The next morning, the city skyline shimmered with sunlight — but for Sara Carter, the world felt heavier than ever.
She stood before the mirror in her office, adjusting the ID badge that now read:"Sara Carter – Acting Vice President, Carter Holdings."
The title still felt unreal. But the moment she stepped into the executive floor, she understood what it meant.
Dozens of eyes followed her every move — some admiring, some doubtful, others silently hostile.
"Good morning, Miss Carter," the receptionist said with a nervous smile.
Sara smiled back. "Just Sara, please."
"Of course," the woman replied quickly, though her gaze flicked toward a pair of whispering employees nearby.
Sara ignored it and headed toward the glass-walled conference room, where her first leadership meeting awaited.
Inside, the mood was tense.The department heads — finance, marketing, PR, and security — sat around the long oval table. At the far end, Daniel stood leaning against the wall, arms crossed.
"Let's begin," Sara said, setting her folder down. Her voice was calm, clear.
The finance head, Mr. Khanna, cleared his throat. "Miss Carter, we're still assessing the financial impact of the leaks. Investor confidence has dropped by nearly twelve percent."
Sara nodded. "And what's being done to communicate reassurance?"
The PR director, a woman named Clara Vance, replied, "We've prepared a statement blaming a third-party data breach. We avoided mentioning internal betrayal."
Sara frowned. "We can't lie, Clara. Transparency will earn more trust than denial."
Clara hesitated. "With respect, Miss Carter, you're new to corporate PR—"
Daniel cut in smoothly, "And she's right. If we pretend this was a random cyberattack, the press will shred us the moment they find real evidence."
Sara looked around the room. "We take ownership. We'll show the world that Carter Holdings is stronger than deceit. Honesty is our weapon now."
Her tone left no room for argument.
One by one, heads nodded — some reluctantly, some with newfound respect.
After the meeting, Sara walked out into the hallway, exhaling slowly. Daniel followed her, a small smile playing at his lips.
"You handled that like a pro."
She chuckled weakly. "Inside, I was shaking."
He grinned. "That's what coffee and confidence are for."
But before they could continue, Leo appeared from the IT department, holding a tablet. "Sara, I think you should see this."
On-screen was a log file from the company's internal system. A recent data export — timestamped just an hour ago.
Sara's brow furrowed. "Someone's still leaking information?"
Leo nodded grimly. "And not from outside. This was sent using an internal access key."
Daniel's expression hardened. "Meaning we have a mole."
Sara's pulse quickened. "Can we trace it?"
Leo tapped the screen. "I'm trying, but whoever it is — they're smart. They covered their tracks. All I can say is the access code belongs to someone in management."
Sara folded her arms, her gaze sharpening. "Then we start narrowing it down. No one outside this room knows. Not yet."
Daniel nodded. "We'll set a trap. Quietly."
Sara met his eyes. "Good. Because if Laura's still feeding information from the inside…"
Daniel finished for her, voice low. "Then the enemy isn't outside the gates anymore."
Later that evening, as the office emptied, Sara sat by the window of her new corner office. The city lights glittered far below, a sea of gold and silver.
For the first time, she truly understood what it meant to lead.
It wasn't about power. It was about endurance.About standing tall even when the world doubted you.
Daniel knocked lightly on the door. "You should head home. Long day."
Sara smiled faintly. "You sound like you're worried."
He smirked. "Maybe I am."
"Don't be," she said, turning to the glass. "I've got too much to lose to back down now."