Chapter 3

Julian snapped to attention, plastering on a broad, greasy smile as he practically sprinted out to the lobby.

"Mr. Sterling! What a wonderful surprise! What brings you down here today?"

"I had a board meeting a few blocks away, so I decided to drop by."

Marcus Sterling was dressed in a razor-sharp bespoke suit, his imposing presence accentuated by the two executive assistants flanking him.

His eyes bypassed Julian completely, landing squarely on me with genuine concern.

"Nora, you mentioned this morning that you wouldn't be able to handle our portfolio anymore. Did something happen?"

Julian shot me a warning glare, then leaned in with a sycophantic grin to explain.

"Nora failed to comply with internal operational standards, Mr. Sterling. She's been demoted."

"In fact, HR is reviewing her termination as we speak. She's been stonewalling our junior talent and trying to enforce outdated seniority hierarchies."

With a subtle nod from Julian, his office lackeys immediately jumped in to back him up.

"Yes, Mr. Sterling! Nora kept all the tier-one client files locked away and refused to let the rest of the team even touch them!"

"We're all certified perfumers here. Why should she get the flagship brands while we're left with the scraps?"

"You chose to partner with our firm because of our brand's reputation, didn't you? Our formulations are just as good as Nora's!"

Marcus didn't utter a single syllable. He simply sat down on the leather lounge chair, exuding absolute calm.

Seeing his silence as interest, Julian eagerly pushed Chloe forward.

"Mr. Sterling, meet Chloe! She was Nora's personal apprentice. Her technical grasp is every bit as sharp as Nora's."

Taking the cue, Chloe stepped forward with forced confidence, extending her right hand.

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Sterling. I'm Chloe."

"I know how to blend the Midnight Bloom series backward and forward."

"And I'm more than willing to take a reduced commission cut on the deal."

I raised an eyebrow in quiet revelation, meeting Marcus's knowing gaze.

It suddenly all made sense. Chloe becoming my apprentice hadn't been an accident.

No wonder that over the past three months, despite all my hands-on coaching and personal introductions to key suppliers, her review scores had consistently remained dead last.

It was a calculated performance designed to soften my defenses so I would hand over my confidential client black book.

She and Julian had planned this ambush from the start.

Marcus smiled faintly, his tone cool and detached. "Ms. Chloe, when you pitched me earlier, you claimed you were acting under Nora's direct instruction. That was the sole reason I agreed to review your proposal."

Chloe's outstretched hand froze mid-air. Her face drained of all color.

The entire office went so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

Julian was the first to scramble for damage control, offering a strained laugh. "Nora, you see how much Mr. Sterling values your work?"

"Don't let him down. Moving forward, you'll personally oversee his entire account."

Julian was trying to publicly trap me into closing the deal. He assumed I wouldn't dare humiliate a long-standing partner in front of an audience.

And in the end, the company would pocket the massive profits anyway.

Instead, I calmly pulled out my phone, looked Julian in the eye, and said:

"My apologies, Mr. Vance. I've already resigned. I'm no longer authorized to take Mr. Sterling's order."