"Rebecca, Giselle was only trying to do what's best for everyone. Why are you being so harsh with her?"

"Yeah, Rebecca, we've all worked under you for so many years. Now that you're leaving, isn't it normal to give us a little benefit?"

I took a deep breath.

Just as I was about to respond, Vincent arrived, shielding Giselle, whose eyes were red from crying.

"Rebecca, you're picking on Giselle again! She only cares about the company, and you have to go out of your way to upset her. How can you be so vile? If it happens one more time, you're out of this company for good. Don't imagine your executive position gives you immunity. Gallagher Group won't tolerate someone this rotten, at any level."

Vincent's unquestioning defense of Giselle pushed me over the edge. I threw my resignation report at him. "Fool! I'm done listening to you. I quit!"

With Vincent's furious glare behind me, I walked out without a word. After leaving the company, I headed straight to Clarke Group, Leona's company, to finalize my employment.

Leona valued my skills and immediately offered me a base salary of 100 thousand dollars with no cap, plus she arranged for the company's legal team to help me recover the wages Giselle had withheld.

While I was communicating with project investors, I received a message from Giselle.

"Rebecca, I was wrong earlier. I shouldn't have taken the liberty to turn your salary into a bonus. Mr. Gallagher and I will come to settle your remaining wages and apologize in person."

Since Giselle had agreed to return my salary, involving Clarke Group's legal team was unnecessary. I breathed a sigh of relief and sent her my location.

When I got into Vincent's Rolls-Royce, Giselle was lounging casually in the passenger seat, sticking cartoon stickers onto the interior. "Rebecca, wait a second. I'm decorating the car for Mr. Gallagher—he gave me the important job of making it look cute!"

I recalled how I once tried to add a cartoon sticker to Vincent's car and was immediately rebuked. "I don't like childish things. Don't ever put something like that in my car."

It wasn't childish things he disliked—it was me.

I closed my eyes and leaned against the seat, ignoring Giselle's playful antics with Vincent in the passenger seat.

Soon, the Rolls-Royce came to a stop. I opened my eyes, only to find that we weren't at the Gallagher Group headquarters but in front of a hotel.

A sense of dread immediately rose in my chest. I refused to get out. "I thought we were just settling my salary. Why are we here?"

Vincent grabbed my wrist and yanked me out of the car. "Rebecca, Mr. Plimpton specifically requested you to entertain him. If you handle him properly tonight, I can overlook your past mistakes and let you return to Gallagher Group as an executive."

Vincent's words sent a chill straight through me. Justin Plimpton was a name I knew all too well.

At every dinner, he had tried to grope me, and each time I asked Vincent for help, he dismissed me with impatience. "You're 35 and hardly special. Why would a prominent investor like Mr. Plimpton even notice you? You're imagining things."

I struggled violently and slapped Vincent across the face. "Are you insane, Vincent? I've already joined another company! I don't care about going back as an executive. I'm not entertaining Mr. Plimpton. Let go of me!"

Vincent's jaw clenched, and his eyes turned cold.

"Stop this, Rebecca. You're 35. No other company will hire you. Just do as I say, entertain Mr. Plimpton properly, and I'll give you a raise when you return."

I kept struggling, hurling curses as I went. Vincent lost all patience, grabbed my hair, and dragged me into the private room.

Justin had been waiting in the private room for a long time. When Vincent dragged me inside, he immediately came forward, scanning me from head to toe lecherously.

Vincent grabbed a bottle of strong liquor from the table and poured it straight into my mouth. "I've brought Rebecca. How much you want to drink tonight is entirely up to you, Mr. Plimpton."

The sharp liquor burned as it slid down my throat, twisting my stomach into knots. I couldn't stop gagging, but Vincent showed no hint of mercy.

Justin's lecherous gaze lingered over Giselle and me. Suddenly, he slammed a bank card onto the table. "I can invest 100 million dollars in your company, but one of the two women you brought tonight has to stay with me for the night."

In a flurry, Vincent pushed Giselle behind him and shoved me forward.

My head buzzed as I struggled to break free from Vincent's grip. "Giselle's too young! Don't even think about her. As for Rebecca, do whatever you want with her. She's old enough anyway."

