Valerie sped along, trying to make it to the office on time, but she was still a few minutes late. Hurrying inside the office building, she accidentally bumped into Isabel.

Isabel, still dressed in her glamorous outfit and wearing an arrogant expression, saw Valerie and said sarcastically, "Well, look who it is! Valerie! Dylan asked us to be on time, but you're late. Looks like you don't take Dylan seriously"

Before she could finish, Katherine shoved her aside from behind.

Katherine rolled her eyes nonchalantly. "Yeah, we know you're the best staff here, the one who takes Dylan seriously—takes him into your room and onto your bed. You're not afraid Dylan will… well, you know."

"Katherine, watch your language!" Tubel shouted angrily.

"Did I say anything wrong? Every word is the truth! Why should I watch my language?"

Katherine's words visibly angered Isabel, whose face paled. Feeling all eyes on her, Isabel stormed off in a huff, attempting to avoid a scene.

Katherine watched Isabel leave with a satisfied smirk, then turned to Valerie. "People like her need to be taken down a peg. If she dares to be snarky with you again, just let me know. I'll be happy to put her in her place."

Valerie smiled, amused by Katherine's protectiveness. Though younger, Katherine was fiercely defensive of Valerie, worried she might be bullied.

"Thank you, Katherine. But you don't really have to offend Isabel for me," said Valerie. She wasn't the type to be pushed around.

"Nonsense, your troubles are my troubles," Katherine waved her off. "Besides, if it weren't for you bailing out Caleb last time, he would have lost a lot of money."

Suddenly, Katherine noticed something about Valerie's wrist. "Hold on, how did you hurt yourself?"

Katherine was mid-sentence when Valerie interrupted. "Just a minor incident, nothing to worry about," Valerie rushed to downplay it, not wanting Katherine to fuss. "I'll just pop into the changing room and change." She was grateful to have a spare outfit.

However, Valerie soon realized her injury was more serious than she thought. Removing her clothing, she saw deep scrapes on her elbows from gravel, nasty-looking wounds. No wonder the pain was so intense.

Valerie sterilized the cuts with alcohol and covered them with sterile cloths. When she emerged from the changing room, her coworkers had arrived for a company-wide meeting at headquarters, with each branch sending two representatives.

Dylan named Isabel as one attendee. Just as he was about to choose the second, Will Moreno, the general manager, nominated Valerie.

"Valerie's going too?" Dylan was surprised.

Will smiled. "Valerie was last year's top seller and the representative for Arcton Cars. It's appropriate for her to attend."

Though Dylan didn't like Moreno, he knew better than to show it. More importantly, Valerie's previous complaint letter had brought Matthew in person, making Dylan wary of offending her.

In the car to the meeting, Isabel was resentful. She'd lobbied for this event, and hadn't expected Valerie to secure a place so easily.

"You usually pretend to be simple. I can't believe you're scheming! You sweet-talked Mr. Moreno, didn't you? To meet a rich guy?"

Valerie feigned surprise. "So that's your plan—to snag a rich man? You better hurry. If you don't, all the eligible bachelors will be gone."

"You—" Isabel sputtered, but Valerie turned and walked away.

However, once inside the conference hall, Valerie understood Isabel's desperation. This wasn't a typical corporate meeting; it was a high-society soiree hosted by the Noria Group. In addition to branch personnel, they'd invited local social elites. The lavish decor clearly indicated the event's prestige.