Aiden’s eyes were cold, unreadable, and each step he took towards Charlotte made the employees stiffen in their seats. The murmurings stopped.Charlotte stepped back quickly, fixing her blouse and forcing a nervous smile. “Mr. Blackwood,” she said, trying to stay calm. “Is this about the new design?”Aiden gave a small nod and crossed his arms. “Yes. You submitted it under your name.”“I did.” Charlotte walked to her desk and turned on her computer. “I worked on it last night. I even stayed late to finish it… you can ask anyone.” She turned the screen so he could see the file.Mandy raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure about that?”Alina stepped forward. "That design isn’t yours, Charlotte. It’s mine."The room went quiet, eyes darting between Alina and Charlotte.A male staff at the back spoke up. "Miss Charlotte was the last to leave yesterday. She said she had unfinished work... Maybe this was the design she was working on?"“I remember too,” a female colleague added. “She said she was
Alina frowned and stepped closer, watching as Aiden’s jaw tightened the longer he stared at the screen. His hand gripped the mouse tightly.“Aiden… what’s wrong?” she asked softly.Before he could reply, Mandy, who had been standing quietly nearby, spoke up.“Aiden?” she said carefully. “You look like you’re about to explode. What happened?”Aiden stayed silent for a few more seconds. Mandy and Alina exchanged worried looks.Then, Aiden slowly looked up at Alina, his expression softening as if he was hurt. Of course he was. Someone had stolen his wife’s design just to get his approval.“You’re scaring me,” Alina whispered. “What’s going on?”He kept staring at her without speaking, and the silence dragged on, making Alina uneasy.Finally, he let out a deep sigh.“Charlotte sent me this design,” he said, his voice flat. “She claimed she worked on it all night.”Alina blinked, confused.“What?” she and Mandy said at the same time.“I was surprised,” Aiden went on, still looking at Alina
Later that night, Jennifer was lying on her bed, scrolling through her phone when it suddenly rang. She saw the caller ID and instantly recognized the number.She sat up quickly and picked up.“Hello?” she said.A man’s voice came through. “Hey, just like you requested, I asked around and I was surprised your sister is actually here.”Jennifer’s eyes narrowed. “You really saw Alina?”“Yeah,” he said. “She’s working in the production department. I even asked a few people… she seems pretty close to Aiden Blackwood. Apparently, it’s work-related. They’re using one of her designs for this month’s sales campaign. People in her department are talking about it, and I just happen to hear. No one else in the company knows yet.”Jennifer’s grip on the phone tightened."Her design?" she repeated, confused. "You mean Alina designed something?""That’s what I heard," the man replied. "Seems like the higher-ups were really impressed."Jennifer was shocked. Alina? Designing? Since when did she know
Mandy came down the stairs, eyes glued to her phone, only glancing up once she reached the living room. Her gaze swept the room until it landed on her grandmother, seated by the window, casually flipping through a magazine.Sliding her phone into her bag, Mandy smiled and walked over, moving behind the elderly woman to gently massage her shoulders.“Want me to bring you some fruit on my way back?” she asked softly.Grandma Linda looked up with a raised brow. “Where exactly are you going this time?”"You’ve been stuck indoors all day," Mandy said playfully. "And honestly, if you don’t leave the house, I can’t leave either. You’re my gran, and I’m supposed to take care of you, right?"Grandma Linda chuckled lightly. "So now I’m the reason you’re stuck indoors?”Mandy laughed. “Not exactly. I just wanted to make sure you didn’t need anything before I stepped out. I won’t be gone long.”“Is this another fun outing?” Grandma asked, narrowing her eyes a little.Mandy hummed softly as if thi
When Charlotte entered her office, her legs felt weak, and she dropped into her chair with a loud thud. The sudden noise made everyone in the room look up in surprise, wondering if Aiden had asked her to redo the design again for the sixteenth time.She ignored their looks and let out a long, frustrated sigh, her mind still burning with anger.She slowly lifted her head, and the first person her eyes landed on was Alina, looking so calm, composed as if she had not just ruined her life. Just the sight of that made Charlotte’s jaw tighten."I hate her" The thought echoed bitterly in her heart.Meanwhile, Alina kept her eyes on her screen, busy working on a new idea that came to mind. It wasn't perfect but she had a vivid image of how it would look like. She didn’t even notice Charlotte’s glare or maybe she chose to ignore it. She had decided not to give Charlotte any more reasons to pick on her.Just then, the door opened, and Jesse walked in with his usual serious expression.Charlott
Charlotte watched as Aiden stood with his hands calmly tucked into his pockets, but the look in his eyes made her feel as though she were standing naked in a storm.She swallowed hard, suddenly aware of how dry her throat was. She couldn’t hold his gaze anymore and looked away.“I…”“I need to know,” Aiden said again, his tone even. “So I can prepare for your kind of discipline since I specifically told her not to do it.”Charlotte shook her head slowly, biting down on her tongue.“N-No, sir…” she stammered.Aiden stepped closer.“This will be the last time something like this happens. Not just to her, but to anyone who works here.” His tone was quiet, but the warning was clear. “If I assign you a task and you pass it on to someone else…” He paused. “Then be ready to submit your resignation.”Charlotte went pale.The room went silent except for her shaky breathing. She nodded quickly, panic rising in her chest.“I… I’m sorry,” she mumbled.Aiden tilted his head. “To me?” He turned hi