She lightly stroked her expensive designer blazer, rewarding herself with a sip of freshly brewed latte, then whispered to her colleague beside her in a distinctly mocking tone.
"People like that always think they're important. It's a shame they never realize their place."
Her young colleague chuckled lightly in agreement, but his eyes betrayed a sense of awkwardness.
Ashley didn't care.
To her, power didn't just lie in the hands of the big bosses.
Even a receptionist like her had the authority to decide who deserved to be in Brightwell and who didn't.
Not far down the hall, Mark Reynolds stood silently.
His cold eyes remained fixed on the main door where Jessica had just been pushed out.
In that moment, Mark had recognized the face.
Jessica Carter, the mysterious and powerful CEO of Carter Tech.
But instead of intervening to stop the scene, Mark purposely stayed quiet, arms crossed, watching.
In his mind, a cunning plan was already taking shape.
Months before, Mark Reynolds had been unhappy with CEO Richard Lawson's decision to partner with Carter Tech.
A staunch believer in traditional relationships, Mark was uncomfortable with the idea of relying on a company led by a Black woman, especially since it might threaten his position of power within Brightwell.
And now, when Jessica Carter appeared here, misunderstood and humiliated right before him, Mark saw the perfect opportunity to sabotage the deal without directly intervening himself.
"Ashley," Mark said as he slowly approached the reception desk, his voice calm but with an underlying hint of scheming interest. "What happened just now?"
Ashley was startled to see the executive vice president standing next to her.
Quickly rising from her seat, her tone immediately softened.
"Oh, just a woman who was pretending to have an appointment with Mr. Lawson, Mr. Reynolds. It was nothing. I handled it."
Mark raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise.
"Are you sure she wasn't an important guest?"
Ashley immediately chuckled softly, her eyes gleaming with overconfidence.
"Definitely not. I know that type well. If she were really important, she wouldn't have shown up looking like that."
Mark nodded in satisfaction, gently patting Ashley on the shoulder, offering encouragement while subtly reinforcing her attitude.
"Good job, Ashley. Keep up that vigilance. Brightwell needs people like you who know their place."
Ashley beamed with pride at the praise from the senior leader, completely unaware that he had subtly exploited her arrogance and deep-seated racial bias to serve his own interests.
In Mark Reynolds's eyes, Ashley was just a pawn, easily manipulated to achieve his goals.
Further up on the mezzanine level, Vanessa Lewis, the only Black manager among the mid-level leadership at Brightwell, remained frozen like a statue, her eyes filled with sorrow and deep frustration.
Ashley's words had unintentionally echoed in Vanessa's ears, each syllable cutting through her like a knife to her pride.
Vanessa understood all too well.
She had endured countless instances of being disrespected and insulted because of her skin color within this very building.
But to keep her job, she always had to swallow that anger and hurt.