I Built His Empire for 5 Years, But He Gave My Seat to His First LoveChapter 1
Three days before the company's annual New Year's Gala, I reviewed the final seating chart myself.
My eyes narrowed.
My seat had been reassigned to another woman.
Anna Pruitt.
The investor's niece who had parachuted into the company three months ago.
A suffocating pressure expanded in my chest, squeezing the air from my lungs. The seat beside Jonathan Gilbert wasn't just a chair—it was a symbol of status, a public declaration of our partnership. A promise he had once made to the entire company.
And now, he had given that place of honor to someone else.
Recent rumors whispered in the breakroom surfaced in my mind. Hushed tones about Jonathan and Anna. Loud. Ugly.
I summoned the gala coordinator immediately. "What is the meaning of this seating arrangement?"
He shifted his weight, unable to meet my gaze. "Mr. Gilbert... he made the adjustment personally."
Rage and disappointment twisted together in my gut. I crushed the paper in my fist and marched toward the CEO's office.
Some words needed to be said face-to-face.
Some decisions, perhaps, finally needed to be made.
——
The heavy oak doors swung open, and the scene before me halted my momentum.
Anna Pruitt was perched on the edge of Jonathan's mahogany desk, leaning in close. Their heads bowed over a document, an intimate warmth radiating between them that had nothing to do with business.
At the sound of the latch clicking, Jonathan looked up. The amusement in his eyes hadn't yet faded.
"Joanna? You're here?" Anna's voice was saccharine, dripping with a sweetness that made my teeth ache. "We were just discussing the gala's itinerary."
I ignored her. Walked straight to the desk. Slammed the crumpled seating chart down in front of him.
"My seat. Why is Anna Pruitt's name on it?"
Jonathan glanced at the paper, his expression unbothered. His fingers tapped a rhythmic beat on his leather armrest.
"Anna suggested that the seats flanking the founder should be reserved for key investors. It aligns better with business etiquette. Her uncle had a last-minute emergency, so she's attending as his proxy." He paused, as if explaining something obvious to a child. "You're the Administrative Director, Joanna. It's more appropriate for you to sit with the management team."
My gaze shifted to Anna.