Chapter 3

I stared at the termination agreement, slowly lifting my gaze.

"I'm the victim here, and you're demanding that I apologize, pay her off, and quit?"

Kevin's tone turned menacing.

"Chloe, I'm trying to offer you an exit with some dignity. If this escalates, a terrible background check will guarantee you never work in this town again."

Sophie chimed in softly, playing the magnanimous victim.

"I don't want to destroy your future either. Just return the money Arthur gave you and apologize to me. I won't press charges."

I turned to her. "What money?"

"The three grand you begged for in the chat, plus whatever else you scammed out of him before."

She paused, her eyes flashing with pure greed. "I won't ask for much. Just give me twenty grand."

I nearly burst out laughing.

"Twenty grand?"

Sophie looked tearful. "I just want justice."

Kevin actually nodded in agreement.

"Twenty thousand is reasonable. Consider it the price of your own actions."

I picked up the resignation form and ripped it cleanly in two.

The sharp tear echoed like a gunshot through the room.

Someone outside gasped.

I tossed the torn pieces onto the polished table.

"I will not take the blame for things I never did."

"No apology."

"No payout."

"And I am not quitting."

Kevin slammed his hand onto the desk.

"Chloe Vance!"

Cheryl's face turned pale with rage. "Don't think this company has no way of dealing with you!"

I met their furious glares and spoke clearly:

"By the way, every single word spoken in this room has been recorded."

Sophie's face instantly dropped.

Kevin stiffened.

I let out a cold smirk. "What you're trying to force on me isn't an admission of guilt. It's evidence of your own crimes."

Sophie abruptly stood up, her eyes blazing.

"Since you keep claiming Arthur is your father, let's hear it straight from him."

She held up her phone.

"I'm calling him right now."

My chest tightened slightly.

She might have access to his secondary work account, but that didn't mean she could actually reach him.

Before I could say a word, the call was already ringing.

Sophie put it on speakerphone.

The conference room and the hallway outside fell dead silent.

The dial tone rang for a dozen agonizing seconds.

Click. The call connected.

Sophie's voice trembled with poorly concealed triumph.

"Arthur, it's Sophie."

"There's a new intern here named Chloe Vance. She's telling everyone she's your daughter."

"Could you tell everyone the truth? Do you have a daughter?"

After a brief silence, a man's voice came through the speaker.

"I don't have a daughter."

The entire room erupted into chaos.