in.

The conference room went dead silent in an instant.

The air was so still that one could hear a pin drop.

Every pair of eyes in the room locked onto me, confusion and curiosity written all over their faces.

The security guards froze in place, glancing at each other, unsure whose orders to follow.

David was the first to snap out of it. He pointed at me, his laughter frantic and angry. "You? Who do you think you are, really?

"Ordering around Alan Smith from Legal and Joe Lewis from HR? Do you think you're the boss here, Ms. Rivers herself?"

Sophie burst into a shrill laugh, practically doubled over with amusement. "Lucas, did you hear that?

"She actually wants to kick out the security guards. Has she lost her mind? What is this, some CEO roleplay? Is she addicted to pretending she runs the place?"

She turned to Chris, her face twisted with malice. "And you, an assistant, and you dare to follow this nutcase?

"Are you trying to get yourself fired? One word from me and you'll be packing your bags and out the door."

Chris's face turned pale after she went off on him, but he straightened up and stayed right behind me, refusing to back down.

Lucas was the only one who didn't laugh.

He narrowed his eyes, studying me intently, as if trying to find a crack in my calm expression. "What are you up to?"

I didn't answer him. I fixed my gaze on the security guards, my eyes calm and unwavering. "Didn't you hear me?"

My voice wasn't loud, but it was impossible to ignore.

The security guards exchanged uneasy glances, and finally, the leader, clearly reluctant, forced himself to step forward. "Ma'am, come on, don't put us in a tough spot here..."

Before he could finish, the conference room door swung open.

Alan from Legal and Joe from HR came in one after another.

Both of them were stunned when they saw what was happening in the conference room.

David rushed over like he'd spotted a lifeline. "Alan, Joe, you guys showed up at the perfect time.

"This crazy woman somehow snuck in and is causing chaos, even pretending to be Ms. Rivers and bossing everyone around. You gotta deal with her right now."

Sophie darted over to Joe and started complaining, "Joe, that little assistant is acting nuts too. People like her need to be fired."

Alan and Joe looked past them and fixed their eyes on me.

In the next moment, with everyone watching in shock, the two of them bowed respectfully to me. "Ms. Rivers."

Those two words exploded in the conference room like a thunderclap.

David's mouth dropped open so wide that he could've fit an egg in it.

Sophie's smug, vicious look froze on her face, then drained away. Her face turned ghostly white, and she looked like she might collapse.

As for Lucas, all the disgust, impatience, and contempt on his face vanished in an instant, leaving only a blank, stunned expression.

He stared at me, his pupils contracting sharply in disbelief.

It was like the whole world had been put on mute.

I walked slowly, step by step, toward the seat that belonged to me.

David, who was blocking my way, stood there like he'd been turned to stone, not moving a muscle.

I stopped in front of him and looked up at him. "Move."

His legs gave out, and he almost dropped to his knees, scrambling to get out of my way.

I walked up to the seat at the head of the table, my fingers gliding over the cold back of the chair.

Finally, I sat down in my rightful place.

I picked up the document that had been waiting for me on the table and slid it across to Lucas.

At the very top, in bold, black letters, it read: [Artist Termination Agreement.]

Lucas's eyes locked onto the printed name under Party B's signature, unable to look away: Evelyn Rivers.

His body started shaking uncontrollably.

Sweat trickled down his forehead, and his face was whiter than a sheet.

"Ms. Rivers?" he forced out, his voice trembling so hard it was barely recognizable. "You're Evelyn Rivers?"

I leaned back in my chair, fingers laced together, looking at him like he was some stranger. "Mr. Grant, is there a problem?"

"No way," he muttered, shaking his head like he'd lost his mind. "This can't be real. You're supposed to be"

"What am I supposed to be?" I cut him off, my voice icy. "The one you humiliated in front of everyone, called delusional, said was disgusting, and tried to make me disappear with money, calling me a 'harasser'?"

With every word I said, his face grew even paler.

Sophie had completely collapsed to the floor, her lips trembling, unable to get a single word out.

I turned my gaze away from them and looked at Joe. "Joe, announce the personnel changes."

Joe immediately understood, cleared his throat, opened the folder in his hand, and announced in a businesslike tone, "Effective immediately, David is removed from his position as Director of Artist Management.

"All of Sophie's performance contracts with the company are terminated, and we reserve the right to pursue legal action against her for damaging the company's reputation.

"As for Mr. Grant..." Joe paused, glancing at me.

I picked up the termination agreement and tapped it lightly on the table.

I finally cracked a smile at Lucas for the first time in three days. "Lucas, didn't you say everything you have today is all thanks to yourself, and has nothing to do with me, not even a single dollar?

"Good. It's time to pay back everything you took from me, down to the very last cent, with interest."