Katherine burst out of Claire’s office, the sharp click of her heels echoing through the corridor like gunshots.
Her expression was dark enough to scare away anyone foolish enough to cross her path. The news of Isobel staying at Morgan’s lounge made her uncomfortable and angry.
Without slowing down, she headed straight for the executive elevator and marched toward the CEO floor.
Unfortunately, she never made it to Morgan’s office.
Stacey, Morgan Foster’s secretary, stepped in front of the door with her usual professional smile.
"Miss Hayes, Mr. Foster is currently entertaining a guest and has instructed that he not be disturbed."
Katherine’s eyes narrowed.
"A guest?" Her voice rose several degrees. "Who is it? Is it Isobel?"
The night before, Morgan had openly sided with that woman in the dining table. The thought alone made Katherine’s blood boil.
Stacey’s smile remained perfectly composed.
"Miss Hayes," she said evenly, "Mr. Foster’s guests are not something you need to concern yourself with."
The polite words felt like a slap.
Katherine’s nails dug into her palms.
For a moment, she looked ready to force her way inside. However, she knew better than to create a scene on the CEO floor.
After taking several deep breaths, she swallowed her anger and sat heavily in one of the guest chairs in front of Stacy’s table.
She could wait.
After all, she genuinely had business to discuss with Morgan.
The commercial campaign that was supposed to belong to her had suddenly been handed over to an AI-generated model. A ridiculous decision that cost her both money and prestige.
As she sat there simmering in resentment, something on the coffee table caught her attention.
An invitation.
The cream-colored envelope looked expensive, embossed with gold foil and sealed with an elegant crest.
Katherine casually reached for it.
"Miss Hayes—"
Stacey immediately stepped forward. But she was already too late. The invitation was in Katherine’s hands.
Ignoring the secretary’s disapproving look, Katherine flipped it open.
The moment her eyes landed on the contents, her brows shot upward.
Kristoff Dalton and Charlotte Harris’ Engagement Celebration
And the Official Introduction of the Dalton Heir
A strange silence settled over her. Then her lips slowly curled upward.
Kristine was still lying in a hospital bed.
Weak and in a coma. She would not be able to attend.
A calculating gleam flashed through Katherine’s eyes.
Her fingers tightened around the invitation.
If Kristine couldn’t attend...
Then perhaps she could.
After all, someone had to stand beside the Morgan Foster.
And more importantly... the twins would need their mother.
The smile on Katherine’s face deepened.
For the first time since leaving the Claire’s office, she felt genuinely pleased.
An opportunity had just fallen directly into her lap.
And Katherine Hayes had never been the type to let an opportunity go to waste.
...
The door to Morgan’s office suddenly opened.
Katherine’s gaze snapped toward it.
A moment later, Isobel stepped out. She was wearing a different blouse.
The soft cream-colored top matched her navy blue skirt perfectly, as though it had been selected specifically for her.
Isobel adjusted the cuff of her sleeve and walked away without noticing Katherine’s presence.
She headed directly toward her workstation beside Cindy’s desk.
Katherine’s eyes narrowed. So it really was Isobel.
A cold feeling settled in her chest.
What exactly had happened inside that office?
Why had she changed clothes?
And more importantly...
Why was Morgan allowing her such privileges?
Katherine watched her retreating figure with suspicion.
Was she trying to seduce Morgan?
The thought immediately crossed her mind.
After all, she had seen it happen countless times before.
Morgan Foster was young, wealthy, powerful, and devastatingly handsome. Women threw themselves at him every chance they got.
Many of the women hired as secretaries over the years had arrived with agenda that had little to do with work.
One had deliberately spilled coffee over her blouse before barging into Morgan’s office in tears, hoping to earn his sympathy.
Another frequently wore increasingly revealing outfits, pretending not to notice the effect she hoped they would have.
One woman had gone even further, secretly booking a room at the same hotel during one of Morgan’s business trips and staging a "chance encounter" outside his suite.
There had even been a secretary who anonymously sent him expensive gifts and handwritten letters, convinced she could melt his cold heart through persistence.
Every single one of them failed.
Morgan never tolerated unprofessional behavior.
The moment he discovered their intentions, they were dismissed without hesitation and blacklisted in the industry.
Soon enough, no reputable corporation dared hire those women.
Morgan’s blacklist carried weight.
That was why only two female secretaries remained today.
Stacey and Cindy, though Cindy was more of an executive assisstant rather than an actress.
Stacey was happily married and often spoke fondly of her husband and children. She treated Morgan with the same respect she would give any superior.
Cindy was even less interested with Morgan.
She was obsessed with financial reports, market trends, and stock portfolios. Most people suspected she loved spreadsheets more than human beings.
As for the rest of Morgan’s executive staff...
They were all men.
Katherine’s gaze shifted back toward Isobel. For a brief moment, she studied the woman’s workstation. The desk looked exactly the same as everyone else’s.
No flowers. No luxury gifts. No special treatment.
Nothing that suggested Morgan had developed a personal interest in her.
A trace of relief appeared in Katherine’s eyes.
At least there was that.
Still...
The image of Isobel emerging from Morgan’s office in a different blouse refused to leave her mind.
Slowly, Katherine rose from her seat. Her designer heels clicked softly against the marble floor.
One step.
Then another.
Each movement deliberate and measured.
Like a hunter closing the distance to inspect a suspicious prey.
Across the office, Isobel had just settled into her chair when a shadow fell across her desk.
She looked up. And found Katherine Hayes standing before her.
A smile rested on Katherine’s lips. It was polite and elegant.
But Isobel knew it was completely false.
"Isobel," Katherine said softly.
The sweetness in her voice only made the hostility in her eyes more obvious.
"So how do you find working in such a wonderful office?"