Nora stood with her two colleagues in a spacious room that was being transformed into their private office. Their previous workspace had been too small for the three of them, so this time, Nora had taken over one of the rooms Xander occasionally used as his personal office.

Several luxurious items remained in the space, but Nora decided to keep them all. She didn't want Xander to have any reason to reclaim the room later.

She removed several photos displayed in the room and asked Marcus to move them to storage.

Marcus, ever reliable, handled the task effortlessly. He was the kind of colleague Nora could always count on for moving things, for support, for anything.

When he returned, his expression was serious. "Ms. Nora, we should be cautious. The Laurent family is here visiting Mr. Xander downstairs."

"We work for Mr. Xander. Whatever the Laurents say or do, we don't need to engage, Marcus."

"Understood."

The three of them continued focusing on decorating the room. They would be working here for a long time, possibly months, maybe even more than a year, given the company's dire condition.

Being paid five million dollars came with immense responsibility. Nora knew exactly who she served, and it wasn't the Laurent family.

By taking over this room, she was also testing how far Xander's patience would stretch.

They spent the rest of the day preparing the space, working well into the evening.

During a short break, Xander suddenly appeared at the door, looking every bit the powerful figure he was. It was hard to deny his presence. His face and physique seemed almost perfectly crafted.

Chloe and Marcus immediately stood when he entered.

"This place looks good," Xander remarked, leaning casually against Nora's desk. He picked up an old photograph she had displayed, a picture from her childhood.

Nora had half expected him to be angry about her taking over his personal space, but he showed no sign of irritation. She was almost disappointed her provocation had elicited so little reaction.

"Don't touch my things."

"I'm only here to remind you to be careful. Especially when it comes to Richard. He's a relative of the Laurents, my fiancee's family."

"I don't care who he's related to. I was hired to do a job, not to play politics. If I find someone in the wrong, I'll treat them as such."

Xander looked almost impressed. He gave a slow, mocking clap. "I hope you and your team won't turn into dogs who lick their master's boots. I have no use for people like that."

"I could earn far more than what you're paying me, Mr. Xander. I have no interest in dirty tactics."

"Of course. You're quite the compelling figure. You've only been here a short time, and already you're stirring things up, making unreasonable requests, keeping my staff on their toes."

Nora wasn't interested in his praise. She would do whatever was necessary, so long as it aligned with her duties and didn't compromise her principles. She wasn't afraid of opposition, not with her team beside her.

They continued talking in Nora's new office. Part of her had hoped Xander would be angry about her taking over his space, but he never even mentioned it.

Just then, the door opened. A beautiful woman walked in.

"What are you doing here, Isabelle?" Xander's tone made it clear her presence was unwelcome.

Nora smiled faintly. So this was Isabelle Laurent, Xander's fiancee.

How interesting that the woman who had sparked her curiosity was now standing in her office.

"This is your office, Xander. Why would I need permission?"

"This is my office, not Mr. Xander's," Nora corrected calmly.

Isabelle turned a cold gaze toward her. "What did you say?"

"What Nora said is true. This is her and her team's workspace now. She works here."

"You..."

While Xander spoke with Marcus, likely about the recent findings, Nora observed Isabelle. Marcus was sharp. No financial trickery escaped him. Once he uncovered something, the culprit had nowhere to hide.

"Would you mind leaving, Ms. Isabelle?"

"Don't play naive. You're just trying to impress Xander. Don't pretend, Ms. Nora. I can see what you're doing, trying to take him from me."

Nora crossed her arms, her expression cool and unyielding. "You've misunderstood, Ms. Isabelle. I was hired to clean up this company, not to warm Mr. Xander's bed. If I wanted him, wouldn't I already have him? What exactly do you have that I don't?"

"You..." Isabelle fumed, clearly caught off guard by Nora's boldness.

Nora had no intention of being intimidated in her own office. She glanced briefly at Xander, who met her gaze with an amused smile.

She knew then he was only marrying Isabelle out of obligation.

Isabelle's attempt to warn Nora away from Xander only amused her. Showing off in front of Isabelle felt satisfying. Nora had never been afraid of anyone.

After a tense exchange, Isabelle finally left without another word.

Xander continued his conversation with Marcus, and half an hour later, he too departed.

The three of them were finally able to head home.

On the late night drive back, Marcus broke the silence. "Ms. Nora, you should be careful around Isabelle. I have a feeling she'll use Xander to get to you."

"What do you mean?"

"Isabelle will get closer to Xander to harm you. Remember, Richard is part of this. They're a team, and they'll remove anyone who stands in their way."

Just then, Chloe's tablet chimed. "An email just came in."

Chloe handed the tablet to Nora. The message read: "Stop your investigation, Nora. Or you'll end up like your father."

A sudden headache pulsed behind Nora's temples. "Send a screenshot to Jinx. Tell her to trace the sender."