Chapter 7: Stay Out of It
466 Words
(Veronica’s POV)
Veronica walked back to her desk, her mind replaying the conversation with HR.
Three months. Two months. One week.
That’s how long the last assistants lasted. And now, it was her turn.
She let out a slow breath, rolling her shoulders. It didn’t matter.
She wasn’t here to make friends. She wasn’t here to fight a war with the Blackwood family.
She just needed this damn job.
If they wanted to play their little games, fine. She wouldn’t waste energy trying to outthink them. She would keep her head down, do her work, and stay out of it.
Simple.
Or so she thought.
The Problems Start
The next morning, her email wasn’t working.
She tried logging in three times. Wrong password.
She frowned. That’s weird. She had used the same password just yesterday.
A notification popped up: “Your account has been locked due to multiple failed login attempts. Please contact IT.”
Veronica inhaled sharply, closing her laptop. Fine.
She grabbed her phone to check the company’s internal chat system. Maybe Ethan had sent her a task.
Access denied.
Her jaw tightened.
Was this a coincidence? Or was someone already trying to push her out?
No. She refused to care.
She turned on her heels and walked straight to IT.
“Fix it,” she said, handing them her laptop.
The technician gave her a sheepish smile. “Oh, uh… yeah. We got a request yesterday to reset your access. You’ll need manager approval to get back in.”
Veronica’s patience was wearing thin.
“Who sent the request?”
The technician hesitated.
“I—uh… I can’t say.”
Of course. Of course.
She pressed her lips together, inhaled deeply, then said in the calmest voice she could manage—
“Then get Mr. Blackwood’s approval. Now.”
Ethan’s Indifference
Twenty minutes later, she was standing in Ethan’s office.
“Your assistant access was revoked?” Ethan repeated, barely glancing up from his laptop.
Veronica crossed her arms. “Yes.”
“And?”
Her patience snapped.
“And I need you to fix it, unless you prefer your schedule falling apart.”
Ethan finally looked at her, gray eyes cool and unreadable.
Then, with a sigh, he picked up his phone and made one call.
“Restore her access. Now.”
A beat of silence. Then he hung up.
“It’s done.”
Veronica didn’t say thank you. She just nodded and turned to leave.
But before she could step out, Ethan spoke again—
“Miss St. James.”
She paused, glancing over her shoulder.
“You’re not the first. You won’t be the last. Don’t get comfortable.”
Veronica met his gaze, unfazed.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Blackwood. I don’t plan to.”
And with that, she left.
- Writer
