Chapter 363

Sophia Montgomery hastily grabbed a pair of woolen slacks from the office storage to wear in the bitter winter chill—a temporary solution.

The trousers she wore today were dangerously thin.

If she had sat on that sabotaged chair instead, the splintered wood might have pierced straight through her.

"Sophia!" The HR manager's voice was sharp with accusation outside the emergency room. "How could a new employee be so vicious? This is criminal assault!"

Sophia's response was calm. "I've only been here two days. Where would I get a chair like that?"

The manager's lips thinned.

After a tense silence, he snapped, "Witnesses say you switched chairs with Miss Olivia."

"Really?" Sophia arched a brow. "From where? My own desk? So you're admitting the company gave me a death trap as a welcome gift?"

The manager's face darkened.

Sophia's smile was icy. "Or perhaps you'd like to explain to the police why your office furniture is lethal?"

The manager's jaw clenched. "What really happened?"

"Check the security footage," Sophia said, turning on her heel.

She returned to her desk, ignoring the stunned whispers. The office had gone silent, tension thick enough to slice.

Finally, Elizabeth Dawson—Linda—approached with false bravado. "Well, well. The new girl's got claws. Framing Olivia Kensington? Bold move."

"Jealous?" Sophia didn't look up from her work.

Linda stiffened. "Excuse me?"

Sophia met her gaze. "You all watched Olivia switch my chair. You hoped to see me impaled. Now you're furious your little spectacle backfired."

Linda's face flushed. "That's—that's slander!"

"Slander requires falsehoods." Sophia shrugged. "The cameras don't lie."

The room collectively held its breath. They'd forgotten about evidence. Forgotten about consequences.

Linda's voice wavered. "What do you want?"

Sophia exhaled. "To work. Nothing more."

Harborview City had always been a battlefield for her. She'd learned at twelve that survival meant choosing her fights. Today, she just wanted to keep her job.

The afternoon passed in uneasy quiet. Sophia proofread Linda's design drafts with meticulous care.

"Can you even read blueprints?" Linda sneered when Sophia asked a question.

Sophia kept her tone even. "I can."

Linda's laugh was brittle. "Combat skills don't equal competence. Though I suppose scheming takes creativity."

Sophia's pen paused. "I'm checking for labeling errors. Not redesigning your work."

"Better not." Linda jabbed a finger at her. "Those files are archived. Tamper with them, and you're finished."

Sophia almost smiled. "The entire office heard you. And these are hard copies. How exactly would I alter them?"

By day's end, she'd found no mistakes. As she returned the files, the design director stormed in.

"Sophia!" His glare could have melted steel. "Two days in, and you're already causing chaos?"

Sophia stood her ground. "I've done nothing unrelated to my job."

The director turned to Linda. "You were supposed to train her."

Linda's smile was venomous. "Oh, I tried. But how could I compete with her... charms? Mr. Montgomery noticed her instantly. And we all know how Olivia feels about rivals."

Sophia's voice cut like glass. "Accusations require evidence, Miss Dawson. Or would you prefer a lawsuit?"

The room froze.

For the first time, Linda hesitated.

Sophia Montgomery wasn't just another target.

She was a storm.

And Harborview City wasn't ready.