Chapter 1

Just because I carried a limited-edition bag on my first day of the internship, my department manager had the nerve to pressure me into personally funding a company-wide trip to the Maldives — chartered flight included, two million dollars out of my own pocket.

"Stella, you're so loaded — what's the big deal about treating your colleagues? Consider it an honor to buy your way into the inner circle."

I turned her down flat. She never forgave me for it.

On the day of our global launch event, she didn't just steal my core strategy proposal — she locked me inside a server room held at fourteen degrees below zero, planning to ride my work straight to the top in front of the billion-dollar conglomerate's chairman and a top-tier investor.

She thought I'd quietly freeze to death in the dark.

What she didn't know was that the billion-dollar chairman she was killing herself to impress was my father.

And that untouchable top investor? My fiancé.

Ding —

In the quiet of the open office, my phone screen lit up.

It was a direct message from my department manager, Sandra Zhou.

I had just finished sorting through a stack of market analysis data. I rolled my stiff neck and tapped the notification open.

It was a quote for a seven-day luxury trip to the Maldives.

Total cost: $2,150,000.

I hadn't even processed that number when Sandra's second message popped up right behind it.

【Stella, that Hermès Himalayan you had today — that's the real thing, right? I looked it up. Those go for six figures easy.】

【Since your family is clearly doing so well, how about you cover the company's annual team retreat this year? Full sponsorship?】

【Nothing crazy — just charter a private jet and book the overwater villas at a five-star resort. Think of it as your initiation gift to all the senior staff. Do this right and everyone will have your back on the job.】

I stared at those words on my screen and almost laughed.

I was interning at this subsidiary under a fake identity to learn how operations ran at the ground level. It was my own money I spent on my own bag.

What gave her the right to expect me to drop over two million dollars on a hundred-plus employees I barely knew?

I typed back without hesitating.

【Sorry, Sandra. That's not my responsibility, and I don't have that kind of money lying around.】

The message had barely sent when the company group chat exploded.

Sandra had posted a company-wide announcement to the group — all hundred-something members.

【HUGE NEWS!! A massive thank-you to our very generous intern, Stella Lin!! She's offered to personally sponsor this year's annual company retreat!! Seven days in the Maldives, first-class flights, five-star overwater villas the whole way!! Drop a comment to thank our girl Stella!!】

The chat went absolutely insane.

Notifications rained down like a thunderstorm.

"No way!! Stella's a secret heiress?? Legend!!"

"Thank you so much, Stella!! I've been dreaming about the Maldives forever, and now it's actually happening!!"

"She's always so quiet at work — didn't see this coming at all. This is the kind of energy that makes people rich, honestly."

"Stella, I already checked out the itinerary — can we lock in the charter for Friday night? That way it doesn't eat into the weekend."

I looked at every single one of those messages — every grasping, entitled face behind them — and something cold settled over me.

She was going to spend my money to buy herself goodwill.

Didn't even ask me. Just announced it publicly and let the social pressure do the rest.

I exhaled slowly and started typing.

"@SandraZhou Sandra, when exactly did I agree to sponsor anything?"

"Using someone else's wallet to play generous — don't you think you're laying it on a little thick?"

The moment those two messages went out, the group chat went dead silent.

For a full two minutes, not a single person dared to respond.

Then Sandra called me on FaceTime.

I looked at her name on the screen and hit decline without blinking.

She panicked and started leaving voice messages — one after another, rapid-fire.

I used the transcription feature to read them.

"Stella, don't push your luck. I'm giving you an opportunity here. Do you have any idea how the real world works? You just graduated."

"Showing up with a six-figure bag like that — what was that supposed to be if not showing off? So what if you put in a little money?"

"I'm telling you, the list has already been submitted. If you ruin this for everyone right now, your career at this company is finished. I will make sure of it."

I read every word, and my expression went completely flat.