Chapter 4
484words
Yves's expression transformed instantly from contempt to fawning deference.
Lewis ignored him completely, addressing the officer instead. "I'm the General Manager of this company. Here's my card—anyone here can confirm my identity. This is all a terrible misunderstanding. We can handle this internally."
Yves stepped forward, his voice tinged with desperation. "Sir, she's been my girlfriend for five years—just a regular girl from a modest background. There must be some mistake about her being CEO, right?"
Lewis shot Yves an exasperated look. "Ms. Sanders has received threats in the past, which is precisely why she maintains such a low profile. Her appointment was deliberately kept confidential!"
"But make no mistake—she is absolutely our Chief Executive Officer."
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd.
The mocking voices fell silent. Ruby and Yves turned ashen, their faces drained of all color.
Ruby recovered first. "That's impossible! I've seen the CEO—he's a middle-aged man!"
I gave her a cold look. People at her level rarely encountered upper management, so her confusion wasn't surprising.
"Shut. Up."
Lewis was sweating profusely, rivulets running down his neck. "The previous CEO was her father!"
Yves's expression transformed completely—shock giving way to calculating interest.
"Yana, is this true? You're the former CEO's daughter? Why didn't you tell me?"
Lewis had been with the company for a decade—his word was gospel. Instantly, the crowd's skepticism evaporated.
Ruby glared at me with undisguised hatred. "Bullshit! If you're really the CEO, why are you dressed in those cheap department store clothes?"
Then, her eyes narrowed with malice. "Manager Lewis, I heard your wife is divorcing you because of your mistress. Is that true?"
Lewis's face flushed crimson. "What the hell are you talking about? My marriage is perfectly fine! And who exactly are you to be involved in company matters?"
"Excuse me! My boyfriend Yves is a supervisor here! His business is my business! Can't I visit him at work?"
A murmur rippled through the crowd. "Wait—she's been terrorizing us for months and she doesn't even work here?"
Yves quickly stepped in front of Ruby. "That's ridiculous! Ruby went through proper channels. I just haven't made the official announcement yet!"
"I'm in charge of HR. All staffing decisions go through me. Any questions?"
His words silenced the crowd. Everyone knew Yves's meteoric rise through the ranks was suspicious.
Despite his tyrannical behavior, he never faced consequences. Rumors of his powerful connections had circulated for months.
With the situation still tense and my identity not fully established, no one dared speak up.
"Since we have credible testimony about your identity, we'll consider this matter resolved for now."
The officers clearly viewed this as an internal corporate matter, and they'd just received a call about something more pressing.
With a nod to Lewis, they departed for their next call.
Only Ruby, Yves, Manager Lewis and a handful of onlookers remained.
