The next morning, Andrea left early without so much as a goodbye or thank you to Matthew. She made a quick stop at Becky’s place to borrow some clothes before heading straight to the office. Her heels clicked briskly against the pavement as she entered the company’s lobby, coffee in hand.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she sighed, already knowing who it was.
Becky’s name lit up the screen. "What now?" Andrea muttered under her breath, reluctantly answering.
“Andrea, have you given any thought to what your father said?” Becky’s overly sweet tone grated on her nerves—a tone Andrea had always despised.
“I told you already,” Andrea snapped, “I’m not marrying Sebastian. Not now, not ever. He’s a liar and a coward, and I refuse to spend the rest of my life with someone like him.”
“Come on, Andy,” Becky pleaded. “It’s not just about Sebastian. This is about the family, the company, your father—”
Andrea cut her off, her grip tightening on her phone. “Enough, Becky. I’m done hearing about what’s ‘best’ for everyone else. What about what’s best for me?”
Without waiting for a response, she ended the call and shoved the phone back into her bag. As she stepped into the elevator, she plastered on a confident smile. But the moment she reached her floor, that confidence crumbled.
Her office door was wide open, and inside sat a stranger—a young woman with sharp features and a smug expression.
Andrea blinked, thinking she must have walked into the wrong room. But the gold plaque on the door now read “Director’s Manager: Amanda Harper.”
The stranger looked up and smiled coolly. “Oh, you must be Andrea.”
Andrea’s brows shot up. “Excuse me? Who the hell are you, and what are you doing in my office?”
The woman stood, extending a hand Andrea didn’t take. “Amanda Harper. I’m the new Manager. Didn’t you get the memo?”
Andrea let out a dry laugh, her irritation boiling over. “Memo? I’m the Director’s Manager. This is my office. What kind of joke is this?”
Amanda’s smile didn’t falter. “You’ll have to take that up with Mr. Steel. He gave me this position yesterday.”
Andrea’s heart sank, but her anger refused to let her show any weakness. “We’ll see about that.” She pulled out her phone and dialed her father’s number, pacing the room.
The phone rang and rang, but he didn’t answer. Andrea clenched her jaw, fighting the urge to throw her phone against the wall.
“Something wrong?” Amanda asked, her tone dripping with fake concern.
Andrea shot her a glare before storming out of the office. She was halfway to the elevators, ready to drive straight to the family mansion, when Amanda’s voice stopped her.
“Wait.”
Andrea turned to see Amanda holding her phone, a satisfied smirk on her face. “I just called your father. He picked up immediately. Want to talk to him?”
Andrea’s blood boiled as Amanda put the call on speaker.
“Hello, Mr. Steel,” Amanda said sweetly. “Andrea is here, and she seems... confused.”
“Is that so?” her father’s voice came through the speaker, calm and calculated.
Andrea snatched the phone from Amanda and shouted into it. “What the hell is going on, Dad? Why is there some random woman in my office replacing me?”
There was silence on the other end, and for a moment, Andrea thought he’d hung up.
“Dad!” she barked, her frustration reaching its peak.
Finally, his voice returned, but it was cold and sharp. “Andrea, give Amanda the phone.”
“No!” she yelled. “You’re going to explain this to me right now!”
Her father sighed, and she could almost hear him pinching the bridge of his nose.
“Andrea, you know exactly what this is about. Do what I want, or you’ll lose everything.”
The weight of his words hit her like a punch to the gut. She swallowed hard, her voice trembling. “What do you want from me?”
“You know what I want,” he replied firmly. “Appear before the wedding so we can discuss the details, and make sure you’re there on the day itself. Marry Sebastian, and everything you’ve lost will be returned to you.”
Andrea’s knees felt weak, and she stumbled against the wall for support. “And if I don’t?”
“Then consider yourself disowned. Permanently.”
The finality in his tone sent chills down her spine.
The phone slipped from her hand and clattered to the floor.