Chapter 26 Rachel's face remained calm , like it wasn't her getting dismissed he didn't even frown . Only she knew the truth - this was the numbness that came when rief had hollowed her out completely . This wasn't the first time William had done this . The moment Samantha whispered that Rachel's LS Enterprise visit was a job- hunting attempt , and he believed it , the outcome had been inevitable . Cecilia couldn't stay silent any longer . Furious , she interjected , " Mr. Lewis , I can personally vouch for Ms. Lloyd . Her visit to LS Enterprise was purely personal . She never intended to jump ship . " How could Samantha twist the truth like this ? Cecilia had always been a straightforward person , and couldn't stand the fact that Rachel had been targeted ever since Samantha came . She turned to Samantha . " Ms. Judd , do you have any proof that Ms. Lloyd was trying to switch jobs ? And if you're the one taking credit for contracts , maybe you should ask yourself how you got that position . You can't even handle basic data and documents , yet you're acting like a director . If people hear about this , they'll think we're a joke . " " Cecilia ! " Rachel called out sharply as she stepped forward and grabbed her friend's arm . She whispered urgently in her ear , " Stop . Don't say anything else . " But Cecilia seemed to have grown a rebellious streak today and continued , " Why shouldn't I speak up ? She can't even handle basic data analysis , yet she got parachuted into this position . I'd love to know who arranged that . " A murmur rippled through the surrounding colleagues . " Questioning Samantha right in front of Mr. Lewis ? Cecilia's lost her mind . " " Exactly . No matter how you look at it , Samantha was parachuted in . Someone powerful must be backing her . And let's be real , that someone is probably Mr. Lewis himself . " " Even Ms. Lloyd , his own wife , got demoted . What's Cecilia trying to achieve by playing the hero here ? " Rachel closed her eyes briefly . Cecilia had well and truly stirred the hornet's nest . With William shielding Samantha so blatantly , he would never allow this public challenge to slide . Besides , if even regular employees could see Samantha's " powerful backing " was William … Did he really not know ? Of course he knew . He just chose to turn a blind eye . Samantha , who typically couldn't handle even the slightest criticism , was utterly unprepared for this public confrontation . " Cecilia , you've misunderstood . I didn't say anything bad about Rachel to Mr. Lewis . I was just worried that she might feel uncomfortable because I took the Oasis Project , or if she wants to change jobs because of it . I already told Mr. Lewis that Rachel has more experience and should take the project instead , " she explained . Cecilia wasn't buying it . " Then , why is the project still in your hands ? " Before Samantha could answer , William's voice cut through the room : " Enough ! " His voice was so sharp , the office went completely silent . His dark brooding gaze swept past Cecilia before settling heavily on Rachel . Even when he signed to her , his gestures carried an icy edge . " Ms. Lloyd , this is your subordinate . Who allowed her to speak like that to a colleague ? " As the team leader , any mistakes made by subordinates naturally fell on Rachel's shoulders . 1/2 She knew William's temperament all too well . He would never tolerate such insolence in his presence , especially when it involved Samantha . Rachel stepped forward , shielding Cecilia behind her . " Mr. Lewis , ecilia spoke out of turn . I apologize on her behalf . Since Samantha is in charge of the Oasis Project , that alone proves her capability . I beg you to overlook this first offense . " She could accept losing her own position , but Cecilia had a five - year - old child at home , sick and dependent on her meager salary to survive