When He Let Her Sit His Car, I Scrapped It

I had never worried about women circling my fiancé. Everyone in our world knew exactly who I was, and no one was foolish enough to cross me. Then I returned from 6 months of study abroad and saw a young woman sitting in Adrian Foster's passenger seat outside my own company. I didn't confront them. I simply told my secretary to invite Adrian and every member of his inner circle to dinner. A man who wouldn't behave was easy enough to discard. As for any woman who dared come after what was mine, even if she had only entertained the thought, I would make sure she never tried it again. ***** My secretary lowered her voice and glanced uneasily toward the private dining room. "Ms. Hart, seven of Mr. Foster's people are already here, but there's one more guest who wasn't on the list." "Who is it?" I slipped my phone into my purse and motioned for her to lead the way. "The woman who was in his passenger seat." I gave a quiet laugh but said nothing. I had expected as much. Seven or eight people sat along both sides of the long table. The moment I entered, every one of them rose in unison. Adrian sat at the head. He froze when he saw me, then automatically shifted one seat to the side. The woman beside him looked about 22. Her makeup was immaculate, though her clothes were deliberately understated. No one at the table dared make a sound, and the atmosphere became painfully tense. She alone seemed oblivious. She picked up Adrian's glass, took a sip, and pouted playfully at him. "Mr. Foster, are you skipping dinner again? No way. I'm going to make sure you eat." I remained in the doorway. At last, she noticed that something was wrong. She tilted her head at me, surveyed the silent room, then turned to Adrian. "Who is she? She arrived this late without even saying hello. Mr. Foster, does our company really have no standards?" When no one answered, she continued with an innocent yet self-righteous air. "Even if she's a board member, she should still have basic manners. Everyone has been waiting forever. You spoil people too much, Mr. Foster. No wonder no one can relax at a company dinner." Adrian's assistant went pale. Unable to bear it any longer, he tugged at her sleeve. "Ms. Lane, this is Valerie Hart. Ms. Hart is Mr. Foster's fiancée and the person who actually controls the group." The room stayed silent for several long seconds. Chloe Lane's hand stopped in midair, and the smile slowly vanished from her face. She put the glass down, but before Adrian could speak, she jumped in. "Oh, his fiancée. Then you should have come earlier. Everyone has been waiting for you." I took the seat at the head of the table and fixed my gaze on Adrian. "Your intern is quite something, Adrian." He finally looked at me, his expression cold. "She doesn't know any better. Don't stoop to her level." "When have I ever wasted my time on someone who doesn't know any better?" I turned a page of the menu. "Scrap that car when you get back and buy another one." His brows drew together at once. "What?" "Someone else sat in the passenger seat. I don't want it anymore." Chloe muttered something under her breath. I didn't catch it, and I had no need to. "One more thing." I closed the menu and looked directly at him. "Have Ms. Lane's termination paperwork completed by tomorrow. Contact every company we work with and make sure none of them ever hires her." Chloe's expression finally cracked. She jerked her head up. "What gives you the right?" "The fact that I'm Valerie Hart." Adrian's face darkened. He looked ready to argue, but in the end, he said nothing. Everyone else at the table quietly exhaled. I stood and patted Adrian on the shoulder. "Think carefully about why you have everything you do today." His voice followed me, anger tightly compressed beneath every word. "Valerie, do you always have to be so ruthless?" "Ruthless?" I opened the door, and a gust swept in from the hallway. "It seems you still don't know me well enough."