The phone in my hand vibrated again.
Adrian.
I stared at the name for a few seconds before finally slipping the phone into my bag.
I didn't reply.
I didn't answer the phone when it started ringing again, either.
Back then, I was always waiting for his messages.
Now...
I didn't even want to read what he wanted to say.
I stepped out of the AURELIA GROUP building.
The sky was beginning to darken.
Suddenly, a white sports car stopped right in front of me.
The door opened.
Adrian got out, looking exhausted.
"Maya."
I froze for a moment.
It had been a long time since I'd seen him from this close.
And yet, strangely...
My heart no longer pounded the way it used to.
All that remained was the pain.
"I just want to talk."
"I don't."
I was about to walk past him, but Adrian caught my arm.
"Maya, listen to me for a minute."
I looked at the hand gripping my arm.
"Back then, when I begged you to defend me in front of your mother, you chose to stay silent."
I slowly pulled my arm free.
"Now it's my turn to choose to leave."
Adrian's face instantly turned pale.
"Maya... I'm sorry."
I gave him a faint smile.
"Your regret came too late."
Without looking back, I walked toward the bus stop.
I didn't see...
That behind the window of the black car that had just stopped across the street, a pair of eyes was watching everything.
Ethan.
"Sir, should I go to Miss Maya?" Surya asked.
Ethan slowly shook his head.
"No."
"But that man..."
"Leave him."
Ethan's gaze remained calm.
But his fingers slowly curled into fists.
The next morning...
I arrived at the office early.
I wanted to prove that I truly deserved to work here.
I was turning on my computer when Clara approached me.
"Maya, the Finance Division is asking for yesterday's project report."
"Okay."
I took the blue folder I'd neatly organized the night before.
As I was about to carry it to the conference room, Vanessa suddenly appeared.
"I'll take it."
I smiled politely.
"It's okay. I can take it myself."
Vanessa gave a small laugh.
"I just want to help."
Without waiting for my answer, she took the folder and walked away.
I didn't think much of it.
Until thirty minutes later...
A loud voice rang out from the conference room.
"Who prepared this report?"
Everyone fell silent.
The Finance Director threw the folder onto the table.
"The project data is wrong!"
I immediately stood up.
"That's impossible."
Vanessa turned to me.
"Maya, isn't this the report you prepared?"
My chest suddenly tightened.
I opened the folder.
My eyes widened.
All the figures I'd put together the night before had been changed.
Not just one or two pages.
Nearly the entire report had been replaced.
"I-I..."
Vanessa let out a long sigh.
"If you weren't capable of doing it, you shouldn't have forced yourself."
Several employees began whispering.
"No wonder."
"She got in through connections."
"So they finally found her out."
I bit my lip.
No.
This wasn't my work.
Someone had deliberately replaced the contents of that report.
"Mr. Ethan is here!"
Everyone immediately stood up.
Ethan entered the conference room with calm, measured steps.
His gaze swept across the room before stopping on me.
"What happened?"
The Finance Director quickly explained.
"The project report contains incorrect data."
Ethan picked up the folder.
He read it for a few seconds.
Then he asked briefly,
"Who handled this report last?"
The room fell silent again.
Vanessa smiled faintly.
"As far as I know, Maya prepared it."
I took a deep breath.
"I did prepare it."
"And then?"
"When I was about to bring it to the conference room, Vanessa offered to deliver it for me."
Vanessa's smile immediately disappeared.
"That's a serious accusation."
"I'm not accusing you."
I met her eyes without flinching.
"I'm just stating what happened."
Vanessa let out a mocking laugh.
"So now you're trying to blame me?"
Ethan remained silent.
His expression was impossible to read.
"Sir."
Surya rushed in.
"I've checked the CCTV footage."
The room instantly went quiet.
Vanessa, who had been so confident moments ago, suddenly went pale.
Surya placed a tablet on the table.
"Please watch this footage."
Every eye turned to the screen.
It was crystal clear...
Vanessa entered the archive room.
She opened my blue folder.
Then she quickly swapped out several sheets of documents.
The room erupted.
"That's..."
"She did it on purpose!"
"Oh my God..."
Vanessa took a step back.
"It's... it's not what you think."
Ethan looked at her coldly.
"Then explain."
Sweat began to dampen Vanessa's temples.
"I... I only..."
Before she could finish, Ethan cut her off in a voice so cold that it sent a chill through the entire room.
"Effective today, you are suspended until the investigation is complete."
The color drained from Vanessa's face.
"Sir, please give me a chance!"
"There is no place at AURELIA GROUP for someone who sabotages her own colleague."
Vanessa collapsed weakly into a chair.
Meanwhile, everyone's eyes turned to me.
There were no more looks of contempt.
Only shock remained.
Amid the silence, Ethan turned to me.
"Come with me."
My heart began pounding again.
I followed him toward the CEO's office.
I had no idea...
That behind the door to his office, Ethan had already made a major decision that would change my position at the company.
And that decision...
Would make all the employees at AURELIA GROUP hate me even more.