When Katelyn ended the call, she turned to see Vincent watching her closely. His stare was sharp and thoughtful.

“How long do you plan to let her stay with you?” he asked.

From his observation, Zoey might be a potential danger to Katelyn.

Katelyn leaned back on the sofa, a faint frown tugging at her lips.

“I’ve been thinking about that too,” she said quietly, her gaze drifting. “Zoey just graduated, and her family situation is difficult.”

“I can’t bring myself to ask her to leave, at least not until she gets her first paycheck from the internship.”

Katelyn had grown accustomed to her solitude; having someone suddenly share her space felt unsettling.

Vincent’s eyes stayed on her, calm yet understanding. His voice softened as he said, “I could help find her a place to stay.”

Katelyn glanced up at him. “No, that’s okay,” she said, shaking her head slightly. “I don’t want to trouble you. I’ll set aside time to help her find a rental.”

Vincent nodded once. “That works too,” he said simply. For him, as long as Zoey didn’t overstep her boundaries, it wasn’t a problem worth pressing further.

At her desk, Zoey’s hand clenched around the employee ID badge Samuel had just handed her. Her plan had crumbled, and the bitterness of failure was hard to swallow.

Zoey didn’t care about the company cafeteria; her mind was set on one thing—making an impression on Vincent. She remembered the romance novels she’d read, where men like Vincent, high on the corporate ladder, were always drawn to women who looked like they needed saving. The more helpless, the better.

If she could stir Vincent’s sympathy, everything else would follow. Katelyn’s past help? It didn’t matter anymore. In Zoey’s eyes, Katelyn had become just another obstacle standing in her way. No one was going to stop her from changing her life.

More chapters on gν.

Even though it was her first day at the company, Zoey’s presence had already started to make an impact, not escaping the notice of her colleagues. Soon, whispers started to spread, some voices raised deliberately so she could hear.

“Some people really need to take a good look at themselves. Dreaming of success, but do they even deserve it?”

Zoey sharply turned her gaze towards the person speaking. “What did you just say?” she demanded.

Yvette Medina was the speaker’s name. Her long hair flowed like that of a Barbie doll, and her features carried a distinct charm. With a proud and confident step, Yvette approached Zoey and sneered, “Didn’t you hear what I said? Let me repeat myself then. Take a long, hard look in the mirror before considering pursuing Mr. Adams. Do you actually consider yourself attractive?”

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