Chapter 29

Aubrey eyed Gabriela's stiff expression and tilted her head,asking,"You look stunned, Gau riela. Are you so overjoyed you can't even speak?"

Gabriela mustered a thin smile as she replied, "Yeah,I'm absolutely thrilled."

Tessa appeared beside them with a warm grin."Please complete all handover tasks by end of day today. You can join us officially in the CEO's office tomorrow."

Despite her frustration, Gabriela could only nod and reply, "All right. Thank you, Ms. Ortiz."

"Drop the formalities-just call me Tessa," Tessa noted cheerfully before heading off to her next task

Gabriela had no real interest in moving into the executive office, but Aubrey was already hyping it up,pushing her to treat the team to dinner.

Before long, other coworkers gathered around to offer their congratulations, some with genuine smiles,others with thinly veiled envy

It was hard to believe that Gabriela, just an intern,somehow landed a spot in the executive office She sat there utterly unfazed, not a flicker of excitement betraying what was supposed to be the chance of a lifetime.

"When she started with us, I had a feeling Gabriela wasn't as innocent as she looked."

"Seriously! Barely here two months, and she's already transferring to the executive office.Who knows what she did to get there?"

"You remember that team-building retreat?Somebody caught her sneaking back in the middle of the night. I wonder whose bed she crawled out of."

"She really knows how to play innocent, doesn't she?Look at her-acting like the promotion means nothing."

Gabriela had never expected to stumble into such malicious whispers just by stepping into the bathroom

She got this transfer because she'd managed to offend Wesley. What did that have to do with who she spent the night with?

Gabriela repeated in her head, "Take a breath. Their crap isn't worth getting worked up about. Don't let them crawl under your skin."

She tried to steady herself, forcing slow breaths,but the vicious chatter outside wouldn't let up for a second.

"Being pretty is like hitting the jackpot. All she has to do is spread her legs and she's set for life-straight to the top."

"I bet Gabriela's had something done. There's no way anyone's born looking like that."

"Even if you got a new face, you'd still need her... let's call them 'bedroom talents.'"

Each biting remark scraped at her nerves, shattering any hope of staying calm. At last, Gabriela shoved the stall door open with a deafening crash.

When she was younger, Gabriela had to endure Phyllis's petty theatrics. She was powerless to push back for fear of upsetting her uncle and aunt.

But things had changed. She'd clawed her way into Apex Group without a soul's help. Now she earned her spot in the executive office, even if it meant ruffling feathers along the way. She wasn't about to let anyone tarnish her reputation.

The instant she stepped out, the group plunged into an uneasy quiet.

Minutes earlier, the three colleagues had been beaming and congratulating Gabriela. Now, they were caught mid-gossip, their faces flushing with embarrassment.

Gabriela strode past them with an air of cool detachment,unhurried as she turned on the faucet and began washing her hands.

Silence hung awkwardly in the room.

Even the trickle of water sounded thunderous, each drop amplifying the tension. No one dared move or speak.

Once she finished, Gabriela dried her hands and turned to face Cali Turner, pinning the prettiest-and by far the loudest, nastiest-gossip of the bunch with a cool,deliberate stare.

With a slow, deliberate motion, Gabriela reached out and tapped Cali lightly on the cheek. "Want to know whose bed I climbed into? The CEO's. Mr. Moss himself."

With Wesley already loathing her, she might as well watch them choke on his name

Cali's two friends stood frozen frozen, eyes wide in disbelief.

Most people would deny a rumor like that, or at least get flustered. But Gabriela just brazenly owned it-she'd admitted to sleeping with Wesley. No one in their right mind would joke about something that dangerous. That made it feel undeniably real

Cali felt a cold jolt from Gabriela's damp palm on her cheek, but she didn't have the nerve to shove her away.

Fury and jealousy churned within her, her gaze dripping with malice.

"What makes you think you're so special?"she hissed,her voice trembling. "Mr. Moss would never be interested in someone like you."

Gabriela arched an eyebrow, her mouth twisting into a mocking smile. "Is that so? You honestly believe he'd pick you over me? Wake up, Cali. Mr. Moss noticed me for a reason. Face it-even if you poured a fortune into your face, you still wouldn't look like this."

Cali, stung by the taunt, spat back, "So what if you did sleep with Mr. Moss? You're just another toy to be tossed aside. WNomen like you exist just for his pleasure-nothing more."

Gabriela shot her a sideways glance, lips curling into a smirk. "That still puts me ahead of you. At least I have a place-what do you have? Nothing but envy."

Having endured this kind of confrontation repeatedly she met it with unshakable calm. Years of surviving mean girls and worse had toughened her skin to armor; Cali's words barely registered as an itch.

"I could hand you my place, but you'd still end up at the bottom. That's just how it is," Gabriela added,shrugging as if the outcome was inevitable.

Cali's pride shattered beneath Gabriela's heel. She'd never been so publicly put down. "You bitch. Not everyone's as shameless as you..."

Gabriela cut in, her voice razor-sharp, "Funny how it's always the losers who make the most noise. If you're scared for people to hear you, then shut your mouth If you're so brave, say it out loud and let the entire office hear you."

She swept an icy glare over the other two, her tone dropping to a dangerous hush. "Let me make this clear-keep running your damn mouths, and you'll regret ever mentioning my name."

The whole thing was laughable. Wesley was already about to toss her out; she refused to let anyone else walk all over her on the way If she was going down,she'd drag a few pests with her-because that was just how she played the game.

With that, Gabriela let go of Cali and strode away,her lips curled in a mocking smile Cali stood frozen, her complexion drained of color The other two looked equally rattled.

Just moments ago, Gabriela's vibe had shifted-she wasn't the soft-spoken girl they thought they knew Her presence now was sharp,commanding,impossible to ignore. None of them dared meet her gaze.

And why would they? She'd slept with Wesley, but kept it discreet, never flaunting a thing.

Anyone wise enough never dared challenge someone like her.

After putting the office gossips in their place, Gabriela slipped back into her cubicle, her earlier spark fading fast.

Brenden was family to Wesley, and even he had been exiled to Afluena on a dead-end assignment for crossing Wesley's line. What chance did she have-just an intern, totally dispensable-surviving in the executive office?

She'd entered Apex Group with visions of dominating boardrooms and calling shots, but all that ambition had drained out of her. Now she just felt hollow running on autopilot as she wrapped up her final tasks and stayed late to finish her handover

That evening, she joined Aubrey in the cafeteria, swiping her card to treat her friend to dinner-a small gesture for what might be her last meal at the company.

Aubrey watched her, genuinely 'impressed. "You're really something, Gabriela. So calmi When you're working up there with Mr. Moss, you've got to look out for us."

Gabriela managed a cool smile, her tone flat. "There's nothing to celebrate. The executive office doesn't offer the same freedom as the sales department.Don't envy me just yet."

Aubrey shook her head as she countered, "We're just interns-they don't really send us out for business, so it feels more laid-back for now. But look at the regular employees. They're always running around,still handling clients long after we've clocked out."She lowered her voice, adding, "And apparently,working weekends is the norm. The sales department's cutthroat-if you're new, good luck standing out." A sly grin tugged at her lips. "Honestly,Gabriela, you should be glad you got transferred to the executive office."

Gabriela met her gaze, unfazed. "Hard work, heavy pay-no exceptions. Sales dangles big commissions,but over in the executive office, you only get a fixed paycheck." One of their coworkers had quietly bought a new house last month, paying for it in cash after closing a couple of major deals.