The conference room fell into a dead silence. The request to withdraw from “Project Sunburst,” the most ambitious project of the year and the crown jewel of Sterling Enterprises, was tantamount to a declaration of war.

Sebastian narrowed his eyes. The air around him turned icy. He knew perfectly well that without my management, that project would collapse in less than a week.

“Valerie, sit down,” he ordered in a voice that brooked no argument. It was the tone he used to break his rivals at the negotiating table. “This is neither the time nor the place for your outbursts.”

Isabelle, feigning concern, clung to Sebastian’s arm.

“Oh, Valerie, is this because of me? I didn’t mean to offend you. If the workload is too much for you now that I’m your boss, I completely understand. Sebastian, maybe you should let her rest.”

I ignored Isabelle. I kept my gaze fixed on Sebastian, holding that silent duel we had shared so many times in private, but which now felt like the collision of two icebergs.

“It’s not an outburst, Sebastian. It’s a professional decision,” I said, placing a white envelope on the table, right in front of him. “Here is my formal resignation. Effective immediately.”

Murmurs of shock rippled through the room. Sebastian stood up slowly, his imposing figure casting a shadow over all of us. He took the envelope but didn’t open it. Instead, he crushed it into a tight ball of paper.

“My office. Now,” he decreed, walking out of the room without looking back.

When I walked into his office, his back was turned to me, looking out at the city skyline through the massive floor-to-ceiling window.

“Do you think you can walk away that easily?” he asked without turning around. “I’ve given you everything, Valerie. I pulled you out of the mud, I polished you, I made you what you are. You belong to me.”

“My effort, my time, and my loyalty belonged to me. But you put a price tag on them yourself this morning,” I replied, feeling a strange lightness in my chest. “You told me to ‘know my place.’ Well, my place isn’t in the shadow of a ‘naive’ heiress, nor in the bed of a man who sees me as an emotional asset.”

Sebastian turned sharply, closing the distance between us in two strides. He cornered me against the door, his breath brushing my ear.

“You are not going to Apex Technologies. I spoke with their CEO ten minutes ago. I suggested to them that hiring you would be… problematic for their relationship with Sterling Enterprises. You have nowhere to go, Valerie. Stay, apologize, and I might just give you the project back.”

I let out a bitter laugh that threw him off.

“Always so predictable, Sebastian. That’s why I didn’t accept the offer from Apex.” I took out my phone and showed him an email sent five minutes ago. “I’ve accepted the offer from Elite Capital Partners. The ones you tried to buy out last month and who rejected you. I start on Monday as a junior partner.”

Sebastian’s face went from arrogance to sheer shock. Elite Capital was his only direct competitor, the only place his influence couldn’t reach.

“Furthermore,” I added, lowering my voice, “before leaving the conference room, I sent the original business plan for ‘Project Sunburst’ to the external auditors. The one Isabelle tried to destroy with her coffee. It turns out the hallway security cameras recorded that it wasn’t a ‘slip,’ but a deliberate act. If she’s going to be the Marketing Director, she will have to explain why she sabotaged her own company’s assets before even starting.”

Sebastian clenched his jaw, his eyes flashing with fury and, for the very first time, a glimmer of fear.

“You are going to pay for this, Valerie.”

“No, Sebastian. I’ve already paid you with ten years of my life. Consider the interest my parting gift.”

I opened the door and stepped out. In the hallway, Isabelle was waiting for me with a triumphant look that vanished as soon as she saw my expression.

“Did you get fired already?” she asked viciously.

I paused for a second beside her, adjusting my coat with an elegance she would never possess.

“No, Isabelle. I’ve been liberated. Enjoy your ‘relaxed position.’ You’re going to need it to deal with the audit waiting for you.”

I walked toward the elevator without looking back. As the doors closed, I saw Sebastian step out of his office, shouting my name. But for the first time in a decade, I felt no urge to stop. The “bigger picture” he wanted me to see was, finally, one where he no longer existed.