Elease pushed through the revolving glass doors of Walton Group.

The massive lobby was chaotic. The noise level was deafening, and there were twice as many security guards patrolling the marble floors as usual.

She started walking toward the elevator banks when her coworker, Penny, grabbed her arm.

Penny leaned in, her eyes wide with excitement, and lowered her voice. "Did you hear? The major shareholder's daughter is taking over as CEO today."

Penny pointed toward the massive floral arrangements being set up in the center of the lobby.

Veronica, another coworker known for her snobbery, slid over to them. She crossed her arms and smirked.

"She's not just an Ivy League socialite," Veronica said, her tone dripping with envy. "She's Brogan's first love."

The words 'Brogan's first love' hit Elease like a physical blow to the stomach.

An invisible hand clamped down on her heart. Her lungs stopped working for a full second.

Elease forced her facial muscles to stay relaxed. She stretched her lips into a casual smile.

"Really? What's her name?" Elease asked, though her voice trembled slightly at the edges.

Veronica rolled her eyes dramatically. "Kori Barnett."

The name reeked of old money and generational wealth.

A wave of severe dizziness washed over Elease. The lobby spun. She needed to get out of there immediately.

But the elevator chimed, and the doors slid open. The crowd of employees surged forward, physically pushing Elease into the metal box.

Inside the packed elevator, the gossip continued. Penny and Veronica loudly discussed Kori's flawless resume and her time in Europe. Every single word was a needle piercing Elease's eardrums.

Elease stared blankly at the digital floor numbers ticking upward. She pressed her hand against her chest, fighting the suffocating tightness, repeating a mantra in her head: Just hand in the resignation letter. Just leave.

The elevator reached the administrative floor.

Elease practically ran to her cubicle. She just needed to grab her personal mug and head straight to Julian's office.

She had barely pulled her drawer open when Julian Proctor, her direct supervisor, marched out of his glass office clapping his hands loudly.

"Everyone downstairs! Now! We are lining up in the lobby to welcome the new CEO," Julian barked.

Elease walked up to him. "Julian, I'm not feeling well. I need to take a sick-"

"Absolutely not," Julian cut her off harshly. "New leadership means perfect attendance. Get downstairs, Elease."

Left with no choice, Elease was herded back into the elevator with the rest of the department.

Down in the lobby, she was shoved into the second row of the massive welcoming committee. Her heart hammered against her ribs, the psychosomatic pain radiating down her arm as the trauma of her fabricated genetic illness flared under the extreme stress.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted on the street outside the glass walls. Three black Range Rovers pulled up, flanking a massive, extended Rolls-Royce.

Elease stood in the crowd. The lack of oxygen from her failing heart was making her vision go dark at the edges. She leaned her shoulder against a cold Roman pillar to keep from collapsing.

The door of the Rolls-Royce was pulled open by a bodyguard.

A pair of legs wearing limited-edition Christian Louboutin red-bottom heels stepped out onto the pavement.

Then, Kori Barnett emerged. She was wearing a custom white trench coat, looking effortlessly elegant as camera flashes erupted around her.

Elease peered through the gap between her coworkers' shoulders.

In the next second, a physical shockwave ripped through Elease's nervous system. Her entire body froze solid.

Stepping out of the car right behind Kori, wearing a bespoke suit and a gentle, protective expression, was Brogan Walton.

Brogan naturally placed his hand on the small of Kori's back, shielding her from the aggressive paparazzi. It was a tender, fiercely protective gesture Elease had never, ever received from him.

The employees around Elease gasped in awe, whispering about how perfect the golden couple looked together.

Elease's eyes were locked onto Kori's face. As the couple walked closer, the horrifying truth poured over Elease like a bucket of ice water.

Kori's eyes, the slope of her nose, even the exact curve of her smile-they were a terrifying, identical match to Elease's own face.

Five years of bizarre, controlling rules suddenly clicked into place in Elease's brain. Brogan forcing her to dye her hair that specific shade of chestnut. Brogan forbidding her from wearing heavy makeup.

A violent, tearing agony exploded in Elease's chest. She bit down on her lip so hard that the metallic taste of fresh blood flooded her mouth.

She wasn't a Cinderella. She was never loved. She was just a cheap, easily replaceable stand-in for the woman he actually wanted.

Brogan and Kori walked through the lobby doors, surrounded by executives.

Brogan's sharp gaze swept over the crowd. For a fraction of a second, his eyes seemed to pause near Elease's section.

A split second before their eyes met, Elease ducked her head down, completely hiding herself behind the broad back of a male coworker.

The sharp clicking of Kori's red bottoms faded as they walked toward the VIP elevators.

The moment the private elevator chimed, Elease's legs gave out. She turned and sprinted toward the ground floor restrooms, desperate to escape the nightmare.

