Part 1The Protege's Five Million Dollar Betrayal

My protégé had just stolen a five-million-dollar wealth management contract right out from under me.

She stood there, waving the freshly signed receipt in my face, looking incredibly smug.

"Mentor, the client specifically asked to open the account under my name. I couldn't exactly push the business away, could I?"

"If you want to blame someone, blame yourself. You're getting old, and you move too slow."

"Don't look at me with that bitter, wrinkly face! Tell you what, I'll treat you to a bubble tea to make up for it."

Somehow, her words twisted the situation to make me look like the petty one.

And of course, the branch manager stepped in to play peacemaker, telling me not to be so hard on the "young girl."

Had they both forgotten that my portfolio practically funded over half of this entire branch?

* * *

I rushed back to the office right on time, only to hear the news that my client had been poached. I went straight to Chloe.

Chloe had completely dropped her usual sweet, respectful act. Holding the signed receipt, she looked at me with absolute justification.

"Mentor, you can't blame me for this."

"You weren't here. We couldn't just leave a VIP client sitting in the lobby waiting, so I stepped in to host him for you."

"If it wasn't for me, you would have completely offended the client! And instead of thanking me, you're accusing me of stealing your commission?"

"Besides, Mr. Vance insisted on buying the portfolio through me. What was I supposed to do?"

"I couldn't just reject the firm's business!"

"At the end of the day, you were the one who was late, Mentor. Who else is there to blame?"

I had a 10:00 AM appointment with the client. He arrived exactly five minutes early. In what universe does a five-minute window naturally lead to closing a five-million-dollar deal?

She claimed she didn't use my name to secure the signature. Bullshit.

Right then, my phone buzzed with a text from Mr. Vance: [Hey Elena, are you feeling alright? I just realized my portfolio manager isn't listed as you. Did you guys have some internal restructuring?]

What could I say? I had to lie and tell him it was a system error, assuring him that I was still his dedicated wealth manager.

After replying, I looked back at Chloe's unapologetic face and demanded, "Did you use my name to poach my client?"

"Chloe, do you have a death wish in this industry?"

Stealing clients is the ultimate taboo for wealth managers.

For her to do it this blatantly, there was no way management didn't know.

Furthermore, I was her mentor. I had personally trained her from her very first day on the job.

If word got out that she stole a client from her own mentor, no firm in the city would ever hire her again.

"While this is still quiet, I strongly suggest you go to operations and transfer that account back to my name."

Mixing threats with reason was the absolute limit of my patience.

I genuinely hoped she would be smart enough not to blow this up and make everyone look bad in the office.

But Chloe just looked at me with a cocky, lackadaisical smirk. "Mentor, you must be joking."

"Why would I hand over my client to you?"

"Just because you're my mentor, I'm supposed to surrender my commission?"

"You neglected the client. I managed to retain him. That's my skill. Being my mentor doesn't give you a free pass."

"I might be a fresh grad, but I'm not some pushover you can just bully."

Wow. She actually thought she was taking a brave stand.

I was so furious I actually laughed.

I reached out to grab the receipt from her hand to go fix the transfer, but she blocked me. "Mentor, why are you so mad?"

"Aren't we all just regular employees here? Nobody is better than anybody else."

"As long as the client signs with our firm, what difference does it make whose name is on the paper?"

"Tell you what, I'll buy you a Starbucks. Get the most expensive Frappuccino on the menu. Consider it a thank you for everything you've taught me."

Looking at her triumphant, smug face, I wanted to slap myself.

Chloe had been glued to my side since she was hired right out of college.

She was my junior from the same university, graduated from the same finance program. Naturally, I took her under my wing and invested a lot of time in her.

I poured my heart and soul into teaching her how to source leads and maintain client relationships. Over the past few months, Chloe had consistently ranked number one among the new hires.

I had been genuinely happy for her, frequently offering advice when she made missteps.

I even taught her the unwritten rules of corporate gifting for high-net-worth clients during the holidays.

I never, in a million years, expected her to stab me in the back.

"I can't afford your coffee."

"And don't call me Mentor anymore. I clearly have nothing left to teach a 'superstar' who steals her colleagues' clients."

I was seething. But Chloe just shrugged carelessly. "Fine, don't drink it. Saves me money."

"Why are you acting like such a victim? You're getting older, your reflexes are slow. Are young people not allowed to be ambitious anymore?"

"No matter who you tell, I'm in the right here."

"You're just a washed-up older woman. I called you Mentor to be polite, did you really think you were that important?"

"Honestly, I don't want to call you that anyway. From now on, every man for himself."

"But Mr. Vance is officially my client now. So stop dreaming about stealing him back."