Married To My Ex's Brother, Reborn Miraculously
Chapter 116: Megan’s warning

Chapter 116: Megan’s warning

Anne stepped into the conference hall. The room fell quiet for a moment as all eyes turned to her. Around the long oval table sat the team leaders of various departments, each with their notepads open and eyes alert. At the head of the table sat Megan Granet, her posture commanding and eyes coldly assessing Anne.

Feeling a flicker of discomfort under the weight of their gazes, Anne swallowed. She offered a faint, apologetic smile and quietly slipped into the nearest empty chair.

"I don’t like being late." Megan’s sharp tone sliced through the room a second later, her gaze locked directly on Anne. "This is our first meeting, so I’ll let it slide—just this once. But I expect punctuality moving forward. I don’t believe in second chances when it comes to discipline."

Anne regretted wasting her time on Lorie. Her spine stiffened. "Understood. I’ll be on time from now on," she replied respectfully.

Megan didn’t respond. She simply turned her attention back to the rest of the room as if Anne no longer existed.

"Now," she continued, "as I was saying, the company’s growth trajectory looks solid, but we are nowhere near where we could be. From this quarter onward, I expect sharper execution, faster delivery, and more innovation in your project leads."

She leaned forward slightly. "I’ve been reviewing the reports from the past two quarters, and frankly, I’m not impressed. Some of you are coasting."

Murmurs passed through the room, tension creeping in.

"I’ll be going over each of your teams’ performance metrics starting tomorrow," she added. "If you’re underdelivering, we’ll have a conversation."

Her gaze flicked back to Anne, a subtle flicker of challenge in her eyes. "Let’s set a new standard. Mediocrity isn’t welcome here."

Megan leaned back in her chair. "Now, let’s hear your plans for the next quarter."

One by one, the project leaders began presenting their strategies. Some lay out their goals in precise detail; others highlighted bottlenecks they had been struggling with—budget delays, resource issues, coordination gaps.

Megan listened with an unreadable expression, occasionally nodding. She responded with calm assurance, "I’ll look into it."

Then it was Anne’s turn.

She straightened in her seat, ready to speak—but before she could get a word out, Megan rose from her chair.

"That’s enough for today," she said briskly.

Anne blinked, caught off guard.

"We’ll continue this discussion next week," Megan added smoothly, not even glancing in Anne’s direction. Her dismissal was deliberate, a quiet snub that didn’t need further explanation.

Just as she reached the door, Megan stopped. "Miss Anne Clair," she said without looking at Anne. "Come to my office."

She walked out.

Anne sat frozen for a beat, confused. ’Did she just call me to her office?’

Shaking off the surprise, Anne stood up and trailed behind Megan.

Anne stepped into the modern, glass-walled office, following Megan. The air was crisp with tension, and Megan’s cold glare fixated on Anne.

"So, you are the infamous Anne Clair," Megan said with a mocking tone as she sank into her leather chair, crossing her legs with an air of superiority. "I’ve heard about the rumors circling the office."

Anne met her gaze squarely, unfazed. Her back was straight, chin lifted with quiet defiance. "As you said, they are rumors. Nothing more. I don’t expect you to believe baseless gossip."

Megan curled her lips into a small smirk. "Where there is fire, there is smoke. People don’t just create stories out of thin air. There must be something real behind all the whispers."

Anne frowned. She couldn’t understand Megan’s hostility—this was their first real interaction. She didn’t remember when she had offended her. Whatever Megan’s issue was, Anne wasn’t about to be intimidated.

"I was hired here based on my credentials and professional background," Anne replied firmly. "If you have doubts, feel free to check the records. I have nothing to hide."

Megan scoffed. "People like you know how to hide things well. No one really knows you here, and yet, everyone is talking. That doesn’t happen without a reason. You were kicked out of your last job for seducing your boss, and now, you are trying the same trick with Augustine. It’s pathetic."

Her voice turned sharp as steel. "Let me make this clear—I called you in to warn you. Stay away from Augustine. He is mine. Our families are already discussing marriage. If I catch you near him again, don’t expect me to be civil. I won’t hesitate to destroy you."

Anne stood frozen, staring at Megan as her words echoed painfully in her ears. ’Augustine’s fiancée?’ The revelation hit like a tidal wave, crashing through her confidence and pulling her into a sea of confusion.

Her thoughts spun wildly. Did Augustine know his family was arranging his marriage to Megan? If he did, why hadn’t he told her?

A heavy ache settled in her chest, spreading cold doubt through her veins. Was he just like Denis? Pretending to care, only to walk away when things got real?

Anne couldn’t speak. Her throat tightened, and her mind blurred with too many questions. She couldn’t even gather herself enough to deny the rumors or defend her integrity.

Megan’s voice, laced with arrogance, cut through the silence again. "The Beaumont and Granet families have been close for generations. Our parents have been discussing our marriage for some time. And we are seriously considering it."

Anne’s eyes snapped up, burning with emotion. Megan’s words struck her heart like knives. ’So, Augustine is thinking of marrying her?’

At that moment, Lorie’s mocking words about the CEO’s wife joining the company rang in her mind. Anne had naively assumed Lorie was talking about her. But now it all made sense. Lorie had known the truth all along. She had been talking about Megan.

A chill ran down Anne’s spine. ’Augustine... are you keeping secrets from me too?’ she wondered, tears welling up in her eyes, threatening to spill.

"Women like you—no pedigree, no connections—always try to claw their way up by latching onto rich men. But I won’t let you succeed." Megan’s voice dripped with scorn.

Anne’s jaw tightened, her chest rising and falling unevenly. She had heard words like these before. The disdain of the elite was nothing new, and she had learned to steel herself against it. But something about Megan’s condescension, so smug and assured, made her blood boil.

She didn’t want their world—their wealth, their calculated relationships. She had never chased status. And she certainly hadn’t chased Augustine. She had truly believed Augustine was unlike the rest. If he, too, intended to cast her aside, she would let him go without protest. But just the thought of parting ways with him made her chest tighten with pain, leaving her feeling as though her world would collapse.

"I told you already—I didn’t use any underhanded means to get this job," Anne said defiantly. "I wasn’t fired from the Beaumont Group. I resigned for personal reasons. I joined here because I had already been working on the same project elsewhere. And I didn’t ’approach’ the boss. I didn’t need to."

Her voice grew colder. "So, Miss Megan, you are wasting your energy worrying about something that doesn’t exist. If that’s all you called me here for, then I’ll be going."

Anne turned sharply, ready to leave.

"Wait," Megan’s voice rang out, halting Anne in her tracks.

Anne froze, her posture tense, but she didn’t bother to turn around.

"I noticed your request for extra pay," Megan said with a hint of smugness. "Unfortunately, that won’t be moving forward. I’ve decided to reject it."