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?"