"What? Me?" Luke's eyes widened, then gleamed with pride. "Thank you, ma'am."
Anne's lips curled into a bitter smile. Megan had played it cleverly. If she resisted now, she'd risk turning him into a rival. The atmosphere would only grow more toxic. But if she stayed quiet, she'd become the target of passive digs and subtle bullying, day in and day out.
A part of her wanted to lash out—to put Megan in her place, to scream that she saw through her schemes. But what good would it do?
Megan had Augustine's shield. Fighting her now would only end in more pain. And the last thing Anne wanted was to break further.
She drew a deep breath, forced a gentle smile, and turned to Luke. "Congratulations," she said evenly. "I hope you lead the team better than I did."
"Thanks, Anne. No hard feelings, right? It's just the situation," Luke said, puffing up with self-importance.
"I understand," Anne replied softly.
