Shredded Vows: The Billionaire’s Secret Heir novel Chapter 25

The director's office was an expansive, beautifully decorated space that reeked of elite corporate taste.

Shortly after Stella sat down, she heard footsteps approaching the door.

She crossed her arms and faced the younger woman, forcing down her anger. "I don't care if Mr. Gray personally handed you this job. I don't employ dead weight in my department. If you want to survive here, you have to prove it with your designs."

"Fine. Then put me in the International Fashion Art Grand Prix," Serena demanded, desperate for an instant claim to fame to impress Gideon.

"How am I supposed to prove myself if you refuse to give the new blood a chance?"

"Don't worry, everyone gets a shot. We're holding internal qualifiers first, and the best will represent the company." Stella gave her a hard look. "And stop picking fights with Summer. It won't end well for you."

"She started it! You saw her! Why am I the one getting lectured?" Serena huffed in outrage.

Stella snapped coldly. "Because you don't need to argue with her!"

Serena fell silent, her hatred for the assistant boiling over.

Back in the main office, Lydia settled into her workstation. Her eyes drifted to Serena's empty chair as she replayed the girl's face in her mind.

Serena Sterling... so that was her name.

She had made a point to check the nameplate on the desk when they first walked in.

Had they met as kids? Lydia couldn't quite place her.

Was she part of Gideon's childhood circle? Lydia calculated the possibilities.

Was she there on the day of Xavier's birthday?

It was far too long ago.

Lydia had only been seven years old. The tragedy had been so sudden and chaotic that she had practically blacked out the finer details from pure trauma.

"Serena, how did you actually get hired? Gray Enterprises only recruits once every five years, and we're totally full. Did Mr. Gray really clear a spot just for you? Are you related to the family?" If she was, it was time to start networking.

"Yeah! And you weren't even scared of Summer," another coworker chimed in. "Come on, Serena, what's your actual relationship with the boss?"

"I heard you brought him food and he actually ate it right in front of the executives!"

The memory made Serena feel incredibly close to Gideon. Smugness radiated from her as she leaned in. "I'll let you in on a secret. I'm the future Mrs. Gray."

"What? Didn't the CEO get married five years ago?"

"They're getting divorced," Serena said, flipping her hair with a confident, playful smirk that made it impossible to tell if she was joking.

The surrounding designers gasped in collective shock.

Lydia simply offered a faint, imperceptible smile as she turned her attention back to her computer screen.