Bruce froze for a moment, a flicker of hesitation passing through his eyes.

But Carmen immediately jumped out, jabbing her finger at me and shrieking, "You even have the nerve to impersonate the new branch manager? Everyone working here knows the new branch manager is arriving today!

"What, you read a couple of girlboss revenge novels and now you think you can come swaggering into real life acting all high and mighty?"

She shot Bruce a simpering look and said, "Mr. Farrell, don't fall for her bluff. Nowadays, women of her age are sneaky like that. They read a couple of clapback stories online and think they can pass themselves off as executives.

"If she really were the branch manager sent from headquarters, why didn't Mr. Mahoney come with her? I'm telling you, she's just stalling for time because she knows she's been caught."

The surrounding colleagues chimed in one after another.

"Yeah, she didn't even think this lie through. Would the new branch manager dress so shabbily and take the regular elevator?"

"Young people nowadays are just plain crazy. They'll say anything just to avoid getting fired."

Carmen grew more smug as she spoke, her voice getting even louder.

"And besides, so what if the new branch manager really does show up today? Mr. Farrell here is the chairman's nephew. This branch is basically his domain—even the new branch manager will have to answer to him!"

These words were spoken with outrageous arrogance, yet not a single one of the over 100 employees present dared to speak up in rebuttal.

Instead, everyone turned to Bruce with deference and fawning reverence.

Bruce, thoroughly puffed up by Carmen's flatter, was brimming with smug satisfaction.

He walked up to me, looking down from his lofty height.

"Miss, are you listening? Don't think those 'workplace tyranny' tricks you found on the internet actually work in the real world. As someone with a bit more experience, I'm going to do you a favor and teach you a lesson today–strictly out of the goodness of my heart."

Bruce pulled out his phone and sneered. "I'm calling Mr. Mahoney right now. If the facts don't match your story, not only will you be kicked out of the company, but I'll also call the police and report you for fraud."

He dialed the number in front of everyone and deliberately put the call on speaker. His tone instantly shifted to one of excessive politeness.

"Hello, Mr. Mahoney. This is Bruce Farrell, the branch's assistant manager. May I know where you are now?"

Derek Mahoney's slightly anxious voice came through from the other end.

"Mr. Farrell, I'm on my way. There's a bit of traffic."

Bruce immediately seized the opportunity to report the situation as if claiming credit.

"Oh, Mr. Mahoney, you won't believe what's happened. Some con artist showed up here today. She's been causing a scene and has had the audacity to impersonate the new branch manager. I've got her detained right now."

Derek's tone changed instantly. "What did you say? I'll be there right away! Before I arrive, no one is to do anything rash!"

The call ended with a sharp click.

Bruce put away his phone and looked at me scornfully.

"You hear that? The new branch manager is due any second. A fraud like you actually thinks you can pull this off?"

I took one look at his smug, self-satisfied expression and let out a cold laugh.

"You don't believe me, do you? Fine, I'll show you some proof."

I pulled the official transfer document from my bag and snapped it down onto the desk beside me.

"You say you're the chairman's nephew?" I locked eyes with him, my tone icy. "Well, isn't that a coincidence—I'm the chairman's daughter. So, how is it that I never knew my father, Francis Norton, had a relative as pathetic as you hiding away as a branch assistant manager?"

Confronted with the official transfer document I had thrown down, Bruce froze for a second. His beady little eyes locked onto the red corporate seal, and his whole expression shifted.

"Cut the crap!"

Bruce lunged for the document, snatching it off the desk. Without a second glance, he ripped it in two and hurled the scraps directly into my face.

"You seriously think you can waltz in here pretending to be the new branch manager with some cheap fake you printed at a corner shop?" Bruce jabbed a finger in my face, howling with derision.

"Take a good look in the mirror, sweetheart. Mr. Norton's daughter wouldn't be caught dead in a 200-dollar knockoff. What, you think I was born yesterday?"

Seeing this, Carmen immediately seized the moment to incite the entire workforce.

"Everyone heard that, right? This woman isn't just a shameless slut—she's also a lunatic. Forging an official corporate seal can land your ass in prison!"

She turned around and yanked Patrick out from where he was hiding behind the crowd. Then, she shoved him forcefully to the front.

"Patrick, tell Mr. Farrell and everyone exactly what happened in that elevator. Was it she who came on to you first?"

Patrick stumbled from the shove. When his eyes met mine, he noticeably flinched.

"I…" Patrick opened his mouth, cold sweat breaking out across his forehead.

Bruce chimed in menacingly from the side, "Patrick, just tell the truth. The company's got your back. If anyone tries to threaten you, I, as assistant manager, will be the first to put a stop to it."

