Chapter 4

Chloe still returned to the company—this time with the flashy title of "Special Assistant."

It was Julian's birthday gift to her.

He was making sure I couldn't touch her again.

To ensure his little mistress had a smooth first day back, Julian did something unforgivable.

He deactivated my building keycard and revoked all my admin access to the company's financial accounts.

Was he really that terrified of me ruining his parade?

I stared at the "Access Denied" notification on my Snapchat.

I let out a soft laugh.

Then, I turned around and drove home.

Since I couldn't get in, I might as well get some sleep.

Around dusk, the front door was violently unlocked.

Julian stormed in, looking absolutely livid. He dragged me off the sofa by my arm.

"Sienna! Do you think I won't ruin you?!"

He squeezed my wrist so hard it bruised. I couldn't shake him off.

I frowned. "What are you raving about now?"

With a harsh laugh, he threw me back onto the couch and slammed an iPad onto my lap.

"Are you happy now?!"

I rubbed my sore wrist and picked up the tablet.

On the screen was the day’s hottest financial headline:

*NovaTech Scandal! CTO Julian Vance Accused of Embezzling Corporate Funds to Buy Luxury Condo for Mistress! Huge Financial Loopholes Exposed!*

The article featured crystal-clear photos of the real estate deed and bank transfer records.

Even though the critical personal information was partially redacted, the name "Chloe Bennett" and the transfer origin—NovaTech's emergency reserve account—were glaringly obvious.

As a publicly traded tech company, NovaTech's biggest nightmare was a financial scandal.

Julian had crossed a legal line by using company funds to buy Chloe a multi-million-dollar penthouse.

Now, the market was in a panic, and the SEC was already knocking on our door.

No wonder he was throwing a tantrum.

I put down the iPad and met his furious glare calmly. "What does this have to do with me?"

Julian ripped off his tie in frustration.

"Only three people could access those core financial records: me, the CFO, and you! If you didn't leak it, who did?!"

Only me.

My eyes widened in genuine shock.

It took me a long time to find my voice.

"If you're referring to the co-founder who held supreme administrative access, then no, Julian. It wasn't me."

"Because you personally revoked all my access this morning, remember?"

This time, Julian went completely rigid.