Chapter 23
She lifted her chin, her eyes full of contempt and warning. "I suggest you watch your mouth. Some things aren't for people like you to go poking around in."
She deliberately emphasized "people like you," trying to use her sense of class superiority to put me down.
"Now, I'm giving you a chance," she crossed her arms and looked down at me as if granting one last act of mercy. "Take back what you just said, be a good assistant for me, and I can pretend nothing happened. Otherwise, I have plenty of ways to make sure you can't stay at this company."
What started as an argument about project ownership had completely turned into her personal threat against me.
And Amelia saw it all.
Not only did she not stop it, but she leaned back in her chair with interest, a gloating smile playing at the corners of her lips.
Of course, she knew Tessa was a fake, and she knew I was the real daughter of the White family.
But Preston had already told me to hide my identity at StoryArc Media and start from the bottom to get some good "experience."
Now here I was, this "newbie" who didn't know her place, daring to challenge her trusted aide. She was more than happy to sit back and watch this show.
She couldn't wait for me to make an even bigger scene—ideally get into a fight with Tessa—so she could report it to Preston and complain that I was arrogant and refused to follow orders.
I couldn't be bothered wasting more words on Tessa. I turned my gaze directly to Amelia, who was enjoying the show, my tone calm. "Ms. White, now isn't the time to discuss whether I stay or go. It's time to decide who leads this project. You're the department head—I trust you'll make the fairest decision. Or are you saying that Tessa's threats against me also represent your position?"
I shifted the focus onto Amelia.
Everyone's eyes turned to Amelia again.
The smile on Amelia's face froze.
She hadn't expected me to be so difficult to deal with, pulling her from her spectator's seat back into the center of the storm with just a few words.
She looked at my calm, unwavering eyes—there was no fear or backing down in them, only cold certainty.
A nameless anger surged up from within her.
She suddenly changed her mind.
There were many ways to humiliate me, and making me lose what I wanted most in front of everyone might be the best way.
"Fine." Amelia suddenly smiled, a smile that was both sweet and cold. "Since you're so confident and insist on voting, I can't be too dictatorial as the director and crush a new employee's enthusiasm."
She stood up and clapped her hands, the sound crisp and clear.
"Let's vote then." She looked around the room, her gaze lingering on each employee's face for a moment, carrying an unspoken warning. "I want to see just how many people in Marketing Department Two will support a newbie who hasn't even finished her probation period to lead such an important project."
After Amelia finished speaking, everyone's eyes turned on me like searchlights, filled with naked hostility and the anticipation of watching a good show.
Amelia was certain that in this hierarchical corporate jungle, no one would offend their boss, who held the power of life and death over them for some nobody.
This vote—I was bound to lose.
Facing those complicated stares, not only did I not back down, but I smiled slightly.
I turned to Tessa, whose face had recovered some of its smugness, my expression still innocent and harmless, but with a touch of perfectly placed confusion in my tone. "Before we vote, I have a small question that might affect everyone's judgment."
I paused, my gaze sweeping over every colleague present, my voice not loud but clearly reaching everyone's ears. "I just heard a colleague say that Tessa is a relative of the White family. Is that true?"
At these words, Tessa straightened her back even more, chin held high, tacitly confirming what I'd said.
I seemed relieved, then showed an even more troubled expression. "Well, that makes things difficult. If Tessa really is the chairman's relative, then everyone will feel pressured when voting. If we choose me, wouldn't that be like offending Tessa and indirectly offending the chairman? That's really unfair to us regular employees."
My words seemed like I was looking for a way out for myself, but I was actually throwing a pointed question at everyone present—Tessa's identity directly affected their personal interests.
Sure enough, the colleagues who had been indifferent began to show subtle changes in their expressions.
I looked at Tessa and sincerely suggested, "So, to let everyone vote fairly without worries, and to prevent anyone from using a fake identity to take advantage of colleagues in the future, why don't you prove your identity first, Tessa?"
"Taking advantage of colleagues" was like a needle that precisely hit a sore spot for quite a few people present.
Those male colleagues who had run errands for Tessa, revised reports for her, and taken the blame for her all looked somewhat uncomfortable.
"Right, if she really is the chairman's relative, we wouldn't dare vote freely."
"Exactly, better to make it clear so everyone isn't put in an awkward position."
Whispers of agreement rose from the crowd, and the tide of public opinion was quietly turned by me without anyone noticing.
Amelia's face darkened. She hadn't expected that with just a few words, I could rally everyone and turn the spotlight on Tessa.
And Tessa completely panicked.
She looked to Amelia for help, only to find Amelia staring coldly back at her with no intention of coming to her rescue.
"You... what do you think you are! How dare you question me?" Tessa pointed at me, her voice rising from guilt.
I ignored her outburst and just looked at her calmly, as if waiting for an answer.
The surrounding colleagues were also watching her, their gazes shifting from doubt to expectation.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Tessa gritted her teeth. As someone backed into a corner, she suddenly pulled out her phone, her fingers swiping rapidly across the screen while muttering, "I'll show you! Open your eyes and look carefully!"
Moments later, as if she'd found a lifeline, she held up her phone screen to everyone, her face reigniting with arrogance.
It was a photo together.
The background appeared to be some business reception. Preston was wearing a sharp suit, talking with someone, while Tessa stood intimately at his side with a reserved smile on her face, making it look like she and Preston had a close relationship.