The Battle of Power

"Are you okay?" Daniel was shocked when Sarah stumbled and fell while walking towards his table, causing the cup of coffee to spill. He quickly rushed to her side and checked on her condition. He knelt down beside her to ensure she hadn't had any injuries.

As they both focused on Sarah's well-being, the sudden opening of the door interrupted their moment. Noah's eyes immediately fell upon their hold hands, his expression didn't look that good.

"What happened?" Noah's voice was low and cold as he entered the room, his gaze fixed on the scene before him.

Sarah, feeling the tension in the air, quickly pulled her hand away from Daniel's, her voice slightly trembling as she responded, "It's nothing, sir. I was just careless and fell down." She hurriedly started gathering the broken pieces of the glass, eager to clean up the mess. "I'll call the cleaner to take care of this."

Noah's eyes followed her every movement, his gaze sharp and observant. "You're quite clumsy, Miss Sarah," he remarked, his words stopping her hand in mid-air as she reached for the door knob.

Sarah remained silent, her eyes fixed on the knob for a moment before finally replying, "I'm sorry. I'll do my best to be more careful in the future."

Noah slowly approached her, each step causing her heart to race. His proximity was overwhelming. "Is this your way of seducing a man?" he whispered into her ear, his words catching her off guard and causing her eyes to widen in surprise.

"What are you doing?" Daniel felt the need to intervene, his voice laced with concern.

"Oh, nothing," Noah turned his attention to Daniel and flashed a smile. He then walked back into the room and headed straight for the sofa, as if dismissing the tension.

Sarah, feeling a mix of emotions, bit her lip and swiftly made her way out of the room.

"What made you come here suddenly?" Daniel inquired, glancing at his phone to see if he had missed any messages or calls from Noah.

"It's just that I happened to have a meeting nearby and felt the need to check on the company," Noah replied, telling a rather convenient lie.

Their conversation ended in only fifteen minutes when Noah excused himself.

The presence of Noah passing by her cubicle quickly made Sarah stand up. She looked around to ensure privacy before mustering the courage to speak up, "Don't you think we need to talk?"

Noah briefly glanced at her but continued walking without offering a response. Sarah hurriedly caught up with him, and they entered the elevator together. As there were other people in the elevator, Sarah remained silent. Her heart felt the pain as she thought of the words that Noah said to her in Daniel's room just now.

As the elevator reached the basement, Sarah swiftly reached out and grabbed Noah's arm, preventing him from stepping out. "I said we need to talk," she insisted, her grip tightening on his arm.

Noah forcefully pulled his hand away, leaving Sarah stunned and taken aback by his reaction.

"Why are you behaving like this? It was just a misunderstanding," Sarah pleaded, reaching out to grab Noah's hand once again, attempting to stop him from leaving.

"What misunderstanding, Miss Sarah?" Noah's gaze bore into her, his tone sharp and accusatory. "Your clumsiness or your apparent skill at seduction?"

"What are you talking about?" Sarah's voice trembled, her eyes reflecting hurt and confusion at Noah's accusation.

Without saying a word, Noah forcefully released her hand from his arm and walked briskly towards his car. Ignoring Sarah's pleas, he swiftly got into the vehicle and drove off, leaving her standing there, stunned and devoid of any answers.

<><><><>

The news of Noah's marriage spread like wildfire across the country. The image of a document, widely believed to be a marriage certificate, made headlines in a top tabloid publication. Speculations and discussions about Noah's sudden marital status buzzed through social media platforms and filled gossip columns. People were left astonished and curious, eager to uncover the truth behind this unexpected revelation.

"This is your doing, isn't it?" Jacob stormed into Noah's room immediately after reading the news. "Just because I let you have your way, you think you're invincible?"

Noah didn't lift his head, his gaze fixed on the document spread out on the table.

"Behave yourself and proceed with the wedding, or I'll ruin everything you hold dear," Jacob warned before slamming the door shut.

Letting out a deep sigh, Noah swivelled his chair and gazed out through the clear glass wall. He didn't want to dwell on anything at that moment. His mind throbbed with a pounding headache, overwhelmed by a multitude of thoughts.

Closing his eyes, he heard his phone incessantly ringing. Assuming it was Grace, he chose to ignore the calls, but a series of urgent text messages followed.

"Your father has sent someone to investigate the company."

"Where are you? Call me back as soon as you read this!"

"It's safe, they didn't find anything suspicious. But please call me. We need to talk!"

These texts were from Daniel, and as Noah read through them, he let out a long exhale, feeling a mixture of relief and apprehension.

Several minutes passed, and a series of persistent knocks echoed through the room. Despite the disturbance, Noah chose to maintain his silence, ignoring the sound at the door.

"Sir," Matthew's voice could be heard along with the knocking.

Once again, letting out a big sigh, Noah finally agreed to let him in. "Come in."

"Sir, there is something urgent that I need to report," Matthew said, looking out of breath.

"What is it?" Noah replied, his tone laced with irritation as he gestured for Matthew to proceed with his words.

Matthew took a moment to catch his breath before speaking, "I just received information from my informant at StarInsider. They will be releasing a new article as an apology for the news they published this morning," he informed.

"What?!" Noah stood up abruptly. "What happened?"

"The chairman..." Matthew began, but Noah cut him off and stormed out of the room.