Without another word, he turned and headed toward the front door. She followed behind him and got into the waiting car. During the drive into the city, he left the radio on a news station, and the dull drone of a male voice filled the car. She ignored the news and thought about the office. The closer they got to the city, the tighter the knot in her stomach became. She thought about her trashed office and the hateful looks the employees had given her and braced herself for another day of battles.

"Listen," Sean said as they entered the city. "I don't want you taking any unnecessary risks. You're just there to learn about the company. If you want anything done, just tell Andy, and he'll do it for you, okay?"

​​

She turned and looked at him, "If I make Andy do everything for me, they'll never respect me."

Sean sighed, "I just want you to be careful."

"I am," she answered.

He pressed his lips together and gripped the wheel tighter but didn't say anything else. He guided the car through the packed London traffic and pulled into the garage, stopping just in front of the elevator.

"I'll pick you up after work," he said.

"Okay, have a good day," she said, quickly getting out of the car.

She stepped into the elevator, and as the doors slid shut, she saw him watching her with a strange look. As the elevator began to ascend, she quickly forgot about Sean, bracing herself for a long day. When the doors slid open with a ding, she took a deep breath and stepped into the lobby. Andy, Alan, and a petite young woman with a stylish bob were waiting for her.

"Good morning, Mrs. Blair," Andy said with a smile.

"Good morning," she replied.

"I'd like to introduce you to Yukki," Alan said. "She's going to be your assistant."

"My assistant?" Catherine asked.

"Typically, interns don't have their own assistants, but then again, you're not a typical intern," Andy explained. "Alan and I agreed that you deserve some extra help around the office, and we're confident that Yukki will make your time here a bit easier."

"It's very nice to meet you," Yukki said, smiling eagerly.

"Nice to meet you too," Catherine replied.

"I've already prepared a daily report for you," Yukki said, passing her a navy blue folder.

"Thanks," she said, accepting the report.

As she walked to the office, her mind raced. Was Yukki really there to help her, or was she a spy for Sean? As she made her way to her tiny office, Yukki followed behind like a shadow. Catherine was surprised to see the employees smile politely at her as she passed.

By the time she reached her office, she was suspicious. In less than 24 hours, the employees had completely changed their attitude toward her. She knew Sean was behind it, but she wondered what he'd said or threatened. With a sigh, she unlocked her office, turned on her computer, and settled into the creaky office chair. She opened the folder and paged through the report, trying to make sense of the technical terms and long columns of numbers. When she looked up, Yukki was standing in the doorway, watching her.

"Yukki, can I ask you something?" she asked.

"Of course," Yukki said brightly.

"When were you hired?" she asked.

"A few weeks ago," Yukki answered. "Just after Andy took over."

"And what experience do you have?" Catherine asked.

"Well, I just graduated with my MBA from Harvard University," Yukki answered. "I was in the top five percent of my class, and I received a special scholarship to study in the US. While I was there, I completed several internships."

"You're far more qualified than me," Catherine said, a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"Perhaps," Yukki said. "But I want you to know I respect what you've done since starting here."

"Really?" Catherine asked.

Yukki smiled, "Really. You may not have an academic background, but you have a good sense of business. Anyway, I'm here to help you with the parts you don't understand."

"Thanks," Catherine said weakly. "Can you tell me if anything happened yesterday after I left?"

Yukki's face paled slightly, and she looked down at the gray carpet, "Nothing that I know of."

"Are you sure?" Catherine asked. "I can't help but notice how much the employees here have changed."

"Well, several department managers were fired, including Alec Stewart," Yukki said.

"Really?" Catherine asked. "And that's why everyone is acting differently?"

"That's part of it," Yukki said.

"And the other part?" Catherine asked.

"Every employee received an email yesterday," Yukki said reluctantly. "It was a rather threatening email, to be honest."

"I see," Catherine said. "From Andy?"

"No," Yukki said, looking uncomfortable. "From Sean Blair."

"Thank you, Yukki, that's all," Catherine said.

As soon as the door shut, she jumped up from her chair and began pacing the office. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she dug her nails into her palms. What's the point of working here if Sean just does everything for me? she thought angrily. The employees will never truly respect me as long as Sean continues to do everything for me.

She grabbed the phone on her desk and dialed Alan's extension. She waited as his secretary put him through.

"Alan?" she asked. "I just learned that several department managers were fired yesterday afternoon, and I want to begin looking for replacements. Without capable people in charge, the departments will fall apart."

"Andy is already working on that," Alan answered.

"I see," she said. "And what about the problems with the suppliers?"

"Don't worry about that," Alan answered. "Andy has a team of people negotiating with them right now."

"And the issues with the textiles?" she asked.

"That's already been managed," he answered.

"I see," she said. "Is there anything Andy isn't handling?"

"Not really," Alan said.

"Can I help him then?" she asked.

"Don't worry," Alan said. "Thanks to your suggestions, he has everything under control."

She sighed deeply, wondering what orders Sean had given Andy and Alan. What's the point of this internship if I'm not allowed to do anything? she wondered.

"Well, then I'm going to go see if I can help the designers with anything," she said.