Chapter 93: Chapter Ninety three: confrontation
Not far away, Alicia had seen everything.
She stood still for a mont, her thoughts drifting, her expression faintly distant.
A strange sense of detachnt settled over her.
Then, without warning, a mory surfaced.
The first day she had joined the company.
She had gone to report to the CEO’s office, Jane by her side. Back then, unfamiliar with the rigid boundaries he enforced, she had called him by his na—
Alexander.
The correction had been imdiate.
Cold.
Precise.
Regardless of the situation, regardless of who was present, she was to address him as CEO Blackwood within the company.
There were no exceptions.
At work, he had always been strictly professional.
Distant.
Unyielding.
He treated her no differently than any other employee.
At the ti, she had believed—
That was simply who he was.
It wasn’t until Lilian returned... that Alicia realized sothing else.
Alexander was capable of favoritism.
He just never chose her.
And yet today—
He had spoken.
For her.
Alicia’s fingers tightened slightly at her sides.
If this had happened earlier... perhaps things would have been different.
Perhaps she would have felt sothing.
Relief.
Warmth.
Even the smallest trace of happiness.
But now—
There was nothing.
No, that wasn’t entirely true.
There was sothing.
A faint, lingering bitterness.
Because she didn’t need it anymore.
When the rumors had first surfaced, he hadn’t defended her.
When the whispers had begun, he hadn’t intervened.
When the accusations had spread, he had remained silent.
And now—
Now that everything had already taken root—
His words felt... late.
Too late.
The rumors had already spread.
The insults had already been thrown.
The gossip had already taken shape.
Nothing he said now could undo it.
Alicia lowered her gaze briefly, then lifted it again, her expression returning to calm indifference.
As if none of it mattered.
As if it had never mattered at all.
But just as she was about to turn and enter her office—
A sudden wave of nausea rose in her chest.
Sharp.
Unexpected.
Her steps faltered.
Only for a second.
Her hand moved instinctively, pressing lightly against the edge of the desk beside her.
Her breathing slowed.
Careful.
Controlled.
No one around her seed to notice.
Except—
Through the glass corridor, a pair of eyes remained fixed on her.
Alexander.
He hadn’t left.
His gaze was steady.
Too steady.
Watching the way she paused.
The way her hand lingered.
The way she recovered just a little too deliberately.
Sothing flickered in his eyes.
Doubt.
Suspicion.
And sothing deeper—sothing he had yet to na.
Alicia sat quietly at her desk. After a mont, she set her phone aside and noticed a new email from Director Aimy.
Clicking it open, she found a disciplinary notice.
A few days earlier, a public relations intern from the dia operations departnt had made a serious mistake—one that had damaged both Alicia’s reputation and the company’s image. As a result, the company had decided to terminate the intern’s internship ahead of schedule.
Sophia, the PR Director, had also been held accountable. Due to her failure in supervision, fifty percent of her year-end bonus would be deducted as punishnt.
Alicia read through the email without much reaction and closed it, returning to her work.
She wasn’t na??ve enough to believe Alexander had done this for her sake.
After all, it involved the company’s official Twitter account. Every post, every statent made through it represented the corporation as a whole. This was never about her—it was about maintaining authority and control.
Sophia had abused her position for personal reasons.
And now, she was paying the price.
Blackwood Dominion Enterprises had always enforced strict rules. With so many employees under its roof, no one dared to step out of line. One wrong move, and everything could be reported to upper managent. Most people preferred to keep their heads down and stay far away from trouble.
Still, rumors had a way of spreading.
Whenever Alicia stepped into the break room for coffee or walked into the restroom, she could feel it—the lingering stares, the hushed whispers that followed her like shadows.
They didn’t need to say anything.
She already knew.
As Alicia stepped out of the bathroom, she nearly collided with soone.
She looked up—
—and t Sophia’s eyes.
Alicia’s POV
"Director Alicia, congratulations on your recovery," Sophia said, her lips curling into a sly smile.
"Thank you, Director Sophia," I replied evenly, my expression unchanged.
"You’ve been absent for the past few days. I thought you were too ashad to show your face." There was no mistaking the malice in her tone.
I smiled faintly. "It seems Director Sophia is in quite a good mood—even after having half of her year-end bonus deducted. It must have been a substantial amount for you to co all the way here just to provoke . You really don’t mind losing that much money, do you?"
Her expression stiffened for a split second before she recovered. "Alicia, do you really think you’ve won?"
I raised an eyebrow. "What do you an?"
Sophia mirrored the gesture, her gaze sharp. "Do you really think that was just an intern’s mistake?"
I fell silent.
Of course I knew the truth. Sophia had made that post. The intern had rely been a scapegoat.
Seeing my reaction, she smirked. "You know it was . But does CEO Blackwood know? He chose to protect
and shift the bla onto the intern. What do you think that ans?"
What did it an?
My gaze lowered slightly.
I knew exactly what it ant.
It ant that, in Alexander’s eyes, I didn’t matter.
It ant that Lilian mattered more.
Because Sophia and I stood in opposition—because we balanced each other out—no matter how much she slandered , she would never lose her position as Head of PR.
Her reputation was worth more than mine.
Sophia let out a soft laugh. "Even if I lose part of my bonus, it’s just money. It doesn’t affect my salary. And with months left before the end of the year, I could easily earn it back. This so-called punishnt ans nothing to ."
Her eyes swept over , full of mockery. "But you... you seem to take it seriously. Alicia, by now, you should understand your place in CEO Blackwood’s eyes. He spoke up for you earlier, made it look like he was defending you—but what have you actually gained?"
My reputation was still in ruins.
And work hadn’t beco any easier.
A flicker of irony crossed my mind.
Thankfully, I hadn’t been fooled by Alexander’s so-called "defense."
Otherwise... I would have been the biggest fool in the world.
Fortunately, I had already seen him for who he truly was.
"I’m curious, Director Sophia," I said calmly, shifting the conversation, "why do you hate
so much?"
"Why?" she sneered. "Can’t I dislike you for no reason?"
"That’s impossible," I said firmly.
I was the adopted daughter of the Blackwood family. I had the Chairwoman’s favor. Even if people disliked , they wouldn’t show it so openly. Avoiding conflict was human nature—especially for soone like Sophia, who had climbed her way to the top of PR.
If she were straightforward, I could understand.
But after working with her for years, I knew exactly what kind of person she was—smooth, calculating... and two-faced.
There had to be a reason.
"What’s so impossible about it?" she asked mockingly.
I studied her for a mont, then said slowly, "Director Sophia, you keep bringing up CEO Blackwood... Could it be that you like him?"
Her expression shifted, just slightly.
"Are you jealous?" I continued, my tone light but deliberate. "Jealous that I—a nobody—was adopted into the Blackwood family? That I get to stand close to him? Is that what bothers you?"
"Alicia, what nonsense are you spouting?" Sophia snapped, her face darkening. "Don’t you dare slander ."
That reaction told
everything.
"Oh?" I tilted my head, a faint smile forming. "Did I hit a nerve? You seem... flustered."
"I have no idea what you’re talking about," she said sharply, already turning away.
She walked off without another word.
I watched her retreating figure for a mont, then let out a quiet breath before heading back to my office.
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