Chapter 5 Quiet Manipulations

By the third day, the atmosphere in the office had changed.

It was subtle at first. Conversations lowered when the heroine passed by. Friendly greetings became brief nods. Tasks that once took minutes suddenly came with unnecessary complications.

The rich girl did not confront her directly. Instead, she smiled at everyone, laughed easily, and spoke in gentle tones that hid sharp intentions. She made herself visible in the office, often stopping by Alexander's floor with excuses that sounded reasonable enough.

"She's trying hard," the rich girl said casually during a coffee break, her voice soft. "But someone with her background might struggle to keep up here."

The words spread quickly.

By midday, a misplaced document went missing. Whispers followed almost immediately. Some eyes turned toward the heroine. No one accused her outright, but suspicion hung in the air.

When the assistant asked about the file, the heroine calmly retraced her steps, checked the records, and located it exactly where it had been filed earlier. The mistake belonged to someone else.

There was an awkward silence.

The rich girl watched from a distance, her pleasant smile fading for just a moment before returning.

Alexander noticed the shift. He noticed how problems seemed to appear around the heroine and how she resolved them without complaint. He also noticed who always seemed nearby when trouble began.

That afternoon, the rich girl entered his office without knocking. "You're being too kind," she said lightly. "People might misunderstand."

"Kindness has nothing to do with competence," Alexander replied. "She earns her place."

The rich girl's expression hardened briefly before smoothing again. "We'll see."

Back at her desk, the heroine worked quietly, aware that every movement was being watched. She did not rush. She did not defend herself. She let her work speak instead.

As the day ended, a few coworkers began to look at her differently. Doubt replaced certainty. Some even offered hesitant smiles.

The rich girl noticed.

Her fingers curled slightly at her side as she watched the heroine gather her things. This was not going as planned.

As Alexander left the office that evening, his gaze followed the heroine until she disappeared into the elevator. Whatever game was being played around her, she was not losing.

And neither was he willing to let her.