(Sophia’s POV)
I sat at my new desk, staring at the sleek black laptop in front of me. The reality of where I was had finally settled in. This wasn’t how I had envisioned stepping into the corporate world—not through an internship that's not by merit, but by Nicholas Hidalgo’s direct appointment. The weight of everyone’s expectations—and doubts—pressed against me like a vice.
The whispers had already begun. Employees stealing glances, eyes filled with curiosity, skepticism, and, in some cases, hostility. I could feel it in the way they passed by my office, their hushed conversations stopping the moment I turned their way. I had bypassed the normal process, and that alone made me a target.
A knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts. Celeste, Nicholas’s assistant, stood there, lookin
