Chapter 5 - Whispers in the Executive Suite
By 8:00 AM on Monday morning, the 42nd floor of the Steves Syndicate headquarters was practically buzzing with nervous energy. Rumors of the Solstice Gala had spread like wildfire through the ranks of mid-level managers, fixers, and accounting clerks.
The boss danced with Woods.
Woods wore a dress worth more than my car.
Woods put Victor Volkov in his place.
When the elevator doors dinged and opened, the entire open-plan floor went dead silent.
Penelope stepped out.
She wasn't wearing the black ballgown, but the mousy secretary was gone forever. She wore a tailored charcoal-gray pantsuit with a sharp ivory silk blouse, her dark bob immaculate, her lips painted a subtle, professional crimson. She held her color-coded folders with absolute confidence.
She walked past the whispering cubicles without sparing a glance, heading straight for the executive suite.
Thomas Dixon intercepted her before she reached Larkin's door. He blocked her path, leaning in with a snarl.
"You think you’re clever, don't you?" Thomas sneered under his breath. "One night in high heels and you think you’re untouchable? You’re still just the help, Penelope. And the help gets replaced."
Penelope stopped. She looked Thomas up and down, her expression ice-cold.
"Mr. Dixon," she said in a clear, carrying voice, "if you spend as much time reviewing your logistics manifests as you do hovering outside my workspace, your department wouldn't be forty-eight hours behind on shipping declarations. Move out of my way."
Several clerks gasped. Thomas turned scarlet with rage, his hand rising instinctively.
Before he could move an inch, the office door swung open. Larkin stood in the frame, his presence instantly dropping the temperature of the room. His cold blue gaze rested on Thomas's raised hand.
"Is there a problem, Thomas?" Larkin asked, each word deliberate and laced with lethal threat.
Thomas lowered his hand slowly, glaring at Penelope. "No problem, Don. Just reminding Miss Woods of her station."
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"Her station has changed," Larkin stated calmly. "Miss Woods is now Chief Operations Analyst for executive affairs. Her office is being moved inside my suite. Go back to your desk, Thomas."
The floor erupted into silent shock. Penelope didn't flinch. She stepped past Thomas, met Larkin's intense gaze, and walked into the lion's den without a single backward glance.