Tears streamed down my face as I cried out, "Vincent, you monster! I've stood by you for eight years!"

A flicker of guilt passed through him before he turned away, refusing to face me.

"Rebecca, for the company's sake, help me one final time. You've always loved me above all else, haven't you?" he asked.

Before I could react, Vincent ignored my struggles and dragged me up to the suite. The door slammed shut behind me. As Vincent took Giselle away, despair overwhelmed me, and tears streamed down my face uncontrollably.

Justin loomed over me with a twisted, savage grin, and the foul, suffocating stench of him pressed in.

Just as I was about to give in to hopelessness, the door burst open. "Rebecca! Are you alright?"

Justin was flung aside, hitting the floor with a terrified grunt. Relief surged through me, and my body finally surrendered. I passed out.

When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed. Leona's face was etched with concern as she said, "I heard you went to Gallagher Group to collect your paycheck. I knew things hadn't gone smoothly when you left Gallagher Group, so I was on my guard, but I never imagined Vincent could do something so monstrous!"

Leona's indignation filled me with warmth, yet the anger inside me burned uncontrollably.

Gallagher Group's influence was overwhelming. Even if I went to the police, it would be useless. Vincent would suppress everything. The only way I could take revenge was at tomorrow's investment conference. I had to crush Gallagher Group there.

Noticing the shift in my expression, Leona gently patted my shoulder. "Don't worry. I've already arranged everything for tomorrow. Gallagher Group won't walk away with a single deal. Once it's over, Vincent will be forced to dump his shares."

The next morning, Vincent arrived at the investment conference with Giselle in tow. Giselle wore a smug expression, clearly convinced that Gallagher Group would secure every investment and project without fail.

Vincent's mood soured the instant he noticed me sitting beside Leona. "Rebecca, why are you sitting with Leona? Stop embarrassing Gallagher Group and come sit next to me."

Since I refused to budge, Vincent's expression darkened. "Are you sulking again? I kept my promise. After we lock in today's investments and projects, I'll reinstate you as an executive and raise your salary to 15 thousand dollars a month. What more could you possibly want?"

I laughed despite myself. 15 thousand dollars a month? Did he really believe he was being generous?

"I don't need it, Vincent. Today, you won't secure a single investment or project," I said calmly.

Vincent's face fell as I kept pushing back. "Fine. Don't say I didn't give you an opportunity. I had thought of reinstating you for your work yesterday, but I see you don't know how to appreciate it. Don't think a new company makes you untouchable. Gallagher Group will claim every investment and project today, and Clarke Group will be left scrambling to sell off their shares!"

Giselle wrapped her arm around Vincent and laughed. "It seems you don't know anything about people. Every one of these investors has worked with Gallagher Group before. Do you think any of them would abandon a proven company for an unknown startup? If you get rejected, don't blame Mr. Gallagher or me when you end up on the streets."

I sneered. I knew every investor and project owner in the room, and I knew why they had chosen Gallagher Group before—they valued my proposals.

Without me, Vincent and his complete lack of social skills would have ruined the company long ago.

I leaned back in my chair, silently waiting for the conference to begin. Realizing they had made fools of themselves, Vincent and Giselle snorted in frustration and reluctantly took their seats.

The investment conference began without delay. Investors and project owners eagerly scouted for the companies they wanted to work with. They paused at our table one after another, while Vincent and Giselle were completely snubbed.

Panic spread across Vincent's face as he seized a former partner. "Trevor! Have you lost your mind? How could you pick some unknown company over us? Gallagher Group is the top in this industry! Didn't you remember working with us? You can't possibly be blind to our strength!"

Trevor Shepard's face darkened at Vincent's aggressive tug. He frowned, dropping all pretenses. "Gallagher Group? Vincent, I gave you credit before because Rebecca's proposal was smart, thorough, and valuable. But your proposal today? It's worse than garbage!"

The proposal slipped from his hands and tumbled to the floor. Bright pink cartoon stickers clashed sharply with the conference's serious atmosphere. What should have been a professional, black-and-white document was instead filled with colorful, decorative fonts and a single childish message. "Please invest in Gallagher Group for the sake of this cute cartoon!"

Vincent looked at Giselle with disbelief written all over his face.