Chapter 5

Two weeks later, rumors began to circulate within the company: Bella was not only a friend of the Sterling family but also the secret girlfriend of CEO Julian Thorne.

The first time I heard this rumor was in the ladies' room. I was washing my hands when I heard two girls from the marketing department touching up their makeup in the outer area of the stalls:

"Did you hear? About Mr. Thorne and Bella."

"For real? Didn't she say they were just friends?"

"That was before! I heard someone saw Mr. Thorne stopping by her cubicle after hours last week, and he even smiled at her."

I rolled my eyes internally. Julian had indeed visited the marketing department last week to discuss the new product launch—he stopped because he was talking to me, though the conversation was strictly professional: "Miss Lynn, please send me the third-quarter analysis report by tomorrow morning."

"Of course he smiled at her," the other girl said. "A girl like Bella—wealthy family, beautiful... she and Mr. Thorne are a match made in heaven."

Water rushed from the faucet as I stared at myself in the mirror—standard office makeup, a simple white shirt, no conspicuous jewelry. Meanwhile, in the open-plan office, Bella was wearing a Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra necklace, soaking up the compliments of her colleagues.

The rumors emboldened Bella. She began to "direct" work with the posture of a hostess. During a departmental brainstorming session, when it was my turn to present a promotion plan for young consumers, Bella interrupted me:

"Aurora, your plan is too conservative." She leaned back in her chair, twirling a Montblanc pen in her hand. "Young consumers don't want value for money; they want identity recognition. In my circle, people care more about exclusive experiences and brand heritage."

The conference room fell silent. Director Catherine raised an eyebrow. "Bella, do you have any specific suggestions?"

"We could host a series of private dinners, inviting the scions of top-tier families," Bella said, her voice brimming with confidence. "Drive consumption through circle influence. I have some connections in that regard."

Colleagues nodded one after another; some even started to applaud.

I looked at Bella and suddenly felt a wave of absurd hilarity. This girl sitting opposite me had woven a magnificent lie.

"An interesting idea," I said calmly. "But the data shows that less than five percent of our target consumer group belongs to these so-called 'top-tier families.' We need a plan that reaches a broader demographic."

Bella's smile stiffened slightly. "Data doesn't always reflect the whole truth, Aurora. There are some things data cannot measure."

After work that day, instead of returning to the apartment in the West Village, I went to Julian's office. He was just finishing a video conference. His eyes lit up when he saw me push the door open, but he immediately noticed my expression.

"What happened?"

I told him about the meeting. Julian's face darkened, and he pressed the internal intercom key. "Martha, cancel all my arrangements for tonight."

Then he turned to me. "This game needs to end."

"Not yet," I said. "I need evidence. I need her to be exposed in front of everyone. And..." I looked at him. "I need confirmation that there really is nothing between you and her, Julian."

He looked as if he had been stabbed. "Aurora, I've loved you for twelve years. I married you. The first thing I do every night when I come home is look for you. Do you think I would be interested in an intern with fake bags and a fabricated background?"

"I know you wouldn't." I walked over to him and sat on the arm of his chair. "But the rumors have spread. I need to know the source."

Julian sighed and opened his computer. "Give me five minutes."

Five minutes later, he pulled up the security department's records. In the past month, Bella had indeed tried to access the CEO's office floor three times, only to be stopped by assistants. She had also sent three emails to Julian through the internal system, all regarding "new ideas for the marketing department." Julian hadn't replied to a single one.

"Satisfied?" he asked.

I kissed his cheek. "Halfway. For the other half, I'll handle it myself."