Chapter 281
Ending the call, she lifted her gaze toward the front. “Drive faster.”
Through the rearview mirror, Miguel caught the glint of frost in her eyes. He straightened at once, pressing the accelerator without daring to question her. “Got it.”
The car sped toward Shaw Group headquarters, the tension inside thick as ice.
Brinley leaned back against the seat, eyes shut, her brow drawn tight as if carrying the weight of what lay ahead.
The assessment period was hardly underway, yet their true colors were already showing.
First came the board’s veiled tests, and now the staff’s petty cruelty. Brinley realized she had clearly underestimated how ruthless these people could be.
The seasoned power players within Shaw Group were too shrewd to attack her outright. Instead, they targeted the people she had brought in, trying to pry open a weak spot and shake her foundation.
She would never grant them the satisfaction of the victory they wanted.
Her eyes snapped open, razor-sharp.
The people she had chosen to stand with her would be protected at all costs. Whoever dared move against them had better be ready to face her wrath.
Moments later, the car rolled up to the glowing facade of the Shaw Group building.
The moment it stopped, Brinley shoved the door open and rushed for the lobby.
The building felt unnervingly still at this late hour, only a handful of departments lit up with overtime work.
She strode to the elevator and jabbed the button for the top floor.
When the doors parted, a hush swallowed her whole. Her footsteps rang sharply against the polished tiles as she moved down the deserted hallway.
Ahead, the Secretarial Department glowed unnaturally bright, faint voices spilling out—low, clipped, and intentionally restrained, as if they were trying to keep trouble under wraps.
Brinley eased closer, careful to soften her steps.
Through the open doorway, she caught sight of Jaylynn Craig. Arms folded with deliberate arrogance, she wore a mocking smirk as Corbin stood cornered in front of her desk.
“Corbin Burke, is it?” Jaylynn’s tone dripped with condescension. “Here’s a word of advice—be smart and apologize now. You used the conference room without clearance, held up our document work, and disrupted procedure. If you can’t follow the simplest rules, what makes you think you belong at Shaw Group at all?”
Another secretary cut in with a sharp tone. “Don’t think just because you’re tight with Mrs. Moore you can run wild here. Shaw Group isn’t like VantagePath Realty, where anyone can just walk in and use company resources.”
Corbin’s cheeks burned a fierce crimson, but he held his ground. “I checked with the cleaning lady first. She said the room was free tonight. I only borrowed the projector for a quick look at some data—I didn’t hold anyone up…”
“Oh, still making excuses?” Jaylynn huffed, stepping forward with mocking authority. “You really think the cleaning staff decides who gets to use our conference room? This is the Secretarial Department—we set the rules. You’re not leaving until you apologize to us.”
The accusation rattled Corbin, but he didn’t yield. He took a step back, chin lifted. “I didn’t break any rules. Why should I apologize for something I didn’t do?”
“You’ve still got the nerve to argue?” Jaylynn’s voice climbed sharply as she lifted her hand, ready to shove him.
“Touch him, and see what happens.”
The words lashed in from the doorway—icy and commanding—sending a chill through the room as if the temperature had dropped.
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