Chapter 4

I flipped to the last page of the agenda.

The name of the lead designer had also been changed to William Baker.

No one in the conference room said a word.

Some of the team members lowered their heads, not daring to meet my eyes.

Seren rubbed her temples.

"The client has more confidence in William. Having his name on the proposal will improve our chances of winning the bid. Once we secure the project, you'll still get your bonus and share of the profits."

William offered me a glass of water.

"Don't be upset. Once we win the bid, I'll make sure to mention you at the celebration."

I didn't take the glass and asked him, "Have you even seen the first draft of this proposal?"

William couldn't answer.

Seren finally ran out of patience. She said coldly, "Starting today, you're off the presentation team. Hand over all the remaining materials to William. You don't need to attend any further meetings."

My chest tightened.

"What gives you the right to kick me off the project?"

"I'm the project lead."

"The copyright belongs to me."

"The contract is very clear. Any design work produced during the project belongs to the joint team."

She knew me too well.

She knew that when I agreed to work with her, I didn't bother reading the contract line by line.

When she handed it to me, all she said was, "I won't let you get the short end of the stick."

And I signed.

William stepped toward me, saying gently, "Charles, don't let personal issues get in the way of everyone's work, please? Seren is just doing what's best for the project."

I unplugged the cable connecting the laptop to the projector.

The screen abruptly went black.

Seren grabbed my sleeve, her tone icy. "Stop making a scene. Plug it back in. I'll make it up to you once the project is over.

"William needs this project to establish himself. You've already won two awards. You don't need another one."

I stared straight into her eyes.

"He needs it, so I'm supposed to step aside. Is that it?"

Seren didn't answer the question directly.

"Why are you competing with him?"

I suddenly didn't want to fight anymore.

I pulled my sleeve free, and she let go.

Then, I handed the cable to William.

"Fine. You present it."

Seren's expression softened slightly.

"I'll come see you after work. We'll talk about this then."

"Don't bother."

I turned and left the conference room.

Just before the elevator closed, the project assistant came running after me and shoved a folder into my hands.

"Mr. Leed, these are old files that Ms. Grant told me to get rid of. They were supposed to be shredded, but I thought there might be something of yours in here."

I opened the folder.

The first document was a complaint record from a design competition for rookies, held three years ago.

The accused was William Baker.

The complainant's signature was mine.

Clipped to the final page of the report was an internal email signed by Seren.

The subject line simply read, "Plan to Approach Charles Leed and Persuade Him to Withdraw His Complaint."

…

Three years ago, I entered a design competition for emerging designers.

The night before the final round, my submission was leaked. William presented a design that was nearly identical to mine and walked away with the grand prize.

I'd filed a formal complaint, but the organizers claimed there wasn't enough evidence and urged me to settle the matter privately.

While I was at my lowest, Seren Grant came into my life.

She helped me find a lawyer, organize evidence, and even stayed by my side all night when I came down with a high fever.

Later, the drive containing my evidence was accidentally damaged, making it impossible to pursue the complaint.

She told me, "Just let it go. Don't let one competition hold you back. You still have me."

That was the moment I fell in love with her.

For three years, it was also the only evidence I had that she loved me.

But the email was dated seven days before we first met.

I turned the pages one by one.

There were messages from William.

"Charles might still have a backup copy of the evidence. If this blows up, it'll affect the company's next round of financing."

Seren had replied, "I'll approach him."

"He's very guarded. Are you sure you can handle him?"

"People who are starved for affection are easy to deal with. Give it some time. He'll give up on his own."