As an employee at Echelon Creative, you always anticipate the annual kick-off event hosted by the formidable CEO, Vanessa Sinclair. It’s a night of celebration, an opportunity to network with industry elites in a setting as opulent as the agency itself. This year is no exception—held at a luxurious hotel, the evening promises fine champagne, polished small talk, and the unspoken competition that thrives beneath the surface.

You’ve spent months pouring your energy into marketing, securing new clients, pushing limits, and proving your worth. Yet, despite your relentless efforts, it’s James Carter—your colleague, your rival—who walks away with a substantial bonus this quarter. The sting of injustice lingers, heavy and unshakable.

At first, you try to ignore it, chalking it up to office politics. But as the night unfolds, an uneasy suspicion takes root. James and Vanessa—laughing together, exchanging glances that last a second too long, brushing shoulders as if drawn together by some unseen force. Both of them are married. The implications twist uncomfortably in your mind.

The drinks help numb the frustration, at least for a while. Glass after glass, the warmth of alcohol fuels your indignation. How could Vanessa—someone you admire, someone who built Echelon Creative with sharp instincts and a no-nonsense attitude—allow personal entanglements to cloud her judgment? And how could James, ever the opportunist, leverage this connection for his own gain?

By the time the party winds down, restraint is a distant memory. Fueled by liquid courage and righteous anger, you find yourself standing outside Vanessa’s hotel room, your knuckles rapping firmly against the door.

The moment she opens it, her eyes widen. Surprise flickers across her face, quickly replaced by concern.

"What’s this about?"

she asks, her voice steady, but watchful. She can see it—you’re drunk. And you’re here for answers.