Uncle Julian was nearly fifty and still single. When did people start painting him as some kind of playboy tycoon?

Olivia seemed to sense my disbelief, so she pulled out her phone and navigated to Chloe's social media page.

My blood ran cold when I saw the photo.

Uncle Julian was dressed in a high-end custom suit, standing against the backdrop of a charity gala. The person beaming next to him was Chloe.

Chloe had also added a caption.

[Off to my out-of-state internship. Dad couldn't bear to see me go and had to send me off. In his eyes, I'll always be his little girl.]

Still reeling, I took out my phone to call Uncle Julian's private line, but all I heard was a cold, automated voice informing me the phone was off.

Seeing that I hadn't responded, Chloe shot me a vicious glare.

"Scarlett, you just wait! I'll make you regret ever crossing me."

Sure enough, Chloe's retaliation was swift and brutal.

At the company-wide meeting the next day, Blake announced in front of everyone that Chloe had won this year's "Trader of the Year" award, along with a $250,000 bonus.

Everyone knew that award should have been mine, but Chloe had snatched it away with infuriating ease.

Unease rippled through the audience, but fearing repercussions, my colleagues could only offer scattered, hesitant applause.

I could no longer suppress my rage. I shot up from my seat, my voice ringing out across the silent room.

"Blake, on what grounds was this year's 'Trader of the Year' awarded? Over the past year, I traveled nonstop for this company, negotiating mergers. I led at least three major acquisitions that brought in billions in revenue. Chloe has been here for three months and can barely complete a due diligence report. How does she deserve this title?"

The room was deathly quiet until Chloe stood up, a smirk on her face.

"Because none of those achievements of yours were legitimate."

"You might think you have everyone fooled, but I know the truth. You got those contracts by selling yourself. Our company has a zero-tolerance policy for that kind of behavior."

"You've already damaged the company's reputation. You're lucky Mr. Sterling hasn't fired you."

"Don't you dare slander me. Do you have any proof?"

Just as the tension between us reached a boiling point, Blake slammed his hand on the table. "That's enough! This is a boardroom, not a circus for you two to put on a show."

He then turned to me, his expression severe.

"Scarlett, rumors don't start from nothing. If Chloe is saying this, she must have her reasons. I kept quiet to spare you the embarrassment and avoid a scene. But if you keep pushing this, I'll be forced to question whether you're still fit to work for this company."

"I'm being unreasonable?" My eyes burned with unshed tears, my voice trembling with fury.

"From the day you founded this company, I have been your Senior Vice President, standing by your side, giving my all. In your eyes, am I really just a woman who trades her body for results?"

"I went to emerging markets to negotiate investments, got caught in civil unrest, and nearly lost my life. You call me unreasonable?"

"I worked through the night, every single night, exhausting myself on investment analysis reports. You call me unreasonable?"

"Because of one baseless accusation from her, all my hard work is erased, and the projects I secured are now branded as sordid deals. Do you honestly think this is fair?"

Blake was at a loss for words, but Chloe showed no remorse, her gaze triumphant.

"Fair?" she scoffed. "There's no such thing as fair in this world. Connections are everything. Instead of embarrassing yourself here, you should pray you're born with a silver spoon in your mouth in your next life."

She made no effort to hide the disdain on her face. "Julian Croft is my dad. Because of that one fact, you will never, ever beat me."

She grew bolder as she spoke, and I truly couldn't fathom the source of her confidence.

Could it be? Could Uncle Julian really have an illegitimate daughter, just as the rumors claimed?

I let out a cold laugh. "If you're really Julian Croft's daughter, why are you fighting me over a title and a bonus? Or is it possible your entire identity is a sham?"

Chloe glared at me fiercely. "Blake canceled your award because you don't deserve it. I earned this award through my own abilities!"

"So this is what you call 'ability'—slacking off at work, not even knowing how to use a Bloomberg Terminal, and mistaking the other party's CEO during negotiations, costing the company hundreds of thousands of dollars?"

