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Winona was escorted into the newsroom. The atmosphere was incredibly tense, broken only by the screech of a chair dragging across the floor.

A woman in her thirties stood up abruptly, scoffed loud enough for the entire bullpen to hear, and stormed out.

Her guide looked deeply embarrassed. "This is your desk. Someone will brief you on your assignments shortly. That woman who just left was our lead on-camera reporter. The executives decided you're younger and much more photogenic, so they're replacing her with you."

Winona froze, her brow furrowing. Her mentor hadn't mentioned anything about stealing someone's anchor spot.

No wonder the woman was furious. Having a rookie drop from the sky and steal your hard-earned screen time would infuriate anyone.

The network was massive, and every single person in the newsroom had graduated from elite journalism programs. Winona held a law degree, which made her look wildly unqualified on paper.

The woman sitting at the next desk rolled her eyes and practically shouted, "Wow, some people must have insane connections. Taking Grace's job on day one? I wonder if she got it with her pretty face or if she had to use other assets. So hard to guess."

The rest of the bullpen glared at Winona with naked hostility.

Grace Montgomery was thirty-four, and in broadcast television, youth was everything. Half the reporters in the room had been circling like vultures, waiting to snatch Grace's spot at the end of the year. Now, this gorgeous interloper had crashed the party. They all assumed Winona had slept her way to the top.

That kind of corruption was painfully common in the industry; no one was surprised anymore.

Throw a rock in the building, and you'd hit eight people who only got their jobs because they were related to an executive.

But to be forced into the anchor seat so blatantly on day one? Winona was the first.

So, while they were seething with jealousy, no one dared to openly sabotage her. They just collectively agreed to ice her out.

Winona couldn't care less. When she and her mentor were working abroad, results were the only currency that mattered.

As Jaca, she had broken eight massive, world-altering stories in under three years. Any one of them was enough to spark global outrage. So when her mentor pulled strings to get her this desk, she honestly felt she had more than earned it.

They weren't icing Winona out. Winona was icing them out.

From the second she landed in Empire City, she promised herself she would never take another ounce of disrespect from anyone.

She treated their passive-aggressive snark like white noise.

One girl even got right in her face and sneered, "You should take some notes from Jaca. The best reporter in the world hasn't even shown her face. She dominates the industry on pure talent, not by coasting on her looks like you."

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