Selena was livid. Hearing the security guards speak so openly and disrespectfully about her sent her into a frenzy. Grabbing at her own hair, her face twisted in
rage, she charged at the nearest guard.
Startled, the guard reflexively kicked out. His footnded squarely in her stomach, sending her tumbling down the staircase.
One of the other guards couldn''t help but quip, "Well, that''s one way to get downstairs fast. Talk about efficiency!"
The guard who kicked Selena froze, his face pale with panic. What if this crazy woman actually fell and ended up dead? If she ended up dead, it would be manughter. He''d go to prison for sure.
Then, from below, Selena''s furious screams echoed back, full of venom and vigor, "You bastard! I''ll kill you!"
The guard let out a huge sigh of relief, knowing she was fine. Anyone screaming like that wasn''t dying anytime soon.
He turned to his colleagues. "Make sure she doesn''t get near the elevators."
"Got it," another guard confirmed.
Selena hadnded on thending of the staircase, her twisted body hidden from view by the corner. As she sat up, her face contorted with anger, she looked ready to explode.
Just then, her phone rang. She nced at the screen-it was Diana, her mother. "Hello?" Selena answered, her tone sharp.
"Selena, get to the hospital right now," Diana said urgently. "Hurry, immediately!"
Before Selena could ask why, Diana hung up.
Fuming, Selena cursed under her breath about Diana. Diana wasted years fawning over Natalie, that fake heiress of the Langleys, and now she''s back in the hospital again. Useless, always dragging everyone down.
Diana followed up with a text message. "Selena, no matter how you feel about her, you need to show up. Just put on a good front. I will help you get justiceter if you have any grievances."
Selena deleted the message and got to her feet, limping toward the elevators.
But before she could step inside, the guards blocked her path.
"Ms. Langley, please use the stairs," one of them said firmly.
"Move," she barked, ring. "Who does Kevin think he is? What gives him the right to bar me from the elevator?"
The guard smiled faintly and replied, "Kevin is a shareholder of Langley Group. May I ask what your role is here?"
Word had already spread throughout the building about Selena''s antics, and her reputation was tatters. Even the personnel Natalie had left behind to handle a critical project had resigned en masse after dealing with her unreasonable demands.
Oddly, the second time they decided to leave, Natalie hadn''t stopped them.
The security team, having aligned themselves with Kevin, had decided that standing against Selena was worth the risk. After all, they''d soon be out of jobs anyway, so why not leave with some dignity-and a good rmendation from Kevin?
One of the guards didn''t hold back. "Ms. Langley, if I may say so, youck the manners and poise expected of an heiress. You''re nothing like ady. Even the female employees here carry themselves better than you do."
He crossed his arms and added, "With all the money the Langleys have, why didn''t they send you to finish school? Or is it that Mrs. Langley didn''t want to spend the money?
"If she won''t invest in your education, maybe she could''ve at least taught you herself. Like they say, parents are to me if the child misbehaves. Well, she should take a long, hard look at herself."
"Shut up!" Selena''s chest heaved with anger. Her re was venomous, as though she could kill the guards with her stare alone. "You worthless dogs, just you wait!"
Spitting out her threats, Selena turned and stomped toward the staircase.
At everynding, she was met with two more guards stationed to ensure she didn''t use the elevator. Their disdainful stares made it clear they had no respect for her.
Limping down the stairs, Selena silently cursed Natalie with every step.
While lounging on the beach with Walter at Silver Beach Coach in Dithoria State, sipping sodas and chatting, Natalie suddenly sneezed several times in a row.
Walter handed her a tissue, his brow furrowed. "Are you catching a cold?"
"No," Natalie said, rubbing her nose. "Ugh, must be the dust."
She nced at her phone. "While we were chatting, Kevin sent me an update about the situation back in Amberton."
"Oh? What''s going on now?" Walter asked, intrigued.
"Well, Yvonne is resigning, and it looks like a lot of other
3
employees both executives and staff-are following suit." Natalie held up her phone with a smirk "Kevin has officially reached his limit with Selena. He said he''s done covering for Grace and Victor."
"You''re going to be busy soon," Natalie added, her smile turning mischievous. "A
lot of Langley employees will probablye to you and the firm to negotiate severance packages."
Walter sighed. "Should I help them or not?"
Natalie didn''t hesitate as she said, "Help them. When I was at Langley Group, everyone worked hard to support me, even though most of the work I did was behind the scenes."
Natalie had always believed in giving credit where it was due. Whether it was a deal she closed or a problem she solved, she made sure everyone involved received recognition and rewards.
"Alright," Walter said with a nod. "If theye to me, I''ll help."
Just as he agreed, his phone buzzed. He nced at the screen and saw Yvonne''s name.
"It''s Yvonne," he said.
"Go ahead and take it," Natalie said, slipping off her sandals. She walked barefoot across the soft sand, leaving Walter to his call.
As she strolled along the beach, she noticed amercial shoot taking ce nearby. A closer look revealed the star Celeste Kennedy, the current "it" girl.
Celeste''s striking features-bold,
morous, and meticulously
polished stood out even from a distance. Dressed in a ck pear gown with vibrant red lipstick and her hair flowing, she exudedo confidence.
Her high heels dangled from one hand while her bare foot rested provocatively
against the chest of her co-star, radiating a fierce energy.