I Sleep To Earn, I Rejected His All-Nighter

Chapter 4 The Breaking Point

At one in the morning, my pocket watch was shattered by Jenny.

Everything unfolded in an instant.

While I was working on the twentieth page, Liam suddenly pounded on the door, announcing that the pre-sale data was beginning to plummet.

Several clients who were set to sign contracts the next day sent three urgent emails within thirty minutes, demanding a review of the terms.

The finance department chimed in as well. The payment process that had been in line was abruptly flagged for risk assessment by the bank.

Even the legal department was in turmoil. Two contracts that were due for signing tomorrow suddenly had the opposing lawyer insisting on a new meeting.

One issue could be labeled a coincidence. But when three crises struck simultaneously, the laughter in the conference room came to a grinding halt.

Jenny's face flickered with concern for a moment, but she quickly masked it. "It's completely normal for clients to hesitate before an IPO. Don't try to intimidate me with this."

Liam yelled from outside. "This isn't hesitation. It's a complete withdrawal of interest! And you still won't let Scarlett get some sleep?"

Jenny clenched her jaw and turned to me, as if she had finally hit her breaking point. "You all orbit around her. Today, I genuinely want to see what she's really made of."

With that, she instructed the admin to bring back everything that had been taken from my break room.

The eye mask, the aroma diffuser, the sleep lamp, the custom pillow, and the small box I always kept by my bedside.

I spotted the box, and an immediate tension coursed through me. "Don't touch that."

Jenny had already lifted it. "What's this?"

"Give it back to me." I pushed myself up from the table, feeling slightly unsteady on my feet. "That doesn't belong to the company."

She shot me a look, then smirked. "Seems like this means a lot to you."

In an instant, she opened the box in front of everyone. Inside was my old pocket watch, resting quietly, its edges smoothed from years of use.

That watch had been handed down from my grandmother. I needed to hold it every night before I slept, listening to the gentle ticking to soothe my anxious heart.

Even Mary wouldn't dare to mishandle it.

My breath hitched as I reached out to snatch it back. "Jenny, give it to me!"

She pulled back, her finger curling possessively around the chain. "It's just an old watch. Is it really that important?"

"Please, give it back!"

Mary was banging on the door outside, her voice already strained from crying. "That's her grandmother's keepsake! Don't you dare touch it!"

Jenny seemed to revel in the moment, letting out a laugh. "So it's a keepsake, huh?"

She flipped the watch over in her hands. "Scarlett, people like you are all about theatrics. You cling to your keepsake during the day to get some rest. At night, you drag the whole company into your drama. Do you honestly think you're that special?"

I fixed my gaze on the watch in her grip, my eyes welling up. "Put it down."

"And what if I decide not to?"

The moment she finished her sentence, she pressed down with her finger. A sharp c***k echoed through the room as the back of the pocket watch shattered, sending the delicate hands flying and rolling across the floor.

My mind spun. I crouched down to retrieve the tiny hand, my fingers trembling so violently that I didn't even notice the blood trickling from my fingertip where I had pricked myself.

Outside, Mary was sobbing and yelling at her, while Liam shouted for security to open the door. Yet, it felt like the conference room was encased in a bubble, with all sounds muted and distant.

Jenny observed me on the floor, a slight frown creasing her brow, and she seemed almost annoyed. "It's just an old piece of junk. If it's broken, I'll compensate you for it."

I slowly raised my head, my throat constricted, making it hard to speak. "You'll regret this."

She chuckled. "The only thing I regret is not getting rid of a nuisance like you sooner."

The clock on the wall ticked to one twenty-seven, and I realized I had missed my sleep window by more than four hours.

Finally, the final draft of the roadshow presentation was complete. Jenny flipped through two pages, appearing satisfied, and then sent it off to the executive group.

In the next instant, Liam pounded on the door from outside. "Jenny, the investment bank just called! The final version you sent contains serious misrepresentations. The exchange wants an explanation right away!"

Everyone in the conference room froze. The cold expression on Jenny's face finally shattered.

Before she could respond, the market window in the upper right corner of the projection screen suddenly flickered to life.

"Starlight Waves Is Temporarily Suspended for Review Before Opening"

The new employees standing behind Jenny turned ashen.

Someone murmured, "Is it really halted?"

Jenny spun around. "Shut up!"

But her voice wavered.

In the next moment, the large screen in the conference room lit up. The secretary, Harper, connected via video call.

The scene shifted to a ward. Mr. Scott lay there with an oxygen mask, his complexion pale, but his eyes burned with intensity.

When he first spotted me, the color drained from his face. "Why is Scarlett still up?"