Chapter 4 She is indeed beautiful

Blair arrived home drenched in sweat, her hair a tangled mess. The moment she stepped inside, William Walker descended the staircase with a newspaper tucked beneath one arm, his usual meticulousness radiating from every movement. His brow furrowed the second he saw her.

"Blair, where have you been?" he asked, voice tight with irritation. "Look at the state you're in-go upstairs and shower. And don't trail dirt through the house, you'll ruin the floors."

"Understood." Blair kept her head low and darted up the stairs, not wanting to spark more disapproval.

She had barely turned the corner of the landing when she nearly collided with Sebastian Walker. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed, lips twisted into a lazy, smug grin.

"Hey, little lamb," he said mockingly, refusing to use her real name as usual. "You look like a garbage collector. Wait, was someone supposed to collect *you*?"

Blair rolled her eyes and brushed past him without a word. She had long learned that silence was more effective than engaging with someone who reveled in petty cruelty.

After a long, scalding shower, Blair wrapped herself in a towel and walked into her room, only to hear Sebastian yelling from downstairs.

"Little lamb! Get your hooves down here and wash some fruit. Peel it. Same size pieces. You're not a farmhand, so make them pretty."

Suppressing a groan, Blair dried off, changed, and headed to the kitchen. She meticulously washed, peeled, and cut the fruit into uniform cubes. Then she placed the plate in front of Sebastian, who was sprawled on the couch with a controller in his hand, eyes locked on his video game.

He didn't even look up.

Blair turned to leave.

"Wait," Sebastian called, pausing the game for the first time. "How's work, little lamb? Any old men chasing you around yet?"

The words hit harder than she expected, given the events of the past twenty-four hours. But she pasted on a smile.

"Nope. My company's atmosphere is totally professional. I'm actually learning a lot. Thanks for your concern, big brother," she replied sweetly, emphasizing the last two words with a hint of venom.

"Tch. Even old men aren't interested in you. How pitiful," Sebastian sneered.

Blair smiled politely and walked away, seething on the inside. *One day,* she swore to herself, *you'll choke on your own words. Preferably while I'm watching.*

---

The next morning, Blair rushed to the offices of **Tianheng Group**, a towering glass fortress in the heart of Nanhua City's financial district.

Tianheng was one of the top ten firms in the region. With her incomplete college education and lack of a formal diploma, she had no chance of getting in on merit alone. The position-glorified errand girl-had been arranged by William Walker, her reputation-obsessed stepfather.

She didn't care. In this world, backdoors were as common as elevators. She needed a foothold, and this was it.

As Blair reached the sleek, automated glass entrance, she spotted Summer Reeves hurrying down the sidewalk with a distinct limp.

"Summer?" Blair called. "What happened to your foot?"

Summer glanced up and huffed. "Met a devil this morning. Guess who? Sierra Westwood. Stepped on me-hard. And it wasn't an accident."

Blair's jaw tightened. Summer lifted her shoe to reveal her reddened, swollen foot.

"She really did a number on you."

Summer nodded. "She's even more arrogant now that her uncle's a department head here."

Blair's eyes darkened. "At noon, we settle this. I've got your back. Let's make sure she remembers today."

Summer's lips curled in anticipation. "Oh, this is going to be *fun.*"

Back in school, Blair had been known for her mind games-mischievous, sharp, and always several steps ahead. People made the mistake of judging her by her innocent looks. But the moment she struck back, even senior boys were left crying to their mothers.

At noon, the cafeteria buzzed with activity as employees streamed in for lunch. Blair and Summer approached the corner table where Sierra Westwood sat surrounded by sycophantic friends.

Sierra looked up, chewing slowly, then smirked. "Summer, what's this? You brought backup? Planning a one-on-one or a group challenge? I'm flexible."

Her words oozed arrogance, her tone smug. She was undeniably beautiful-sleek black hair, designer clothes, and that effortless elegance. But her mouth ruined everything.

Blair stepped forward, smiling sweetly. "Actually, we came to return something you dropped. Your dignity."

Laughter rippled through the surrounding tables. Sierra's smile froze.

"I don't recall asking for your input, *newbie,*" she replied, voice clipped.

"Oh, but you did," Blair said, pulling out her phone. "This morning, several people witnessed you intentionally stepping on my friend. You know what's interesting? Two of them work in HR. One of them already agreed to talk to me."

Sierra's face twitched. "You think you can scare me with some idle threats?"

Blair's smile turned razor-sharp. "Threats? No. I don't threaten-I promise. You're not the only one with connections here. The difference is, mine don't need to be bribed with Daddy's business cards."

Sierra stood abruptly. "Are you seriously trying to fight me over this? That's pathetic."

Blair leaned in, voice calm and deliberate. "No, I'm reminding you that the only reason people tolerate your tantrums is because no one's stood up to you yet. That ends today."

The silence between them stretched. Around the cafeteria, people pretended to keep eating while watching intently. Sierra stared at Blair, but her glare didn't have its usual venom.

It was fear.

After a long pause, Sierra scoffed and picked up her tray. "Not worth my time."

Blair watched her go, then turned to Summer. "There. That's one bully reminded. Who's next?"

Summer's eyes sparkled. "Blair, remind me to never get on your bad side."

"I only bite when poked," Blair replied with a wink.

But even as she laughed with Summer, her mind drifted back to the night she wanted to forget. To the man whose name she didn't know, but whose face haunted her memory.

There were battles she could fight with words and tricks. But the war within her heart... that was a different kind of battlefield.