Chapter 4

NATALIE’s POV

“Finally decided to show up, huh?” My mother turned to me after the applause subsided, her voice laced with thinly veiled frustration. “You almost ruin all our hard work!”

She sighed, her gaze cold as she added, “You’re lucky Vanessa took your notes.”

Took my notes? How and when? When did she even have the chance to get close to them… except the day she was in Lucas and I’s bedroom.

The realization hit me like a punch to the gut.

I let out a weak smile. “You mean Vanessa stole my notes?”

Before I could brace myself, my mother slapped me—hard. The sting reverberated through my entire body.

“Stole? Who taught you to speculate about others like this?” Her voice dripped with venom. “She only did it out of pure kindness!”

The words stung. How could she defend Vanessa as if nothing was wrong?

“You’ve been too distracted.” My father chimed in, his voice cold and indifferent. “What did you say when you begged us to trust you one more time and take responsibility for this cooperation? We gave you a second chance, but it’s clearly not working out. You should be grateful Vanessa stepped up since you were too busy to even show up.”

Grateful? My stomach churned. My face is red and swollen

How could they deny what had happened? How could they pretend Vanessa hadn’t stolen everything I’d worked for? That she hadn’t deliberately changed the date of the merger?

I looked around, my gaze sharp. The people around me were my former subordinates. Not anymore until I was forced to give up the position of chief manager, since Vanessa, the real heiress came back.

But they knew the truth. They knew I had been the one putting in the work. I had been the one building this project for the last three years. I knew every detail of it, every tiny decision.

“How can Vanessa change the merger date without consulting me?” I demanded, my voice trembling. “Why didn’t anyone inform me?”

Only then did people begin to notice I was there, but no one spoke up. They exchanged uncomfortable glances, the silence suffocating.

I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails dug into my palms. After a few moments, someone whispered, “Well, you’re just a supervisor now. She’s the manager. What can we do? How can we stop her from doing whatever she wants?”

Another voice quickly joined in, “Yeah, and… you don’t exactly seem like the right fit to represent the group in mergers and acquisitions…”

Vanessa stood on the stage, smiling brightly, basking in the attention, the flashbulbs from cameras capturing her perfect look.

But I didn’t need a mirror to know how I looked: pale. Haggard. Like a ghost.

My father waved dismissively, as if I were a nuisance. “Alright, alright, stop making things difficult for others. If you don’t have the ability, just admit it. I’ve taught you everything I could, but you’ve learned nothing. I should’ve known better—you’re just a product of inferior genes.”

I lifted my head sharply, my voice trembling as I spoke, “How could you… how could you say that, Dad?”

His eyes turned dark, and his tone dropped to a dangerous level. “Don’t you dare call me Dad!” His voice was like ice. “If you really respected me, you’d be much more grateful to Vanessa. You should be thankful to her—guilty—for even catching a glimpse of high society. Because you stole everything from her! You owe her!”

I felt the blood drain from my face. It was like a thousand arrows had pierced my chest.

“That’s it. Take a few days off. Wait for HR to notify you before coming back.” His words weren’t a suggestion—they were a verdict.

I knew what he meant. Indefinite suspension.

I was fired. From my own company.

I turned to my mother. A flash of pity passed across her face, but she quickly turned her head away without saying a word.

I stood there, paralyzed.

My chest tightened, my vision blurring. I barely noticed the figure approaching from the corner of my eye—until my father’s expression stiffened. A second later, he forced a smile.

“Mr. Valen, what an honor to see you here.”

A sharp pinch on my waist made me jolt. My mother. A silent warning. As if I needed it. I already knew better than to step out of line, especially in front of him.

Valen Gravestone. The eldest son of the Gravestone family.

The Gravestones were untouchable—the most powerful family next to the Onyxes. The younger generation was full of brilliant men, all excelling in their fields. But the family had no daughters. None.

This merger didn’t require a big shot like him.

In fact, he had been absent from the public eye for years, and no one knew why he had suddenly decided to show up now.

But now that he was here, his presence alone commanded attention. His sharp gaze cut through the room, his icy demeanor a direct contrast to the flurry of fake smiles around him.

When he spotted the mark from the slap on my face, he frowned slightly.

My father quickly diverted his attention. “Have you met my proud daughter, Vanessa? She’s in charge of this merger.”

Perfect timing, as always. Vanessa, fresh off the stage, stepped in with a flawless smile. She extended her hand, her tone dripping with practiced charm. “Such a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Valen. It’s an honor to have you here.”

But Valen didn’t take her hand. He simply nodded.

“How much do you know about the techniques?” he asked, his voice calm but direct. “The brochure claims you’ve adopted laser-based crafting for gem engraving. Can you explain the details?”

Vanessa’s smile wavered. “Oh, um… sure. Well, as we all know, laser-based means using lasers and… um…”

“Excuse me?” Mr Valen’s brow was already furrowed. His tone sharpened. “How much do you actually know?”

She didn’t. How could she? While I had been working late nights to develop this project, she’d been too busy screwing around with my boyfriend.

I stared at her coldly.

Another pinch at my waist. My mother’s silent command.

Fine.

I took a slow breath, steadying myself. “Laser sintering is an additive manufacturing process that fuses powdered metal with a high-powered laser. It allows for intricate, lightweight, and structurally complex jewelry that traditional casting methods can’t achieve.”

Valen’s sharp gaze shifted to me. He raised an eyebrow. “Go on.”

I continued, breaking down the process and explaining why we’d chosen to implement it for gem engraving. As I spoke, I saw it—a flicker of something in his eyes. Recognition. Maybe even approval.

“Impressive,” Valen said at last, nodding. “And you are?”

I met his gaze. “Natalie. I was… the project’s supervisor.” A pause. “Thank you for supporting the project, sir.”

Behind me, I could almost feel Vanessa bristling.

Valen studied me for a moment before asking, “Have we met before? You seem… familiar.”