Chapter 37

Gasps filled the room as Isabella Sinclair stepped in. One excited employee blurted out, "Mr. Graves, is this stunning woman our new team member?"

"You're quick on the uptake." Nathaniel flashed a knowing smile.

He cleared his throat. "Let me introduce—"

Sebastian Holloway cut him off mid-sentence. "Did you fire Victoria Kensington because of her?"

A tense silence followed before Nathaniel nodded. "Correct. I'll explain—"

Sebastian's sharp gaze landed on Isabella. "Victoria earned her PhD from an Ivy League at twenty-five. Ms. Sinclair, your credentials must be extraordinary to replace her."

The air thickened. Earlier, Victoria had hinted at personal reasons behind her rejection, but Sebastian had seen Isabella and Nathaniel embrace. His mind jumped to conclusions.

No one at YodaVision matched Victoria's brilliance. Not just locally—nationally. He doubted this newcomer could compare.

Before Isabella could respond, he smirked. "You look too young to even have a master's degree."

Nathaniel's jaw tightened. This conversation needed privacy, especially given the bad blood between Isabella and Victoria. But Sebastian's public confrontation derailed that plan.

"Sebastian—"

The engineer waved him off. "I'm speaking to Ms. Sinclair." His stare turned icy. "Cat got your tongue? Or is your alma mater too embarrassing to mention?"

Isabella's posture remained unshaken. "I haven't completed my doctorate, but—"

Sebastian snorted. Just as he suspected. Not every woman could be Victoria Kensington.

"But what?" He sneered. "Think you can compete with us just because men fawn over your looks?"

Nathaniel's voice turned dangerous. "That's enough!"

Sebastian ripped off his employee badge. "I resign."

Nathaniel froze. This escalation shocked even him.

"You've changed, Mr. Graves." Sebastian's disappointment cut deep. "I thought you valued merit over... distractions."

As he stormed out, Nathaniel called after him, "Take time to reconsider. My door stays open—"

The slam of the exit door drowned his final words.