Bound by the Past, Locked by the Heart novel Chapter 55

Miles was seated on one side of the long table, his expression grim. Opposite him sat a man in his forties in a sharp suit, wearing a stern expression. This had to be Mr. Carlson.

Right next to Mr. Carlson sat a woman.

She looked to be around thirty, sporting flawless makeup and impeccably tailored clothes. She radiated an aura of elite professionalism, but the way she looked at Willa held an inexplicable edge of hostility.

"Have a seat, Willa," Miles offered, his tone strained. "This is Mr. Carlson, and this is Iris Underwood, sent over from headquarters."

Iris gave Willa a subtle nod, a practiced, polite smile resting on her lips, though her eyes were completely devoid of warmth.

Willa took her seat, the knot of unease in her stomach tightening.

Mr. Carlson cut right to the chase. "We asked you here today to discuss a personnel adjustment. Effective immediately, Iris will officially take over as the Head of Content."

Head of Content?

Willa's stomach dropped.

This meant her position as Editor-in-Chief was being entirely stripped of its authority.

"Although Ms. Vance hasn't been with us long, her performance has been obvious to everyone," Mr. Carlson continued. "Iris brings nearly a decade of frontline media experience. I expect the two of you to work well together."

Willa glanced at Miles.

He looked even more miserable but remained entirely silent.

Iris finally spoke, her voice smooth and measured. "Ms. Vance, I briefly reviewed a few of the projects you've handled since you joined. I have some thoughts I'd like to bounce off you."

She picked up a folder resting beside her and opened it.

"Take this one, for example—the feature series on emerging tech startups. The companies you selected already have high industry visibility. The content brings nothing new to the table."

She flipped the page.

Iris's smile faltered for a fraction of a second, a flicker of surprise crossing her eyes as she looked at Miles. Then, she let out a dismissive chuckle. "You're absolutely right, Mr. Zane. I'm just eager to get started. If I spoke out of turn, I hope you won't take it to heart, Ms. Vance."

After the meeting ended, Willa returned to her office and shut the door.

She sank into her chair, closed her eyes, and let her chaotic thoughts swirl.

She had meticulously polished every single topic she pitched since joining the company, and the feedback had been solid.

Now, an executive is dropped in from out of nowhere and trashes her work in a matter of sentences.

She would have to be completely oblivious not to realize that Iris was targeting her directly.

If this was just about asserting dominance over a subordinate, the sheer amount of hostility was entirely unnecessary.

But the confusing part was that Willa had absolutely no idea who this woman was.