Thea glanced at the man who had spoken, surprised. Darwin introduced him, saying, "This is Marcus Compton, chairman of Chilworthy Enterprise."

Thea bit her lip. "Mr. Compton, you're mistaken. I managed the data, but I didn't sell it. The leak was due to my poor oversight, not Mr. Hendrix's fault."

Nicolas's expression softened. He looked up at her. "I brought you here to tell you two things. First, the disciplinary file on you from headquarters is confidential. Regarding the rumors that everyone has a copy, you should investigate that yourself. Second, I've decided to temporarily suspend you. Can you accept that?"

Thea was taken aback, a lump forming in her throat. It wasn't because she felt wronged; she hadn't expected Nicolas to remain calm.

"Thank you, Mr. Hendrix," she said earnestly.

Nicolas gestured toward Marcus. "The buyer's right here. If you have more questions, ask him directly."

Marcus's eyes widened slightly. "Why ask me? I don't know anything. My people handled it. I just know the information was sold to me—why wouldn't I take it?"

He flashed a mischievous grin at Nicolas. "It's rare to see you take a hit. I couldn't pass up the chance."

Regaining her composure, Thea sat next to Marcus and smiled slightly. "Mr. Compton, maybe you don't know the details, but you must know which of your people contacted the person impersonating me."

Marcus raised an eyebrow, his eyes glinting with amusement. "I'm no fool. Why should I tell you anything if there's no benefit for me?"

Thea's smile faded. She said calmly but firmly, "I don't care. Worst case, I go to jail. But before that, I'll tell the media you colluded with me to get secrets from Avon Ventures. After getting what you wanted, you disappeared. Everyone thinks I leaked the data. If I say you were the buyer, who will they believe? Helping me clears your name, too. Exposing the real culprit proves your innocence."

Marcus stood abruptly, laughing in frustration. He pointed at Nicolas. "I thought you invited me for a drink! You and your subordinate set me up!"

Nicolas remained calm, a slight smile playing on his lips. "She just saved you from more risk, didn't she?"

Marcus angrily threw down his business card and stormed out, muttering curses.

Thea was in high spirits, even waving Marcus off with a sly grin.

Watching her, Nicolas chuckled. "You provoked Marcus on my behalf. Do you think I won't be upset?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Holding Marcus's business card like a prized possession, Thea shook her head seriously. "From the moment I walked in and saw your eyes, I knew you believed me. I'm not sure why—maybe because you value my work. But I won't let you down."

Nicolas's expression softened. He said with a half-smile, "If that idiot Jake had really married you, I might have thought better of him." With that, he got up and left.

Even though Thea was temporarily suspended, she returned to the company to collect her belongings. She was shocked to find her things scattered outside, her office completely transformed. The once simple and professional space was now fancy but cheap-looking. The nameplate on the desk read: Madelyn Terrell, Deputy Manager.

Just as she was taking it all in, someone bumped her hard. "You've got some nerve showing up here," the person spat, rolling their eyes. "We've all been working overtime because of you! How can you be so thick-skinned?"

Before Thea could respond, Madelyn's soft voice came from behind. "Don't be so harsh on her," she said, pushing through the crowd. "Thea is probably feeling awful right now. I'm sure she regrets everything. Let's not make it harder for her." People immediately chimed in, praising Madelyn's kindness.

Feigning consideration, Madelyn added, "I'm the deputy manager now, and I'm willing to give you a chance, Thea. You can stay on as my assistant. I won't hold a grudge."

Thea laughed coldly as she bent to pick up her things. "Don't celebrate too soon, Madelyn. Just because you clawed your way into this position with dirty tricks doesn't mean it's yours to keep. Mark my words—within a month, you'll be out of this office. Maybe I won't be deputy manager, but it definitely won't be you."

She paused, her voice calm but sharp. "Oh, and it seems you don't know yet, but headquarters issued a new rule yesterday. There will be performance evaluations every two weeks, and the top three will compete for the deputy manager position."

Thea had learned this from Darwin the day before. She didn't know why the rules had changed, but the look of discomfort on Madelyn's face pleased her.

The crowd, previously fawning over Madelyn, now eyed her with suspicion. Madelyn narrowed her eyes, tears welling up.

Hearing the commotion, Jake rushed over, subtly positioning himself in front of Madelyn.

"That's enough, Thea," he said, sounding exhausted and defeated. "I know you're upset, but don't take it out on her. We need to talk properly."

Thea ignored him and turned to leave.

Jake stepped in front of her, his voice rising. "Do you realize how much I've been running around trying to clean up your mess? If you keep this up, I'll sue you!"

Thea sensed his recklessness. Glancing at her watch, she said, "Fine. You've got five minutes."

In the meeting room, Jake wasted no time. "I tried to keep everything under wraps, but your mother found out. She was ready to cancel the wedding. I had to talk her down. And at the company, most people want to report you to the police. I've been working overtime trying to calm them down. After all that, you stir up more trouble?"

Thea chuckled coldly. "Don't make it sound like you've gone out of your way for me, Jake."

He looked genuinely surprised. "Isn't that exactly what I've been doing?"

She retorted, "If you really wanted to help me, you'd investigate what actually happened. I told you I didn't do this. Did you even believe me?"

Jake's expression shifted, disappointment clouding his eyes. He didn't respond with anger. Instead, he sat across from Thea, his voice lowering. "Thea, I'll protect you. I promise I'll take care of this. I know you made a mistake, but since I've chosen you as my future wife, I'll take responsibility." He paused. "Resigning is in your best interest. I've already spoken to Uncle Nicolas. As long as you resign and let Madelyn take the deputy manager role, I won't press charges. This way, you can focus on becoming Mrs. Hendrix."