Patrick shut his eyes and steeled himself.

"That's right! It was her! We were alone in the elevator and she threw herself all over me. S-She even grabbed my hand. I tried to push her away, but she wouldn't let go!"

"You're lying!" I barked sharply.

"You heard him!" With Patrick's "testimony", Carmen went completely berserk. "Why waste words on a gold-digging tramp like this?

"She's probably some fly-by-night company's sales rep, and the moment she saw how honest Patrick is, she tried to use those dirty tricks to reel in business. She's nothing but a shameless filthy whore!"

Before she even finished speaking, Carmen lunged and slapped me hard across the face.

The blow was brutal. My head whipped to the side; a high-pitched ring filled my ears as I tasted blood at the corner of my mouth.

"Get her! Rip her clothes off! Let's see how she seduces men then!" Carmen shrieked, rallying several of her close cronies who usually sided with her. They swarmed toward me, shoving and tearing at my clothes and hair in a frenzy.

A sharp pain shot through my scalp, but I wasn't about to take it lying down.

I planted my feet and snapped down hard on the wrist Carmen was using to yank my hair. At the same time, I raised my right leg and delivered a brutal kick straight to her stomach.

Carmen let out a miserable shriek, reeling backward from the kick before sprawling onto the floor.

At the sight of this, Bruce flew into a rage.

He pointed at me and barked at the entire staff, "What are you all standing around for? This woman isn't just a fraud—she's a corporate spy. She came here to steal company secrets. Where's security? Hold her down now!"

Bruce had spent years running this branch like his own personal dictatorship. Everyone was too scared of him being "the chairman's nephew" to challenge him, and some even saw this as a chance to prove their loyalty.

Under this oppressive pressure, several security guards and a few bootlicking employees immediately lunged at me like wolves.

I was outnumbered and overpowered. Within seconds, several beefy men had my arms wrenched behind me, pinning me face-down against a nearby desk. I couldn't move an inch.

Clutching her stomach, Carmen scrambled up from the floor and stormed over with an ugly snarl. Then, she drove two sharp kicks into my shin.

"Go on, run! Let's see you kick me now!" she hissed through gritted teeth.

Pressed down on the desk, I stared coldly at Bruce and Carmen, burning every single one of their faces into my memory.

Just as Carmen was about to continue her assault, the receptionist came rushing in from outside.

"Mr. Farrell, Mr. Mahoney has arrived downstairs with his people. They'll be up any moment!"

At these words, the arrogance on Bruce's face instantly froze.

He was probably thinking that if the new branch manager and Derek witnessed this chaotic, lawless mess on their very first day, he—as the assistant manager—would be in deep trouble.

Panicking, Bruce growled in a low voice, "Quick! Get her out of here! Don't let the new branch manager see her!"

A sly glint flashed in Carmen's eyes, and she leaned in with that self-satisfied look of someone who thought she just had a brilliant idea.

"Mr. Farrell, there's a backup freight elevator at the end of the hallway that no one usually uses. How about we lock her in there first and halt it between floors? Once the upper management finishes their inspection and leaves, we can deal with her at our leisure."

"Perfect! Do it now!" Bruce waved his hands frantically, as if grasping at a lifeline.

Under Carmen's direction, several security guards seized me by the arms and forcibly dragged me deeper into the hallway.

"This is unlawful detention!" I warned coldly, struggling with all my might.

"Shut up!" Carmen viciously pinched my waist.

Then, together with the guards, she roughly shoved me into the narrow and dark backup elevator.

The elevator doors slammed shut with a loud bang.

I heard Carmen press the emergency stop button from outside. The elevator gave a jarring clunk and came to a dead halt between floors.

Carmen's vicious voice filtered in from the outside.

"You stay put in there! Once the upper management finishes their inspection, you'll see exactly what I do with a cheap whore like you!"

The elevator was pitch black, with only a faint emergency light flickering.

I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth and drew a deep breath, my gaze turning to ice.

They were dead meat.

A few minutes later, the glass doors to the main office were violently thrown open.

Panting and out of breath, Derek burst into the lobby with several senior executives in tow.

Bruce immediately put on an excessively fawning smile and strode forward with the entire staff to greet them.

"Mr. Mahoney, you've finally made it! And where's the new branch manager? Why didn't she come up with you?"

Derek ignored his groveling entirely. Instead, his gaze locked onto the floor, where the torn-up remains of the transfer document lay strewn.

He crouched down and picked up one of the torn fragments bearing half a vivid red seal. His hand began to tremble uncontrollably.

Suddenly, he shot up and bellowed at the entire room, "What have you done with Ms. Norton?"