Chapter 4: Rumors and Rivals

"How long have you been standing there?" The stranger's voice was calm, but there was something unsettling in his eyes. Sandra's heart skipped a beat. She tightened her grip on the folder. "Not long." The man studied her carefully. As if trying to determine whether she was telling the truth. Sandra wished she could see his face more clearly, but the dim hallway lighting made it difficult. A second man stepped around the corner. The moment Sandra saw him, her breath caught. Fredie Kingston. His gaze moved from the stranger to Sandra. The tension in the air became almost unbearable. "What are you doing here?" Fredie asked. Sandra lifted the folder. "I forgot this." For a second, nobody spoke. Then Fredie nodded. "Go home, Sandra." The use of her first name startled her. Especially because the stranger noticed it too. A flicker of curiosity crossed his face. Sandra quickly looked away. "Goodnight, Mr. Kingston." Without waiting for a response, she hurried toward the elevator. Only when the doors closed did she finally allow herself to breathe. Something about that conversation felt wrong. Very wrong. And she couldn't stop thinking about the words she had overheard. If he finds the truth, everything falls apart. What truth? And why was Fredie investigating it? The next morning, Sandra arrived at work determined to focus on her job. Not on mysterious conversations. Not on billionaire CEOs. And definitely not on secrets. Unfortunately, the office had other plans. The moment she stepped into the marketing department, conversations stopped. Sandra froze. Every eye in the room seemed fixed on her. "What?" Nobody answered immediately. Then Rachel smirked. "Looks like someone's becoming popular." Sandra frowned. "I have no idea what you're talking about." "Really?" Rachel leaned back in her chair. "Then why are people saying you spent half your first day in the CEO's office?" Whispers immediately followed. Sandra felt heat rise to her cheeks. Great. The rumors had already started. "It was work-related." "Of course it was." The sarcasm was impossible to miss. Sandra bit back a response. Arguing would only make things worse. Thankfully, Mia appeared beside her desk. "Good morning." Sandra nearly sighed in relief. "Morning." Mia lowered her voice. "Ignore them." "I'm trying." "They'll get bored eventually." Sandra wasn't so sure. The way Rachel was staring at her suggested otherwise. Hours later, Sandra buried herself in work The project Fredie had assigned was far more complicated than she expected. But she refused to give up. If the CEO believed she could handle it, she would prove him right. Even if it meant working twice as hard as everyone else. By lunchtime, she was still reviewing market reports. A shadow fell across her desk. Sandra looked up. Rachel. Wonderful. "Need something?" Rachel crossed her arms. "I'm curious." "About what?" "You." Sandra resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Why?" Rachel's smile didn't reach her eyes. "Because people spend years trying to get noticed by Fredie Kingston." Sandra immediately noticed the lack of "Mr." Apparently Rachel felt comfortable enough to use his first name. "And?" "And somehow you managed it on your first day." There it was. Jealousy. Plain and simple. Sandra met her gaze. "I didn't ask for special treatment." Rachel laughed. "Keep telling yourself that." Then she walked away. Sandra stared after her. This was going to be a problem Meanwhile, several floors above, Vanessa Hart sat inside her office. The file on Sandra Frederick remained open on her desk. Nothing about the young woman made sense. Sandra wasn't from a wealthy family. She wasn't a senior executive. She wasn't particularly connected. Yet Fredie had taken an interest in her. That alone made Vanessa suspicious. A knock interrupted her thoughts. "Come in." Her assistant entered. "You asked for information." Vanessa looked up. "Yes?" "The CEO requested Sandra Frederick's personnel file yesterday." Vanessa's expression darkened. "When?" "Shortly after their meeting." Interesting. Very interesting. Vanessa slowly closed the file. For the first time, she felt threatened. And Vanessa Hart did not enjoy feeling threatened. Late that afternoon, Sandra headed toward the break room. Her mind was still occupied by the project. And by Fredie. Unfortunately. She was pouring coffee when another employee entered. An older woman from accounting. Sandra had seen her around before. The woman hesitated. Then spoke quietly. "You're Sandra Frederick, right?" Sandra nodded. "Yes." The woman glanced toward the doorway. As if making sure nobody was listening. Then she leaned closer. "Be careful." Sandra blinked. "What?" The woman's expression turned serious. "Kingston Global isn't as perfect as it looks." A chill ran through Sandra. "What do you mean?" The woman opened her mouth. Then immediately closed it. Fear flashed across her face. "No." She shook her head. "I've already said too much." Before Sandra could ask another question, the woman hurried out of the room. Leaving Sandra standing there. Confused. And increasingly uneasy. That evening, Sandra stayed late again. Most employees had already left. The building felt strangely quiet. Almost empty. She packed her things and headed toward the elevators. Halfway there, her phone buzzed. A message. Unknown Number. Sandra frowned. She opened it. The color drained from her face. Only five words appeared on the screen. Stay away from Fredie Kingston. Her heart began pounding. A second message arrived immediately. This is your only warning. Sandra stared at the screen. Frozen. Someone knew who she was. Someone was watching. And suddenly, the rumors and jealousy didn't seem nearly as dangerous as they had before. Because this? This felt real.