Behind her, Jane watched the scene unfold with a huge smirk playing on her lips.She stepped forward, wanting to add fuel to the fire.“Take her away, officers,” Jane said in a cold and authoritative voice.The officers moved to grab Grace, but she threw herself at Jane’s feet, her fingers trembling as she gripped the hem of her dress.“Please… please, Jane,” Grace’s voice was hoarse, her throat raw from sobbing. “I’ll do anything—just please, don’t let them take me. My son… my son needs me. Don’t do this, please.”Jane looked down at Grace with irritation, and her expression then shifted to a smile as she saw an opportunity to maximize the situation.“Anything?” she repeated, her lips curling into a slow, deliberate smile. “You’ll do anything?”Grace nodded as tears continued to flow from her eyes.“Fine,” Jane said. She crouched down slightly, leaning close to Grace, her eyes gleaming with malice. “Slap him.”Grace blinked, confused, as she turned her tearful eyes toward Jane.“Slap
One of the officers, his voice shaky, took a step forward. “Mrs. Cloud… the law.."“The law?” Vanessa cut him off, her eyes narrowing as if daring him to finish.“I will send someone to your office to sort this out. And you will not, under any circumstances, lay a finger on her. Do I make myself clear?”The weight of Vanessa’s words landed heavily on the officers. They exchanged nervous glances before nodding quickly, backing away from Grace, whose sobs had quieted in shock.“But ma’am, we have—” the second officer began, but Vanessa turned on him with a glare so sharp it could have cut through steel.“I don’t care what you think you have. If you lay a finger on her, you are automatically an enemy of Lord Cloud."The officer immediately swallowed hard as Vanessa used Lord Cloud's name to threaten him. He certainly did not want to become an enemy of Lord Cloud; that was like signing his own death warrant.Vanessa continued, her tone softening slightly. “I will personally ensure that th
“You’re going to learn what it’s like to be treated the way you’ve treated others," Vanessa said, cutting her off. Tears now flowed freely down Jane’s cheeks, and she shook her head in desperation. She looked to Mr. Raynolds, expecting him to defend her, but the minute their eyes met, he lowered his immediately. He knew that speaking up in front of Vanessa would only put him in trouble. Jane would have to carry her cross alone. Jane, seeing no hope in Raynolds' eyes, brought her gaze back to Vanessa. “Please, Mrs. Cloud, I’m begging you. I’ll change, I’ll do anything, just don’t...” “Silence!” Vanessa snapped. “You’re lucky I’m not firing you on the spot. "From now on, you’ll be cleaning the floors, fetching the coffee, and doing other menial jobs. "Maybe then, you’ll learn your place.” Jane fell to her knees, sobbing, her hands clasped together as she pleaded, “Please, I beg you, give me another chance, don’t—” But Vanessa had already turned her back, her focus now
Grace’s breath caught in her throat as she stared at the stack of cash Vanessa was offering her. Her fingers trembled, and she took a small step back, overwhelmed by the magnitude of the cash. She had never held, seen, or even dreamed of having such an amount of money.The rest of the employees watched with shock, and some with jealousy, as Vanessa handed out money that would take them weeks to work for, and Grace was receiving it just like that.“Mrs. Cloud… I can’t,” Grace whispered, shaking her head in disbelief. “This is too much. I… I don’t deserve this. No one has ever given me such an amount of money…”Vanessa's expression softened, and she stepped closer, pressing the money into Grace’s hands. “You do deserve this, Grace. More than anyone in this company. You've endured, worked hard, and you have barely gotten any recognition for it. Even when people like Jane tried to bring you down, you still stood strong."Tears welled up in Grace’s eyes again, and she gripped the money ti
Minutes passed, but it felt like hours to Jane. Her colleagues finally got bored of laughing amongst themselves before moving on. Yet, their words remained with Jane even after they had left.As Jane continued to scrub the floor, she could no longer hold back her tears, and they began to fall, mixing with the soapy water on the tiles. She had always thought she was untouchable, that she could do whatever she wanted and get away with it. But now, she was nothing more than a tale of what happens when you cross Lord Cloud.Jane’s hands trembled in anger as she gripped the mop, her knuckles turning white. The mocking laughter from Erica and her former colleagues was still echoing in her head.She couldn’t stand it any longer. Every step she took, every whisper she overheard, made her heart ache, and her blood boil even more. She felt suffocated, as if she were drowning in the humiliation.She tossed the mop angrily into the bucket and stormed down the hallway, her heart racing with ange
Mr. Raynolds stood in his office, his hands trembling slightly as he stared at the closed door through which Jane had stormed out. He had seen the fire in her eyes, the deep hurt, and he knew she was right. He hadn’t done enough. He had failed her, and deep down, he hated himself for it.He couldn't just let her be humiliated like this, not after everything. He had to do something—anything—even if it was just to ease the daily torment she was facing in this company.With a heavy sigh, Raynolds reached for the intercom on his desk, his finger hovering over the button.“Enough is enough,” he muttered under his breath, pushing the button firmly.His voice cracked slightly as he spoke, trying to regain the authority he once held. "Attention, all employees. This is Mr. Raynolds. There will be an immediate company-wide meeting in the conference room. I expect every single one of you there within the next five minutes."The announcement echoed through the halls of Cloud Corporation, startli
Nathan held Mr. Raynolds’ gaze for a moment. It felt as if they were in a staring contest.His face remained unreadable, although it seemed like he was amused by what Mr. Raynolds was saying.He could feel the weight of every employee’s eyes on him, waiting for him to respond, to challenge Raynolds.But instead, Nathan just shook his head subtly and leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest.“I have nothing to say,” Nathan replied in a calm tone.Today was not the day he was going to fight. The day he would come for Mr. Raynolds was not far away, and by the time he was done with him, Raynolds would even wish to be in Jane's position.Raynolds narrowed his eyes at Nathan, but he did not push further. To him, Nathan was afraid to say something.Meanwhile, that was far from the truth.Raynolds turned back to the employees, thinking he had asserted dominance."I hope you all understand everything I have said?" Raynolds asked, to make sure everyone got his warning.A f
Nathan had heard enough. His hands clenched into fists. Who were this kid's parents? Did they not teach him some manners? How could he bully his fellow student? Nathan strode forward, ready to teach the brat some manners.But before he could intervene, Ethan, still pinned under Brian’s foot, looked up with fierce determination in his eyes."I’m not staying down," Ethan growled, pushing against Brian’s weight. "I’ll never be like you."Brian’s face twisted with anger at the defiance. "You little..." He raised his hand as if to strike Ethan, but before he could deliver the blow, Nathan’s commanding voice stopped him."That’s enough."Brian froze, his hand suspended in mid-air. Slowly, he turned his head to see Nathan standing just a few feet away, with a cold stare. For a brief moment, the playground fell into silence.Nathan’s gaze was locked on Brian, and he glared at the little kid.Brian, clearly thrown off by Nathan’s sudden appearance, hesitated, but his foot was still pressed