The Croft Niece's Final Gambit

At the annual awards gala for Sterling Investment Group, my CEO, Blake Sterling, promised to grant each core employee any reward they desired.

When it was my turn, the new intern, Chloe Finch, suddenly snatched the microphone, accusing me of being selfish for making a personal request instead of thinking of the company.

I ignored her and scrawled "a dedicated parking spot" on my request card.

Chloe then furiously splashed red wine on me, screaming that I was selfish and didn't care about the company's finances.

I angrily threw the request card at her feet. She immediately shrieked, her voice laced with a threat.

"How dare you do this to me! Do you know who my dad is? He's Julian Croft! Even Mr. Sterling has to show him respect. If you lay a finger on me, I'll make sure you can never work on Wall Street again!"

I was stunned.

I am Julian Croft's real niece.

My uncle was a lifelong bachelor. How on earth could he have a grown daughter?

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1

My request for a dedicated parking spot at the Sterling Investment Group gala earned me a face full of red wine, courtesy of Chloe Finch—a woman claiming to be the long-lost daughter of my own uncle, Julian Croft.

Taking my silence for fear, Chloe's arrogance swelled.

"What, scared now? If it weren't for that pretty face you use to wrap clients around your finger, Blake would have never made you Senior Vice President. You're a disgrace to this company! Your very presence is a stain on this group!"

Me, seducing the CEO, Blake Sterling, with my looks?

The all-nighters I’d pulled to close that M&A deal, the month I’d spent living out of a suitcase to negotiate partnerships… All that, just to be accused of sleeping my way to the top?

I turned and met Chloe’s gaze, my eyes like ice.

"Watch your mouth. I earned my position as Senior Vice President through my own merit, and everyone here knows it. Who are you to dismiss all my hard work with a single sentence?"

"Besides, you're not just insulting me. You're implying Mr. Sterling is a shallow leader and a poor judge of character. How do you think he'd react if he heard you bad-mouthing him like that?"

I'd caught the flaw in her argument, and my words hit their mark. She was left speechless, her face pale with rage.

Seeing her fuming, several colleagues couldn't help but lower their heads and snicker.

Ever since Chloe had joined the company, her arrogant and rude attitude had offended nearly everyone.

Once, she brought an expensive coffee machine for her desk. When Olivia Chen, who was noise-sensitive, politely asked her to use it in the break room, Chloe poured a scalding cup of coffee directly onto Olivia's documents.

"I like drinking my coffee here. This office isn't your private property. Either you request a new desk, or you get the hell out of the company!"

Olivia had to work all night redoing the crucial documents, and the company was stuck with the data recovery bill.

I was furious at the time and wanted to confront Chloe, but some colleagues held me back.

They all disliked Chloe, but they chose to remain silent.

The reason was simple: Chloe flaunted her supposed connection to Julian Croft to intimidate them. Everyone was afraid of offending her, so no matter how outrageous her behavior was, they only dared to seethe in private.

When the ripples of suppressed laughter reached Chloe's ears, she finally snapped.

She pointed a trembling finger at my nose and yelled, "Scarlett, who do you think you are? You just wait! I'll tell my dad to kick you out of Wall Street. I said you can't have it, and you won't. Defy me today, and I guarantee you'll be out of a job by tomorrow!"

Her threats didn't faze me. I calmly picked up the request card and wrote down the words "a dedicated parking spot."

I had generated immense profits for the company. What was wrong with asking for a parking spot?

"What is everyone crowding around here for?"

Blake pushed open the door. When he saw the scene before him, his expression darkened.

"Today is the group's annual gala. Why are you two fighting on such an important day?"

Before I could speak, Chloe adopted a wounded expression and rushed to Blake's side.

"Mr. Sterling, I was only thinking of the company. You've invested so much this year, and I felt it was wrong to ask for more. But Scarlett was completely ungrateful and insisted on an exclusive parking spot. She even… even..."

Tears welled up in Chloe's eyes. "She even hit me!"

Before I could even explain, Blake's face stiffened. He leveled a stern gaze at me.

"Scarlett, you've been my Senior Vice President for five years. How can you be so selfish? You could learn a thing or two from Chloe. She's thinking about the company, while you're only focused on your reward."

"And getting physical is out of line. Apologize to Chloe immediately and pay her two thousand dollars for her dress. Then, we'll consider this matter closed."

I almost laughed out of sheer anger. He remembered I had been his SVP for five years, but in his eyes, my credibility was worth less than that of a new intern.

"Mr. Sterling, are you seriously asking me to pay Chloe?"

Blake's expression soured visibly.

Just then, Olivia gently tugged on my sleeve and whispered, "Chloe is Julian Croft's daughter. If she goes back and complains, you really might get kicked out of Wall Street."

I couldn't help but let out a soft, humorless laugh. "No. Julian Croft has been a lifelong bachelor. How could a daughter just materialize out of thin air?"

Olivia glanced at Chloe, then leaned closer to my ear.

"What if she's his illegitimate daughter? I've heard the private lives of these top tycoons are a mess. It wouldn't be a shock if he had a few secret kids."