Alicia’s eyes lit up the moment she saw the signed contract in my hand.

"Isn’t that the new project contract I drafted?" she suddenly exclaimed, pointing at me in accusation. "You actually stole someone else’s work?"

She held up a printed copy of the same file and turned to Stefan, her expression pitiful. "I spent two whole days and nights working on this… and she just took it from me."

The document she waved in front of him was, in fact, the very one I had submitted for approval before I left the company. I had been the original project lead. But once I was gone, the lines blurred and she simply swapped my name for hers—then claimed the entire thing as her own.

I opened my mouth to explain, to speak the truth, but before I could say a word, Stefan struck me—his hand landing hard across my face without a moment’s hesitation.

Fury burned in his eyes. "Didn’t Alicia already discipline you according to company policy? And now you have the nerve to steal her project too? No wonder you refused to help her earlier. Caitlyn, you disgust me. Is this how you succeeded in our past collaborations—by stealing credit for other people’s work?"

The sharp sting spread across my cheek and I stared at him in disbelief. I had given three years of my life to this company. Alicia was a fresh graduate—how could I possibly have stolen from her?

Stefan ripped the contract from my hands and flung it aside. Then, in front of everyone, he ordered his bodyguards to pin me down. They yanked me to the ground and pulled my hair without mercy.

His expression grew even darker. "Caitlyn, this is the apology you owe Alicia."

I struggled against them, but it was useless. They forced me to kneel in front of her. Only when Alicia gave a smug, satisfied nod did Stefan finally release his grip on my hair.

My scalp was on fire. I could feel warm blood trickling down the side of my face. The pain was excruciating.

Alicia stepped closer, looming over me like a predator. Then, with a twisted smirk, she drove her stiletto heel into the back of my hand.

"The people I hate the most," she sneered, "are thieves. And you think an apology is enough?"

The heel stabbed into my skin, slicing through layers of flesh. Blood pooled beneath it and she pressed down harder, grinding her full weight into my bones.

"A thief like you should have both hands broken."

It felt as though the heel had gone straight through my hand. The pain was so intense it washed over me in waves. My vision blurred and my ears rang so loudly I could barely hear anything.

I turned to Stefan, pleading silently for mercy, for help.

After all, we had been in love for three years. He used to treat me like I was fragile porcelain—once, he panicked and screamed for a doctor when I scraped my knee.

But now, he did not even blink. His face showed nothing but disgust.

"No wonder your father wants to divorce your mother," he said coldly. "You inherited every bit of her shameful behavior. Even your mother secretly arranged our engagement without my consent. Like mother, like daughter."

Then came the final blow.

"I will never marry a thief. Caitlyn, our engagement is over."

He turned and walked away, leaving me kneeling on the floor, heartbroken and humiliated. The man who once cared for my loneliness, who once comforted my pain, now used it as a weapon to cut me deeper.

My earlier plea for help felt like a cruel joke.

Alicia, triumphant, held up the project plan I had created. In her other hand, she displayed a phone showing the video and photos of me being humiliated.

She laughed. "The project is mine. Stefan is mine. Caitlyn, if you dare stand in my way again, I’ll make sure the entire world sees you crawling like a dog."

The agony was unbearable. I lost consciousness right there. A few kind passersby rushed me to the hospital.

I had no idea how long I had been out. When I finally opened my eyes, Hayden was quietly sitting by my bedside.

There was a faint flicker of pain in his gaze, but he said nothing. He simply stayed close to bring me comfort.

In a broken whisper, I told him I needed two days to recover.

Without hesitation, he nodded. "Take all the time you need. Three days from now, during the evaluation… we’ll make sure the Hawthorne Family falls."

On the day of the annual evaluation, Hayden and I sat together in the front row.

Stefan spotted us and sauntered over, Alicia clinging to his side, sarcasm already thick in his voice.

"Caitlyn Sinclair, not only did you steal Alicia’s project, but now you’re cozying up to Mr. Forever-Second himself. If the company ends up firing you, at least try to land someone with a future. Oh, wait—I forgot. Our company is the best. There is no better place."

Alicia chimed in with a smirk. "Just wait until the Hawthorne Family reclaims the top spot and secures that investor partnership. When that happens, we’ll dominate the market. You’ll be lucky to scrape by on crumbs."

Just the sight of them made my stomach turn. Ever since Stefan broke off the engagement, he had dropped all pretense. Now, he openly showed off his relationship with her.

"Alicia’s work makes yours look pitiful," he said smugly. "She whipped up a brand-new proposal for a interprovincial cooperation. This time, there’s nothing for you to steal."

I nearly laughed. Was he talking about that wrinkled draft I had tossed in the trash?

So, Alicia Remington made a habit of dumpster-diving. How elegant.

If Stefan was serious about pushing that plan forward, I honestly couldn’t wait to see the mess it would become.

Meanwhile, a crowd of executives gathered around them, falling over themselves to flatter him. "Do we even need to announce the award? With Stefan Hawthorne here, the winner is obvious."

"Exactly. That Best Company of the Year trophy means nothing to him. Especially now that the new investor’s backing is practically guaranteed—the Hawthorne Family is about to soar."

"Of course it’ll go to the Hawthorne Family."

Their gazes shifted toward me and Hayden.

"Unlike certain people who think sitting in the front row actually matters. In this industry, only results speak."

Soaking in their praise, Stefan grinned from ear to ear as they escorted him toward the stage.

Hayden and I remained still, undisturbed. After all, nothing was final until the results were officially announced.

The host stepped up to begin the ceremony.

Stefan rose confidently and strutted toward the stage, basking in the spotlight as if the trophy already had his name engraved on it. Across the room, he cast a mocking glance at Hayden and flicked his wrist like he was brushing off an annoying insect.

Then came the shock.

"Congratulations to Hayden Aldrich from the Aldrich Group for securing first place in this year’s industry evaluation and earning a one-on-one meeting with our top investor, Simon Alexis!"

The entire room fell silent.

Stefan froze mid-step, stuck halfway up the stairs. His mind went blank.

Hayden stood with quiet composure, his smile polished, but his eyes glinted with unmistakable disdain. As he passed by, he leaned in and said in a low voice, "Mr. Hawthorne, forgive me for stealing your first place this year. But don’t worry, you won’t get the chance to catch up again. After all, you’ve already thrown away your trump card."