Frozen Flame

CHAPTER4

The fluorescent lights of Jaiyanna's office burned late into the evening as she meticulously reviewed her presentation slides for the tenth time. The Frost Group headquarters had emptied hours ago, leaving only the hum of servers and the occasional creak of the old building settling around her. She rubbed her tired eyes, the numbers on her screen blurring momentarily before snapping back into focus.

*Three days until the board presentation.*

A fresh cup of coffee sat cooling beside her, long forgotten in her concentration. Outside her glass-walled office, the cleaning staff moved silently through the darkened corridors, their carts rattling softly against the marble floors.

The first sign of trouble came on Tuesday morning.

Jaiyanna swiped her keycard at the marketing department's secured door, only to be met with an angry red light and a sharp *beep*. She tried again. Same result.

"That's odd," she muttered, turning the card over in her fingers. It had worked perfectly yesterday.

"Problem, Miss Carter?"

Lydia's voice came from directly behind her, making Jaiyanna startle. The secretary stood closer than necessary, her perfume—something expensive and floral—overpowering in the confined hallway space.

"My card's not working."

Lydia's perfectly shaped eyebrows arched. "How strange. I'll put in a request with security. It might take a few hours." She smiled, all teeth. "Corporate bureaucracy."

Jaiyanna watched Lydia's retreating back, the woman's heels clicking a precise rhythm down the hallway. *Too convenient.*

By Wednesday, the pattern became undeniable.

"Again?" Marie hissed as they stood over the wreckage of Jaiyanna's printed materials. The office printer had somehow mangled fifty copies of her presentation handouts, spewing out pages with garbled text and ink smears.

Jaiyanna picked up one of the ruined sheets, the paper still warm from the machine. "This wasn't an accident."

Marie lowered her voice. "You think—"

"Lydia? Absolutely." Jaiyanna tossed the paper back onto the pile. "She's been hovering around Ethan's office more than usual too."

"You think she's trying to poison him against you?"

"Or make me fail spectacularly in front of the board." Jaiyanna crossed her arms. "But seriously, what is her problem with me? What exactly does she have against me?"

Marie shook her head. "I wish I knew, because honestly, I really want to know too."

Jaiyanna checked her watch. "Speaking of which, I need to prep the conference room. See you later, Mai."

"Good luck," Marie called after her.

---

The tech team was already setting up when Jaiyanna arrived in the executive conference room. The space smelled of lemon polish and new electronics, the massive mahogany table gleaming under the recessed lighting.

"All systems ready for tomorrow?" she asked the technician running cables beneath the presentation podium.

He nodded without looking up. "Just running final checks on the projector array."

Jaiyanna stayed to oversee every detail personally. She tested each microphone, adjusted the lighting levels, and verified the slide transitions on the massive display wall. As she was fine-tuning the last animation sequence, a familiar silhouette appeared in the doorway.

"Working late, Miss Carter?" Lydia's voice dripped with false concern.

Jaiyanna didn't turn from the screen. "Just ensuring everything's perfect for tomorrow."

Lydia stepped further into the room, her reflection appearing ghostlike in the darkened windows. "How... diligent of you." The pause before "diligent" made it sound like an insult.

Finally turning, Jaiyanna met the other woman's gaze evenly. "I'm here to improve this company, not play office politics."

Lydia's smile didn't reach her cold blue eyes. "Then you're more naive than I thought." She turned to leave, then paused dramatically at the threshold. "Oh, I almost forgot—I rescheduled your meeting with accounting. They'll see you at 4:00 tomorrow instead."

Jaiyanna's stomach dropped. "But that's right before the board—"

"Ethan's orders." Lydia's smile widened. "Good luck."

The door clicked shut behind her, leaving Jaiyanna alone with the hum of electronics and her racing thoughts. The sabotage was escalating. She needed backup.

---

Daniel Frost's corner office was a study in controlled chaos—stacks of financial reports competed for space with framed family photos and an impressive collection of vintage fountain pens. The CFO looked up from his computer as Jaiyanna knocked on his open door.

"Daniel, got a minute?"

He immediately pushed back from his desk. "For the woman who's got my brother in a twist? Always."

Jaiyanna blinked. "What?"

Daniel chuckled, motioning for her to sit. "Never mind. What's up?"

She explained the strange occurrences—the keycard, the printer, now the rescheduled meeting. "I think someone's trying to sabotage my presentation."

Daniel's easygoing expression darkened. "That's serious. Have you told Ethan?"

"And sound paranoid right before the biggest meeting of my career?" Jaiyanna shook her head. "I just need someone to verify my files are secure on the servers."

Without another word, Daniel stood and led her down to the IT department. The fluorescent lights flickered ominously as they entered the server room, where a technician pulled up her files under Daniel's watchful eye.

"Everything looks intact," the tech confirmed after several tense minutes. "Last backup was twenty minutes ago."

Daniel handed Jaiyanna a sleek black flash drive. "Just in case. Keep an offline copy."

As they walked back through the maze of cubicles, Daniel hesitated. "You should know... Ethan's actually impressed with you."

Jaiyanna snorted. "Could've fooled me."

"No, really." Daniel lowered his voice. "He doesn't give first-year associates board presentations unless he thinks they can handle it." He smiled conspiratorially. "Just don't tell him I told you."

Jaiyanna stood frozen in the hallway, processing this revelation. The man who had seemed so cold, so dismissive—was actually impressed? A warm flush of pride spread through her chest, quickly followed by renewed determination.

---

Back at her desk, Jaiyanna reviewed her materials one last time by the glow of her desk lamp. The Frost Group tower was nearly empty at this hour, the city lights twinkling beyond her window. Tomorrow would make or break her career here.

As she packed up her things, she realized with startling clarity that she cared about more than just proving herself—she wanted to prove herself *to him*. To earn that hard-won respect she now knew existed beneath Ethan Frost's icy exterior.

The thought unsettled her more than any of Lydia's games. It made everything feel dangerously personal.

She slipped the flash drive into her blazer pocket, her fingers brushing against the smooth metal like a talisman. Whatever tomorrow brought, she would be ready.