CHAPTER 24: – I’LL CRUSH YOU [2] –

A few of the company staff sat, packed inside one of the empty rooms of the building.

The door was shut.

"Can you believe it?" one of them, a blondie, seated on a table, asked.

Another shrugged. "As low as an intern. It’s hard to believe a woman like that who was once our CEO is reduced to this level."

"I’m not saying who told me, but I heard this is because of what she did." This time, one of the male employees scoffed, "It’s a punishment."

"A punishment?" Blondie was confused. "What did she do?"

The rest of them looked at her with a raised brow. One of them asked, "Don’t you use social media?"

"What?" Blondie glared. "I’ve been busy, alright? Ugh, just tell me what she did!"

"Well, she was supposed to marry Fernando Stolov, but last week during the wedding, she crashed it with another man."

She seemed taken aback, blinking. "Another man? That’s off the charts. Crazy."

"That’s not even crazy. See, she also made a lot of scenes in that wedding, and by the end of it, the entire guest list deserted the place. But that’s not the worst part."

"There’s a worse part than this?" Blondie was now frowning. Viviana Di-grassi was the most graceful woman she’d ever met. A woman who was hard to find flaws in. Why would she do something like this, as if... she was angry? But with whom? "What do you mean?"

The man who’d been blabbing about the entire incident said, "Even after the guests deserted, she still went ahead with the wedding and married the man, who is unknown, by the way."

One of them commented, "Who even is that man? I’ve never heard of or even seen him before. But damn it, he’s freaking handsome. Did you see the comments under the posts? Women were going crazy. It made me so jealous. I can’t imagine what it feels like to be that fine. Ahh, what an unlucky man I am."

One of the women rolled her eyes. "Come to think of it. Is that why the chairman is mad? He’s unknown, and this is Viviana Di-grassi we’re talking about."

"What do you think?" the man who’d narrated spat, shaking his head. "Silly woman. Being of such high status just to marry a nobody over an influential man like Fernando Stolov."

The blondie who was done looking at her phone scowled. "But there are articles under here, and it says Fernando Stolov cheated on her, over and over again."

"And so?" The man gave a wry laugh. "It’s just cheating, not that big of a deal. For the kind of family they are, she should put her feelings aside. Tsk."

The blondie’s stomach twisted into such disgust, she threw him a look of pure revulsion.

"What?!" He quickly snapped at her. "What are you looking at me like that for?"

"Oh, you’re asking?" she bristled, barely holding back her annoyance. "He cheated on her like the whore he is, and you’re here defending him just because his daddy is rich? Are you a womanizer like him too? Is that why you—"

"HEY!" He shot up to his feet, rushing into her space. His comrades pulled him back.

"Gosh, Gin, calm down!" one of them grunted. "And you, Dawn, keep your mouth shut and stop provoking him. This is not—"

"And who the hell do you think you are to tell me what to do?"

The blondie, Dawn, barked.

"I call him out on his nonsense, and you’re asking me to shut up? No surprise there. Birds of the same feather flock together, anyway."

"Dawn!" The other two women grabbed her arms. "Come on, let’s go."

"You!" Gin snarled, stopping them.

They looked at him.

"Just because his daddy is rich, you said?" he huffed. "Fernando Stolov is a man of his own."

"Oh? Really?" Dawn mocked.

"What?" He made a nasty face. "He’s about to go into a deal with Carlos Aceto for his family’s A-tier modeling agency. And Mr. Aceto owns, if not the most globally luxurious brands, a–"

"His family’s agency, you dimwit," she snorted. "It doesn’t belong to him."

Gin gritted his teeth. "You’re the dimwit here! He’s the director of the agency."

One of Dawn’s friends grabbed her arm, shaking her head. "Let’s go, Dawn. This isn’t worth it."

They glared at both men and left, slamming the door shut. Taking a turn, they bumped hard into someone. And the person who was Viviana staggered back, gripping her shoulder.

She crossed gazes with them. "Ah, my apologies. I didn’t see you there."