Everything I said was true.

Chloe's face darkened, and she immediately turned to Blake, her expression morphing into one of feigned innocence.

Blake sat back down, frowning and rubbing his temples.

Finally, he spoke to me with a sigh of resignation. "Report to our Omaha branch tomorrow. It's our most remote outpost. The position of Senior Vice President will be temporarily filled by Chloe. Once you've proven yourself again, I'll transfer you back."

The Omaha branch was the worst-performing division in the entire group. The market environment was harsh, and its distance from headquarters made it a place of exile.

But I didn't argue, nor did I show any anger. I just offered a sarcastic smile. "Fine. I'll leave tomorrow. The position of Senior Vice President really should go to someone more suitable."

After the meeting, I returned to my office and found the official demotion notice from Blake, reassigning me to Omaha. I was not allowed to return without his explicit permission.

I stared at the cold words on the screen, feeling completely numb.

Leaving might not be a bad thing. At least I wouldn't have to see Chloe's smug face anymore.

The next day, I packed my bags and left.

The Omaha branch was a professional graveyard. People sent here had usually made a serious mistake, been stripped of their titles, and then exiled to this corporate backwater.

Here, not only did I have to endure the contemptuous and pitiful gazes of my colleagues, but I also kept receiving mocking photos from Chloe.

In the photos, she triumphantly propped her feet up on my old desk, posing like a conqueror.

But her provocations didn't faze me in the slightest. I knew she wouldn't be warming that chair for long.

Chloe was a walking disaster. She spilled coffee on Blake's pants at a board meeting, printed the wrong key terms in an M&A contract, and even ordered desserts containing peanut butter at a reception, knowing full well Blake was deathly allergic to peanuts. Halfway through the dinner, Blake was rushed to the hospital for anaphylactic shock.

The result was predictable. A meticulously planned M&A deal fell through because of Chloe's incompetence.

Blake's patience finally snapped, and he called me personally, begging me to come back.

"Scarlett, I've been thinking. You've been my SVP for five years, and I shouldn't have demoted you over such a small matter. How about this: if you can salvage this M&A deal, I'll restore your position and give you double the salary."

I knew exactly what game he was playing. "I don't think I'm qualified for the SVP role anymore," I replied casually. "I should probably stay here on the ground floor and do some reflecting. I'll come back when I've truly recognized my mistakes."

Blake paused, then said through gritted teeth, "Oh, don't be like that. Even if you're not an SVP, you're still part of the company. The company's interests are at stake; you can't just stand by and do nothing."

I smiled. "What about that outstanding SVP of yours? She's so capable. I'm just someone who gets deals with her looks. How could I possibly compare to Chloe?"

I couldn't see Blake's expression, but from the strangled tone of his voice, I knew he was about to explode.

"That was just some joking among colleagues. You've worked for me for five years; don't I know what kind of person you are?"

I was unmoved, my words dripping with sarcasm. "Docking my two-hundred-and-fifty-thousand-dollar bonus and exiling me to Omaha is considered a joke? Labeling me as greedy just because I asked for a parking spot is also a joke?"

Blake's face went from pale to crimson, a storm brewing in his eyes.

He fell silent, clearly wrestling with his pride.

As a CEO, apologizing to a subordinate would be a humiliating loss of face.

Just then, I heard Chloe's excited voice in the background.

"Mr. Sterling, Julian Croft has agreed to attend our company's celebratory gala!"

Blake's tone shifted instantly. "Excellent! As soon as the other investment banks see Julian Croft attending our gala, they'll think we have his backing. Then they'll be begging to partner with us."

He turned back to the phone, his voice suddenly cold. "You're fired. Come back immediately and complete your termination paperwork."

Chloe added smugly from the side, "I'll have my dad put the word out so that no one on Wall Street will dare to hire you. Let's see what you do then!"

I smiled faintly. "Alright. We'll see."