The Administrative Assistant

Chapter 1 The Stolen Spotlight

Condensation ran down my champagne flute and dampened my fingers. Onstage, Julian Vance had one arm around his new intern, Chloe Davis, while the spotlights washed them both in gold.

My fiancé lifted his glass. “This victory, this dream made real, came from one brilliant new perspective. Chloe, this is your moment.”

The ballroom applauded. I set my glass down before it slipped.

I had spent ninety-three sleepless nights on what they were applauding. I wrote the code, planned the strategy, and ran the market analyses.

I also built the only complete architectural blueprint for Aegis. That last piece still existed only inside my head.

Julian had carried my work onto the stage. I stayed at the back of the ballroom, where we had agreed I belonged until the company was secure.

Chloe leaned against him and smiled for the cameras. Her dress had cost more than my first car.

When she turned her head, I caught the jasmine perfume I had smelled on Julian’s collars for the past month.

During the ceremonial cake cutting, I picked up my tablet. The quarterly projections were due, and a server-side vulnerability still needed Julian’s sign-off before morning.

The live vulnerability sat on my tablet, waiting for his approval before morning.

“Julian, I need a second.”

He stepped sideways and blocked the investors’ view of me. He had used that move a hundred times, guiding me out of photographs or behind a taller guest. I stepped where he expected.

Mr. Harrison glanced around Julian’s shoulder. The silver-haired investor nodded toward my tablet. “Is this young lady part of the core team?”

Julian kept his smile in place. “Her? She’s an administrative assistant. Keeps the schedules straight.”

Just an assistant.

Three years of code, forecasts, and market analysis became meeting reminders in one sentence. Mr. Harrison gave me a courteous nod and went back to discussing the launch. I locked the tablet screen.

The edge of the tablet dug into my palm. My name appeared on none of the presentation slides, and the one man who could correct Mr. Harrison had already turned his back.

A few minutes later, Julian caught me in the marble corridor outside the restrooms. Champagne and jasmine clung to his jacket. His fingers closed hard around my upper arm.

“What was that, Harper? Were you trying to steal Chloe’s spotlight?” He leaned close. “You know why we keep your involvement quiet. People would call it nepotism.”

He had given me that answer for three years. I used to hear *our future* whenever he said it. Tonight, he checked over my shoulder to make sure no investor could see us together.

Every success had earned me another month out of sight. Not tonight.

“I understand, Mr. Vance.” I pulled my arm out of his grip. “I’m going to your office for my personal laptop. I won’t need it here again.”

His brows drew together, but someone called his name from the ballroom. I left him to choose the audience.

The oak door to his penthouse office stood slightly open. I reached for it, already planning what would fit in my laptop bag.

A woman moaned inside. Then Chloe giggled.