Elease slammed into the heavy wooden door of the ground-floor executive restroom.

She rushed into the furthest stall, dropped to her knees, and gripped the edges of the porcelain toilet bowl. Her stomach violently convulsed, but there was nothing to throw up. She dry-heaved, her throat burning with stomach acid.

Her hand shook uncontrollably as she reached up and slammed the flush button. The loud rush of water barely masked the desperate, broken sob tearing out of her throat.

The pain in her heart was catastrophic. It felt like a serrated knife twisting between her ribs. She pressed her forehead against the cold metal partition, cold sweat soaking through the back of her silk blouse.

Suddenly, the main door to the restroom swung open.

The sharp, rhythmic clicking of stilettos echoed against the tiles, accompanied by the overwhelming scent of Chanel No. 5.

Elease instantly stopped breathing. Pure panic and the last shreds of her dignity made her reach up and slide the deadbolt on the stall door locked. She didn't make a single sound.

Outside, Kori was complaining loudly into her phone.

"Brogan was being entirely too rigid with the press just now. He needs to relax," Kori whined, her tone dripping with the spoiled entitlement of someone who knew she was adored.

Elease sat on the floor, her back pressed hard against the door. Listening to that voice-a voice so similar to her own, yet so full of confidence-made Elease dig her fingernails directly into her own palms.

Kori hung up the phone. She walked over to the marble vanity. The faucet turned on, water splashing loudly.

Elease looked down at her watch. Her heart was beating in a terrifying, erratic rhythm. If she didn't get out of this stall and take her medication right now, she was going to go into cardiac arrest on the bathroom floor.

She took a slow, agonizing breath, forcing the emotional breakdown into a tight box in her mind.

Elease reached up, unlocked the door, and pushed it open. She walked over to the sink on the far side of the vanity.

Kori was leaning toward the mirror, applying lipstick. She caught Elease's movement in the reflection and paused.

Kori turned her head. She openly looked Elease up and down, her eyes filled with a condescending, aristocratic judgment.

Elease forced herself to meet that gaze. She kept her face completely blank and professional. She turned on the water and began washing her hands.

Kori let out a soft, mocking laugh.

"Your makeup is far too heavy for a corporate environment. It looks cheap," Kori critiqued, her voice laced with poison.

Elease turned off the faucet. She pulled a paper towel from the dispenser and dried her hands.

"This is my personal style. You don't need to worry about it," Elease replied coldly.

Kori's face darkened. Having her authority challenged on her first day was unacceptable. She narrowed her eyes, glaring at Elease.

Kori's eyes dropped to the Walton Group employee badge clipped to Elease's skirt. A malicious smile curled her lips. She slipped right into her role as the supreme boss.

"Go to the independent cafe on the corner of 5th. Get me a hand-crafted double espresso. Bring it up to the CEO suite immediately," Kori ordered.

Elease wanted to tell her to go to hell. But a sharp spasm in her chest warned her that her heart couldn't handle a screaming match right now. She needed to get outside to take her pills.

Elease kept her face expressionless. She gave a stiff nod, threw the crumpled paper towel into the trash, and walked out of the restroom with long, fast strides.

The moment she pushed through the lobby doors and hit the cold street, Elease ducked into a blind alleyway out of sight of the security cameras.

Her hands were shaking so violently she dropped the pill bottle twice before getting three pills into her mouth. She swallowed them dry.

She leaned against the rough brick wall, staring at the cafe down the street. The humiliation was a physical weight crushing her throat.

But Julian had her PTO approval. She needed that money. She had to swallow her pride for one more hour.

Elease walked into the cafe and bought the espresso.

Holding the scalding paper cup, Elease stepped into the executive elevator. As the car shot up to the top floor, the deadness inside her solidified into ice.

The elevator doors opened to the CEO suite. The thick, plush carpet absorbed the sound of her heels entirely. The hallway was dead silent.

Elease walked up to the heavy mahogany double doors. They were cracked open just an inch.

She raised her hand to knock, but her eyes caught the movement inside.

Kori was sitting sideways on Brogan's lap. Her arms were wrapped tightly around his neck. Brogan had his head buried in the crook of Kori's neck, kissing her skin deeply.

Elease's hand jerked.

Scalding hot espresso sloshed out of the lid, splashing directly onto the back of her hand. The skin instantly turned angry red, but Elease didn't feel the burn. Her nerve endings were completely numb.

Brogan sensed something. His head snapped up, and his predatory gaze shot straight through the crack in the door, locking onto Elease.

Elease didn't flinch. She didn't look away.

She stared back at Brogan with the dead, freezing eyes of a stranger for one full second.

Then, she turned her hand over and dropped the full cup of coffee straight into the hallway trash can.

The heavy paper cup hit the bottom of the metal trash can with a dull thud.

