The Promotion

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Being locked inside the small, secluded room at the far edge of the garden made me feel like an animal caught in a trap.

The walls were bare brick, rough and damp to the touch, and the concrete floor beneath my feet leached the warmth straight out of my body. The air was icy, stale, unmoving. A single narrow window sat high near the ceiling, letting in only a thin blade of grey light that barely touched the floor. Thick cobwebs clung to the corners, undisturbed, proof that this place had been forgotten—until now.

I paced the length of the room, arms wrapped tightly around myself, trying to fight the violent shivers running down my spine. Every step echoed too loudly, every breath sounded wrong. My bag was gone. My phone—gone. The file—gone.

The plan had gone up in flames.

My thoughts spiralled. Had Sarah realised something was wrong? Had she called Alexander? Or had I vanished without a trace?

The door creaked open.

I snapped my head up just as Viv stepped inside.

She closed the door behind her slowly, deliberately, then leaned back against it as if she owned the room—and me. A slow, satisfied smirk curved her lips.

"I never had you pegged as a two-faced little snake," I spat, my voice shaking with fury.

Viv lifted a brow. "Is that supposed to hurt?"

I laughed bitterly and shook my head. "I don't understand you. You were kind to me. You welcomed me. Why are you doing this? I can understand him—but you?"

She pushed herself off the door and strolled toward me, heels clicking softly against the concrete. "He's my husband," she said simply. "What did you expect? Loyalty isn't complicated."

Something twisted in my chest. "Your husband is a vile man. Married to you and still couldn't keep his hands—or his eyes—off me."

That got a reaction.

Viv stopped inches from me, her expression hardening as her eyes burned into mine. "Careful."

I didn't step back. "Truth hurts, doesn't it?"

She tilted her head, studying me. Then she laughed—cold and sharp. "You poor, naive girl. Don't you see? That was part of the plan."

My stomach dropped.

"I wanted Charles to make you uncomfortable," she continued smoothly. "I needed you distracted. Uneasy. Questioning yourself instead of us."

My breath caught. "You hired me on purpose."

"I hired the last person I interviewed," Viv said lightly. "That just happened to be you."

The words hit harder than any slap. All that effort. All that hope. I'd never earned the job at all—I'd been placed.

"But clearly," she went on, folding her arms, "I underestimated you."

My fists clenched. "You used me."

"You inserted yourself," she snapped. "You just couldn't stay in your lane. That's what happens when you fall in love with your boss."

My heart stuttered.

"What did you say?" I whispered.

Viv burst out laughing, clapping her hands mockingly. "Oh please. Anyone with eyes can see it. The looks. The tension. Something happened between you two—I know it."

"No," I snapped. "You're wrong. I'm engaged. I'm getting married."

"And yet," Viv said sweetly, "here you are—risking everything for him."