Rachel wasn’t the type to shy away from responsibility, but she also wasn’t about to let someone falsely accuse her of something.

She turned to look at Samantha. “Ms. Judd, my timing wouldn’t have been an issue. Based on the time I left LS Enterprise, I wouldn’t have missed the meeting. The appointment with Trinity Enterprise was set for 3:30 pm, and I left LS Enterprise at 3:10 pm. It only takes about ten minutes to get to the meeting place by taxi, so I had ten minutes to spare.

Noticing the confusion on Samantha’s face, Rachel gave a small smile and added, “And if I’m not mistaken, you probably waited at least twenty minutes, right?”

Samantha’s expression stiffened. She hadn’t expected Rachel to be so precise with the timing. She even knew that Samantha had waited for twenty minutes after arriving at Trinity Enterprise.

Rachel’s smile grew slightly. “I know because Trinity Enterprise’s CEO had a video conference this afternoon. He sent me a message this morning, saying he would be ten minutes late.”

Samantha stood frozen for a moment. When she spoke again, her voice was quieter, tinged with an almost pleading tone.

“Rachel, I’m sorry. I thought you were too busy, and I just wanted to help. I didn’t mean to make you think I was trying to take the credit from you. I promise, that’s not what I was doing. The Trinity Project is yours; I’ll have William change the name on the contract to yours. I’ll make sure you get the commission too.”

Samantha’s words, though seemingly innocent, put Rachel in a tough spot. The looks from the others in the room were heavy with judgment.

“Honestly, I can’t believe Ms. Lloyd is acting this way. Samantha went out of her way to help her secure the project, and now she’s just showing off, acting like she’s got everything figured out.”

“Yeah, exactly. She was clearly planning to switch to LS Enterprise all along. On the surface, she acts like there’s nothing between her and Samantha, but deep down, she already thought the Oasis Project was hers.”

“Of course she’d hold a grudge. It’s like having something snatched away from her.”

Rachel heard the whispers around her loud and clear, but wasn’t bothered by them. What mattered now was William’s response.

She turned her gaze back to him. “Mr. Lewis, I’ve explained everything. The meeting time was set, and it was my mistake for not arriving earlier. I take full responsibility for that.”

She took responsibility where it was due, but the facts showed that she would never have been late to the meeting. It was Samantha who decided to go on her own without consulting anyone. That was on her.

William scanned the room, his eyes briefly lingering on Samantha. For just a moment, Rachel saw a flicker of something – was it sympathy?

Her heart sank. She knew what was coming next.

After a long pause, William’s expression darkened, his voice cold and distant as he said, “Given the situation just now, as well as Ms. Lloyd’s personal matters, the company has made the following decision: Her position will be suspended, along with all her current projects. Her director role will temporarily be taken over by Samantha, and once the investigation is complete, we will consider reinstating Ms. Lloyd’s position.”

His decision left the office in complete silence.

The air was eerily still.

But more than anything, the employees were more concerned about Rachel’s expression. To be publicly dismissed by her husband and have him protect his first love in front of everyone felt like a cruel blow to Rachel’s heart.

In an instant, every colleague’s gaze turned toward her.