The three women slightly bowed to her. While she may have been reduced to the level of an intern, it still felt so wrong to see her as anything but the CEO of Vizera Luxe.

"It’s alright, boss. We–"

"There is no need to address me like that. I’m not your boss for now." She smiled at them, bowing slightly before proceeding to move past them.

Dawn sighed softly. "She didn’t even do anything wrong. And I know that witch must have instigated this."

The other two nodded. Regardless of the pretense, the majority knew Viviana Di-grassi and her stepmother were not at all on good terms. They were like—

Someone yelped, quite loudly, grabbing their attention. They glanced at each other and rushed over, coming to a stop at the sight of Gin and his friends.

But someone was on the floor.

Viviana.

Did he shove her?

"You better watch where you’re going!" Gin spat out and stormed off, annoyed.

Dawn’s face grew dark. She tramped over to Gin and grabbed his arm roughly. She spun him to face her, yelling, "Ya! She may be of low status in this company, but you don’t get to speak to her like that! What is wrong with you? She is the CEO—"

"Was once!" Gin smacked her grip off. "And mind your business, Dawn. You’re really starting to get on my nerves."

Dawn narrowed her gaze on him. But she turned and walked toward Viviana, who’d already gotten to her feet and was now brushing her fingers through her hair. She slowly smiled at Gin. "My apologies, Giancarlo. I hadn’t meant to bump into you."

"Well then, you better watch where you’re going next time, VIVIANA," he enunciated her name.

Viviana watched him. Silently.

She took a deep breath and turned toward Dawn. "Thank you. But there is no need to make trouble with him for my sake. I’m alright."

"A-are you sure?"

"Yes." Viviana smiled tightly before walking off to the restroom. Once inside, she rattled the door shut, stormed to the sink, and gripped its edge. She stared at her reflection, at her face that was no longer able to hide the frustration she’d been swallowing.

These people were making a joke of her. This was what her stepmother wanted. They were going to make her life a living hell.

She didn’t doubt Savannah had asked these people to treat her this way.

In just one day, someone had deliberately tripped her. Another kept sending her on endless coffee runs clearly to frustrate her. The worst part? None of them even drank the coffee. They trashed it right in front of her, making sure she saw.

Now she had to deal with that jerk, Giancarlo. But once she reclaimed her position, he’d be the one she’d fire. He was free to glee for now.

Straightening up, she fastened the last button of her red jacket, adjusted her suit pants, and ran her fingers through her jet-black hair, letting it fall freely down her back, all the way to her bottom.

"It’s just a matter of a few weeks," she said to herself.

Her phone vibrated suddenly on the counter. She looked at it and frowned, browsing into the article that had popped up.

[BREAKING NEWS: Top-Tier Rising Modeling Powerhouse Set to Collaborate with S-Tier Aceto Global Luxury Brand]

"Rising modeling agency STOLIQUE, led by CEO Fernando Stolov, is reportedly on the verge of securing a million-dollar collaboration with Aceto Global, the renowned luxury fashion brand in the entirety of our Valestra continent.

If finalized, the partnership is expected to elevate Fernando Stolov’s presence in the international fashion scene and launch a new wave of global campaigns featuring S-list rated models. Industry insiders are calling it a "POTENTIAL GAME-CHANGER" for the young agency, creating a runaway unlike anything we’ve seen in recent years. Stay TUNED for more updates!"

Viviana’s face grew dark.

’Fernando making a collaboration?’ she thought. ’This would boost the company to an S-tier rated agency...’

She didn’t like this at all.

If that happened, that would put Fernando farther up the pedestal than he’d already climbed.

"Pfft!" She dropped her head forward and began chuckling.

’But that won’t happen.’ She shook her head. "I won’t let you win, Fernando. You won’t win. I refuse. It’s not up to me, but I refuse."

Laughter spilled from her lips as she raked her fingers through her hair, tossing it back with ease. "I don’t care what I have to do. But I will make sure you don’t win, Fernando..."

"I’ll crush you."