Chapter 4

Sophia Bennett POV

The atmosphere in the conference room was tense.

Lily Hayes stood in front of the projection screen, holding the assessment report my team had stayed up all night preparing, but her presentation was stumbling and incoherent.

"Regarding this project's internal rate of return, we estimate it to be... uh, we estimate eight percent. And the cash flow break-even period would require... require fifteen years."

The moment those words left her mouth, the room erupted.

Several senior directors' faces turned ashen.

One director slammed his hand on the table:

"Fifteen years to break even? Eight percent return? Miss Hayes, do you even know what the current cost of capital is? You're actually recommending this garbage project to the board as a priority investment?!"

Lily Hayes's eyes reddened from being yelled at, and she looked pleadingly toward Ethan Pierce, who sat at the head of the table.

Ethan Pierce frowned deeply, about to speak up to save her, when I suddenly stood up.

Without looking at Ethan Pierce, I walked straight to Lily Hayes, took the laser pointer from her hand, and switched to a different PPT slide.

"Directors, Miss Hayes just read the wrong data set."

I said,

"Eight percent is the stress test result under an extremely pessimistic model. In reality, based on our calculations of local policy subsidies and carbon credit trading, the baseline IRR is above twenty-two percent, with a cash flow break-even period of four years and seven months. The detailed sensitivity analysis is on page thirty-two of the report."

In just three minutes, with extremely precise data and rigorous logic, I defused what could have been a catastrophic trust crisis.

The directors' expressions softened, and they looked at me with admiration.

Lily Hayes, standing beside me, had turned pale.

After the meeting ended, I was summoned to the CEO's office.

The moment I pushed open the door, a file folder came flying at me.

I didn't dodge. The sharp plastic edge grazed my temple, instantly drawing blood.

"Sophia Bennett, you really showed off in that conference room today, didn't you? Are you proud of yourself?"

Ethan Pierce sat in his chair, his eyes frighteningly dark.

Lily Hayes sat on the sofa, crying softly.

Feeling the stinging pain on my forehead, my heart remained utterly calm:

"I was only trying to save the company's project."

"Save it?"

Ethan Pierce laughed coldly, suddenly standing and walking up to me, looking down at me from above.

"You knew perfectly well that Lily wasn't familiar with those numbers. Why didn't you go over them with her before the meeting? You deliberately embarrassed her in front of the board, deliberately used your expertise to highlight her incompetence. Sophia Bennett, when did your heart become so vicious?"

I looked at him steadily and laughed.

I'd stayed up for three nights straight preparing that report. Lily Hayes hadn't even bothered to glance at it before taking it to claim credit.

When she made mistakes, I stepped in to fix them and saved Pierce Corporation's reputation. But in the end, I became the vicious one.

"Yes, I'm vicious."

I closed my eyes.

"Mr. Pierce is absolutely right. Every mistake is my fault. I apologize to Miss Hayes."

I turned toward Lily Hayes on the sofa and gave her a slight bow, my voice dead:

"I'm sorry, Miss Hayes. It's my fault for not covering up your incompetence well enough and letting you be wronged."

"Sophia Bennett! Get out of my sight!"

Ethan Pierce's furious voice rang out behind me.

I straightened my spine and walked out of the office. My heart had completely died.