When Yvonne brought up her academic background, she wore a look of absolute confidence. I replied calmly, “When it comes to education, who here didn’t graduate from a top-tier university? The two directors sitting right in front of you? They’re both alumni of Capital City University. And as for experience, let’s be honest, your portfolio doesn’t exactly stand out. I’ve seen that Christmas limited-edition jewelry collection you worked on. There’s a reason the sales flopped.” Every word hit her where it hurt. Yvonne’s self-assurance crumbled instantly; her eyes welled up with tears as she whimpered, “Raelyn, we’re coworkers. How could you say something so harsh to me?” Yvonne had always looked sweet and innocent. Now, with tears on her cheeks, several of the male colleagues around us began to waver. But I wasn’t buying the act. “So when you lose the argument, you cry? Is this what you’ve picked up at Eclipse Corporation, cheap little tricks?” Yvonne froze. She was trying to cry, but the tears wouldn’t fall. She didn’t know whether to let them fall or wipe them away. She stood there, stuck and humiliated. “All right, that’s enough,” Aiden cut in coldly. “This decision was mine. If anyone else has a problem, now’s the time to speak up.” The room fell silent until Alex casually raised his hand. “I’ve got a problem.” I assumed he was about to stir up trouble again, but instead, he grinned. “I’d like to take a few months off to unwind. So Raelyn can take over the position in the meantime.” Aiden had hand-picked me for the role, and now Alex was publicly stepping aside for me; there wasn’t much Yvonne could say after that. She glared daggers at me, her eyes practically begging to bore holes through my face. “Then it’s settled,” Aiden said firmly, sealing the matter with finality. After the meeting, Yvonne approached me again, now with a humble smile plastered on her face. “Raelyn, I may have spoken a little too strongly during the meeting. I hope you won’t take it personally. I only said what I did for the good of the company—it wasn’t a dig at your abilities.” I smiled faintly. “No need to worry. As long as you don’t provoke me, I won’t do anything to you. Like you said—for the sake of the company, let’s try to keep the peace.”Please. Trying to play both sides with me? You’re not even close to being slick enough. “I understand, Raelyn,” Yvonne said, then hesitated before adding, “But when you were design director, you built a lot of strong connections. I was wondering if…” There it is. I knew it—she was angling for the contacts I still had. “It’s been a while. I honestly can’t remember who’s who anymore… But Ms. Yvonne, aren’t you the design director now? Rebuilding those relationships shouldn’t be too hard, right?” I kept tapping on my keyboard, my tone deliberately dismissive. “But it is hard, Raelyn. Couldn’t you at least try? There are some people I just can’t get ahold of—” Her expression looked worse than when she was crying, but she still kept her posture humble. I had to admit—I kind of respected how thick-skinned she was. “There are people you can’t reach?” I said, tilting my head with a curious smile. “Ms. Yvonne, you’re so smart and talented—and a graduate of the best design program at Varken University, no less. There’s no way you’d have trouble with something like this. You’re just being modest, aren’t you?” I made sure to really emphasize “the best design program at Varken” when I said it. That did it, Yvonne couldn’t hold it together anymore. She shot me a venomous glare, spun on her heel, and stormed off. “Raelyn, you’re amazing,” a colleague nearby whispered admiringly. “Yvonne’s always pretending to be some sweet, hardworking underdog to get sympathy. But everyone in the office knows what she’s really like. If she weren’t sitting in that director’s chair, nobody would even talk to her.” “Oh?” I raised a brow, intrigued. “What’s she really like?” The colleague looked around cautiously, then leaned in and lowered their voice. “She’s actually a noble from the Starborn Pack. She always puts on this innocent act, but behind the scenes, she’s bossy as hell. She flirts with all the male coworkers—calls them ‘big brother’ and acts all cutesy—but with the women? Total diva. Treats them like servants. She’s a complete two-face. Most of us can’t stand her… aside from the few guys she’s got wrapped around her finger.” I nodded, unsurprised. So everyone already knew what kind of person she was. That made things easier. Just as I was finally settling in and ready to focus on work, a sharp shriek suddenly pierced the calm office air.“Where is she? Who’s Raelyn? I want to see which little wench dared to seduce my husband in this company!”