The two men did not step aside. Instead, they stood even straighter. Their expressions shifted from awkward to bold, as if they had found new courage from something Thom couldn’t see."How dare you!" the first man snapped, his finger pointing at Thom with a rough motion. "Do you think you can just walk into the CEO’s office as you please? This is a company building, not a marketplace!"The second man nodded confidently. "If you cause trouble here, the CCTV will record everything." He pointed to the corner of the ceiling, where a small camera blinked with a red light. "We’ll report you to the police. You’ll be thrown in jail for disturbing order and entering a restricted area without permission."Thom glanced at the camera briefly. Then his eyes returned to the two men in front of him. His face didn’t change, but inside his chest, something began to stir. The patience he had maintained with great effort was starting to wear thin. Not because he was angry at these lowly men. But becaus

Two security guards at her side remained tense, ready in case something happened. "Who dares to impose such a rule?" Thom asked, his voice calm yet firm. "That is not a rule issued by the owner of Lanster Company. Not by the board of directors. Not by anyone with authority." Director Jana laughed. Her laughter was light, as if Thom had just told a funny joke. “hahah!” "Yes, it is not a rule from the owner. But we, as employees, have the right to have unwritten rules like that." She crossed her arms over her chest, her chin lifting slightly, showing she was not intimidated. "This is a form of solidarity. We do not accept the new CEO. So we made our own rules. No one can forbid us." Thom chuckled. Not a mocking laugh, but a short exhale through his nose, accompanied by a slow shake of his head. "How bold of you," he said, his voice still calm, "I have been the owner of this company all this time, yet this is the first I am hearing of it. Employees making their own rules? Block

Thom stood in the middle of the room. His eyes swept across all the employees one by one, from the front row to the back row still crowded at the doorway. No one dared to speak. No one dared to meet his gaze directly. "Who is responsible for this?" Thom’s voice rose—not loud, but firm. Enough to silence everyone in the room. "Explain to me. Who ordered you not to welcome the new CEO? Who told you to be disrespectful and even try to ‘teach her a lesson’?" Silence. No one answered. The employees exchanged glances. Some lowered their heads, some bit their lips, others shifted their feet nervously on the marble floor. They looked like schoolchildren being scolded by a teacher, pointing at each other without daring to speak. Thom looked at all of them. And in his heart, he began to understand. This was not just a spontaneous protest. This was a deeply rooted culture. A toxic work environment. Bad habits that had been allowed to grow and spread like mold in the rainy season. And it ha

Thom walked out of Jasmine’s room after making sure the employees had returned to work. The atmosphere on the twentieth floor began to return to normal. The employees who had been indifferent earlier were now trying to show excessive friendliness toward Jasmine. Some brought her coffee, some offered help, and some simply gave awkward smiles when passing her in the corridor.Thom did not care about any of that. What mattered was that Jasmine would not be disturbed again today.He walked to the elevator, pressing the button for the ground floor. Inside the elevator, his thoughts drifted to Jasmine, who was now sitting alone in the large CEO office. A room with a city view through glass windows, with a mahogany desk that still carried the scent of new furniture, with a director’s chair that was too soft for her size.He smiled faintly.‘Tomorrow the executives will come. I have already sent them a message to treat Jasmine very well’ that was what Thom thought.The elevator doors opened.

Thom’s black car drove slowly away from the Yanex residential area. Its taillights blinked twice before disappearing around the corner, leaving a heavy silence inside Frank’s house. Rachel slumped weakly onto the sofa. Her entire body felt as if it had lost its bones. Her legs had no strength, her hands fell limply to her sides, and her tears flowed silently. Not the hysterical sobbing from before. This was a more frightening kind of crying— the kind of someone who had lost all hope. Frank sat beside her. His hand reached for Rachel’s shoulder, gently pulling her into his embrace. "That’s enough, babe. Stop crying." Rachel did not respond. Her tears kept falling. Frank stroked her hair softly, even though deep inside, his own unease was just as strong. "Everything will be fine. You don’t need to worry. I’m here." "Frank..." Rachel’s voice cracked, barely audible. "I don’t have anything left. Lanster Company... the CEO position... the unlimited card... the house... Shenina... eve