Elease didn't pause for a single second. She turned on her heel and walked away, her strides long and purposeful as she headed straight for the elevator at the end of the hall.

Inside the office, Brogan violently pushed Kori off his lap. He stood up so fast his chair hit the wall. He strode to the door and yanked it open, but the hallway was already completely empty.

In the descending elevator, Elease stared down at the angry red burn blistering on the back of her hand. She pulled a tissue from her pocket and wiped the spilled coffee off her skin, rubbing so hard it felt like she was trying to scrub away the disgusting image she had just witnessed.

The elevator doors opened on the Human Resources floor.

Elease walked with absolute authority. She didn't knock. She pushed open the glass door to Julian's office and marched right in.

Julian was leaning back in his chair, talking on his headset. He jumped when the door slammed against the wall. He frowned deeply, covering the microphone with his hand, and aggressively shooed her away.

Elease ignored him. She slammed her resignation letter down onto the center of his desk. The smack of paper against wood was loud as a gunshot.

Julian hastily ripped his headset off. He glanced at the letter, his face turning red with anger.

"Absolutely not. I told you, all personnel changes are frozen during the CEO transition," Julian snapped, sliding the paper back toward her.

Elease planted both hands flat on his desk. She leaned forward, invading his space.

"I have four months of accumulated PTO. I am taking it starting right now," Elease stated, her voice cold and absolute.

She pulled out her phone, opened the Walton HR portal, and tapped the screen.

"I just submitted the mandatory leave request. This isn't a negotiation, Julian. It's a notification," Elease said, staring dead into his eyes.

Julian slammed his fist on the desk.

"If you walk out that door, I will have legal slap you with a massive breach of contract lawsuit. You'll be ruined!" he threatened, his spit flying.

Hearing the word 'ruined', Elease actually laughed. The sound was harsh and entirely devoid of humor.

She was suffering. Her heart felt like it was rotting in her chest from the endless psychological torment. Did he really think she gave a damn about bankruptcy?

Elease reached up and unclipped her Walton Group employee badge. She pulled her desk key off her keychain. She threw both items directly at Julian's chest.

She turned around and walked out of the office.

The entire bullpen of HR employees was staring at her in stunned silence. Elease ignored them all. She kept her chin high and walked straight toward the exit.

"Elease! Get back here!" Julian screamed from his doorway.

Elease didn't even turn her head.

She pushed through the heavy glass doors of the Walton Group building and stepped out onto the sidewalk. The midday New York sun hit her face, blindingly bright. For the first time in five years, she felt a strange, intoxicating rush of freedom.

She took a deep breath of the exhaust-filled city air. She pulled out her phone and permanently blocked Brogan and Nolan's numbers.

She put her phone away and stepped off the curb to cross the street toward the subway.

Suddenly, the roar of a massive engine tore through the street. A matte black Mercedes G63 swerved toward the curb and slammed on its brakes, stopping less than two feet from Elease's legs.

Elease gasped, stumbling backward. Her heart gave a painful, erratic thump as adrenaline flooded her system. She stared at the aggressive, military-grade vehicle in shock.

The heavy driver's side door swung open.

Antwan Stanton stepped out. He was a notorious fringe member of the Stanton family, a ruthless playboy who despised Brogan and made it his life's mission to humiliate the Walton patriarch by claiming his discarded territories-and his discarded women. A predatory, arrogant smirk was plastered across his face.

Antwan ignored the honking traffic behind him. He walked straight up to Elease, using his massive height to completely trap her in his shadow.

"Elease," Antwan purred, his voice thick with amusement. "Congratulations on finally getting thrown out by that hypocritical dog, Brogan."

Elease's stomach churned with disgust. She didn't want to deal with this psycho. She stepped to the side, trying to walk around him.

Antwan's hand shot out. His large fingers wrapped around her wrist like a steel vice, squeezing so hard the bones in her arm ground together.

"Let go of me!" Elease cried out, the physical pain shooting up her arm. She yanked her arm, but he didn't budge. "Let go, or I'm screaming for the cops!"

Instead of letting go, Antwan yanked her forward. He slammed her body hard against the side of his G63.

He leaned down, his mouth hovering inches from her ear. He whispered something so graphically vile and degrading that Elease's blood ran cold.

A wave of pure nausea hit her. Elease raised her free hand and swung it as hard as she could toward his face.

Antwan easily caught her wrist mid-air, though the force of her struggle made him stumble slightly. He pressed his body weight fully against hers, pinning her against the hot metal of the car. The overwhelming smell of expensive cigars and aggressive male pheromones made Elease choke.

Panic seized her chest. Her heart started to palpitate wildly.

Just as Elease thought she was going to pass out from the lack of oxygen, she looked over Antwan's broad shoulder.

Parked on the opposite side of the street, idling silently, was a familiar black Maybach.