The room went quiet for a beat, then a few polite nods and murmurs of welco followed.
Lily leaned closer to Anne and whispered. "gan Granet? Isn’t she the daughter of that high-profile lawyer, Mr. Granet?" Her eyes flicked toward gan with a mix of curiosity and surprise. "I heard she ca back recently after finishing her studies overseas. I didn’t think she’d join our company, though."
Anne kept her gaze fixed on gan, quietly sizing her up. From the sleek, tailored dress to the confident, almost dismissive air she carried, gan looked every inch soone used to privilege. There was a chill to her presence.
’Of course. Just another rich kid with too much confidence and not enough humility. Typical.’
Anne kept her tone even and her expression unreadable. "It’s her decision. She is the general manager now. Let’s just stay professional and give her the respect her position demands."
Helena smiled politely and turned to gan. "Would you like to say a few words to the team?"
Without so much as a glance at the others, gan replied coolly, "I’ll speak during the eting. I want all team leaders in the conference hall after lunch."
She pivoted, heels clicking against the floor, Helena trailing after her without a word.
A wave of whispers and raised eyebrows swept across the team.
"Yikes..." Rose leaned toward Anne. "Watch your step around her. That woman radiates ice. She is not at all friendly."
Anne didn’t pass a statent.
"Thank you for your concern," Anne said appreciatively. "I’ll keep it in mind. Now, let’s cut the chatter and get back to what matters. We’ve got work to do."
With that, the brief tension in the room began to ease. One by one, her teammates returned to their desks, their attitudes more asured, their movents more mindful.
Anne turned back to her laptop. The sting of the earlier rumors still lingered, but she pushed it aside. She couldn’t let lies distract her. There was work to be done, and she was determined to prove herself with actions—not explanations.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Helena guided gan into a sleek, well-furnished room. "This will be your office," she said with a warm smile. "If you need anything at all, just let know. An assistant will be assigned to you shortly. Until then, I’m here to help with anything you need."
"Thank you, Helena," gan replied, settling into her chair with an air of ease. "I’ll reach out if I need anything."
Helena gave a courteous nod and exited.
gan pulled out her phone, her gaze settling on a photo of Augustine. A sly smile curved her lips. "Augustine Beaumont," she murmured. "Let’s finally et."
Still wearing that smirk, she rose gracefully from her seat and walked out of the room with purpose, heading directly toward the CEO’s office.
Just as gan strutted forward down the hallway, Lorie stepped directly into her path, halting her with a curious gaze.
She had already looked through gan’s profile, and the mont she discovered that gan was the daughter of the renowned lawyer, Mr. Granet, she made up her mind to befriend her and earn her favor.
gan tilted her head slightly, a slow, confident smile curling her lips. She loved monts like this—when people looked at her with awe, with curiosity. She flicked her glossy hair back and straightened her posture.
"Yes, that’s ," she said with pride. "Not just the general manager—I’m also very close to Augustine and his family."
The subtle smirk on her lips said more than her words. She wanted to make it known—she wasn’t just another executive. She was soone close to the CEO.
Lorie’s eyes lit up. ’This must be—the boss’s wife.’
gan was elegant, stunning, and carried the kind of presence that only ca from wealth and deeper connections.
’Of course,’ Lorie thought. ’She looks like a queen. No wonder she has grabbed the CEO’s attention.’
Plastering a sugary smile across her face, Lorie gave a polite bow. "Madam, I’m Lorie—CEO’s secretary. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask. I’d be honored to assist you."
Her mind was already working. She had tried to get close to Augustine before and failed miserably. Now, her strategy had changed: cozy up to gan, get on her good side, and use that connection to stir trouble for Anne.
gan eyed Lorie with a calculating look. She humd thoughtfully. ’So, this is Augustine’s secretary,’ she mused. ’Perfect.’
She needed soone close to Augustine to keep an eye on him, to find out if he had any woman in his life.
A faint, knowing smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "Nice to et you, Lorie," she said smoothly. "I must say, it’s refreshing to see soone so polite and composed working beside Augustine. I like people who know how to carry themselves."
Lorie smiled gleefully at her praising words. She straightened up with pride. "Thank you, ma’am. If you ever need anything, just say the word, and I’ll be happy to help."
gan’s smile deepened. That was exactly the eagerness she was hoping for. She glanced down at her manicured nails.
"You know, I worry about Augustine." Her voice turned syrupy yet laced with concern. "He attracts attention. Too many won are eager to get close to him. So are even shaless enough to climb into his bed if they get the chance. I can’t let that happen. I need to protect him from being used."
Then, her eyes narrowed as she looked up at Lorie. "You don’t have any... questionable intentions toward him, do you?"
Lorie’s heart dropped to the floor. Her face paled at gan’s unexpected question. Of course, she had tried to get Augustine’s attention. But none of her tricks worked.
Augustine treated her like she was invisible. Any spark she had once felt had long fizzled out, replaced with silent resentnt toward the woman who had his heart. But now that she knew gan was the woman Augustine had married, all her resentnt had vanished.
She waved her hands quickly. "No, no, ma’am, not at all. I’m just a secretary—he is my boss. I would never dare think that way about him."
gan studied her reaction with sharp eyes, pleased by the fear. Offering a warm, almost disarming smile, she said softly, "Don’t take it seriously—I was just teasing. But you know how worried I am... If you notice anything odd, let know right away."
Lorie’s eyes glead. This was the mont she had been waiting for. Glancing around as if to make sure no one was listening, she leaned in slightly.
"Well... there is soone," she whispered, "I’ve seen it with my own eyes. She is trying hard to get the boss’s attention. It’s clear she has an agenda."
gan’s interest was piqued instantly. "Really?" Her smile faded as her expression turned sharp. "Who is she? Does she work here?"
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