CHAPTER 44: THE PROJECT UNDER PRESSURE

Amelia stood outside the main conference room at Blackwood International, holding a leather folder against her chest. Through the glass walls, she could see several executives already seated around the long table. Large screens displayed the latest plans for the company's proposed office renovation.

She had spent weeks preparing for this meeting. Every detail had been checked twice, from the lighting arrangements to the material costs. She had even stayed up late the previous night reviewing the presentation.

She expected questions about her design.

She did not expect to have to defend her right to be there.

"Miss Carter?" The project coordinator, Daniel Foster, approached with a tablet in his hand. "They're ready for you."

Amelia nodded and followed him inside.

There were six people around the table, including Graham Whitmore, the senior executive who had questioned her qualifications during her first presentation. Alexander was not among them. He had formally withdrawn from the selection process, and Amelia had insisted that he remain outside all project decisions.

She placed her folder on the table and connected her presentation.

"Good morning. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to present the next stage of the renovation."

She began with the main concept: a more open working environment, natural lighting, flexible meeting spaces and practical materials that would remain within the approved budget. She explained how the design would improve movement between departments without sacrificing privacy.

For the first fifteen minutes, the discussion went smoothly. One executive asked about maintenance costs. Another wanted to know whether the proposed materials could withstand heavy daily use. Amelia answered both questions with figures from her research.

Then Graham Whitmore leaned forward.

"Your proposal is detailed, Miss Carter. But I have a concern."

Amelia looked at him. "Of course."

"Your personal relationship with Mr. Blackwood is public knowledge. Given his position in this company, how can we be certain that your decisions will remain objective?"

The room became quiet.

Graham did not sound hostile. His tone was measured, almost apologetic. But the question carried enough weight to make the other executives look at Amelia differently.

She took a breath before answering.

"I understand the concern. That's why Mr. Blackwood withdrew from the selection process. He did not review my proposal, influence the panel or participate in the decision."

"Can you provide evidence of that?"

"Yes. The selection process was documented, and the evaluation records can be reviewed independently."

Graham nodded slightly.

"Would you be comfortable with an external panel reviewing your work again?"

"Absolutely. I welcome it."

One of the other executives glanced at her notes.

"And if the review finds that another proposal is stronger?"

"Then that proposal should be selected. I want this opportunity because I believe my work is right for the project, not because of who I know."

Her answer was calm and direct.

Graham studied her for a moment before looking down at the plans.

"Very well. Let's continue with the budget."

Amelia returned to her presentation. Her hands were steady, even though she could feel the tension in the room. She answered every question and explained every decision. By the time the meeting ended, she had not received a final approval, but she had defended her work without asking anyone to defend her.

Outside the conference room, Daniel Foster caught up with her.

"That went better than I expected," he said.

Amelia gave a small smile. "I'm glad."

"I'll send you the updated project documents later today. There may be a few adjustments following the discussion."

"Please make sure the changes are clearly marked."

"Of course."

She walked towards the lifts, unaware that someone inside the conference room was already making a phone call.

Alexander learned about the meeting shortly after lunch.

He was reviewing a report in his office when Jonathan Reed entered with a brief update.

"Amelia's presentation is complete," Jonathan said. "The panel raised questions about her relationship with you."

Alexander put down his pen.

"What questions?"

"They asked whether she could remain objective. She handled it professionally and offered to have her work reviewed independently."

Alexander's jaw tightened.

"They had no reason to question her like that."

"They were concerned about the company's reputation."

"Her work was selected on its own merit."

Jonathan remained quiet.

Alexander picked up his phone, but before he could call Amelia, a message arrived from her.

I heard you may have been told about the meeting. Please don't interfere. I handled it.

He stared at the message for several seconds before replying.

I know you did. I'm proud of you. I won't interfere.

It was difficult to leave the matter alone. Every instinct told him to call Graham and demand an explanation. But he knew that doing so would only give people another reason to question Amelia's position.

For once, protecting her meant allowing her to stand on her own.

That evening, Amelia was back at Ethan's office when Daniel Foster sent the updated project documents.

She opened the email and began reviewing the attachments. At first, everything appeared normal. Then she noticed a section titled Additional Design Requirements.

Her eyebrows drew together.

The revised document required the use of imported stone throughout the reception area, a costly lighting system that had not been included in her proposal, and a major change to the planned layout of the executive floor.

Amelia read the section again.

She had never agreed to any of those changes.

Worse, the document listed her as the lead designer responsible for implementing them.

"That's strange," she murmured.

Ethan looked up from his desk. "What's wrong?"

Amelia turned the laptop towards him.

"These requirements weren't in my proposal."

He read through the page, then looked at her.

"Did they discuss these changes in the meeting?"

"No. We discussed the lighting budget and the materials, but nothing like this."

"Could it be a mistake?"

"Maybe. But someone has attached my name to decisions I never approved."

She opened her original submission folder and compared the documents line by line. Her original version had a different layout, a carefully calculated budget and clear notes explaining why certain materials had been chosen.

The revised version had been changed.

She checked the date of her original submission and compared it with the date on the new file. The differences were not small editing mistakes. Entire sections had been replaced.

Amelia immediately emailed Daniel Foster.

I have reviewed the revised project document. Several requirements have been added that were not included in my original submission or discussed during today's meeting. Please confirm who authorised these changes and arrange an investigation of the document history. I have attached my original submission for comparison.

She received a reply less than ten minutes later.

Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I will look into it and get back to you as soon as possible.

The response was polite, but something about it bothered her.

She called him.

"Daniel, I need to know whether the revised document has already been circulated."

There was a pause.

"Some copies may have been sent to the relevant departments."

"Under my name?"

"That's how the system recorded it."

Amelia closed her eyes briefly.

"Then I need this corrected immediately. I cannot accept responsibility for requirements I never approved."

"Of course. I'll investigate."

"Please preserve the original files and access records. I don't want anything overwritten."

Another pause.

"Yes. I'll make sure that's done."

When the call ended, Amelia sat back in her chair.

Ethan watched her carefully.

"Do you think someone is doing this deliberately?"

"I don't know yet," she replied. "But I know the difference between an honest mistake and a document being changed without my approval."

She saved copies of every file and forwarded the email correspondence to her personal account. She was not going to let anyone claim later that she had accepted the revised requirements.

A few minutes later, her laptop chimed.

An email had arrived from an unfamiliar internal address. There was no message in the body, only a short sentence:

You should know what they are circulating in your name.

Attached was another copy of the altered document.

Amelia opened the file and went straight to its properties.

The document's author field showed her name, but the last modified account was different. She checked the account details, then searched the company directory.

Her expression changed.

The account belonged to someone in Alexander's executive team.

She read the name again, hoping she had misunderstood it. But the details remained the same.

The person had access to confidential executive documents, internal communications and senior management files.

This was not an ordinary project coordinator's account.

Her phone buzzed. Alexander was calling.

Amelia looked at the name on the screen, then back at the document.

She answered.

"Alexander, I need to ask you something."

"What's happened?"

She swallowed, keeping her eyes fixed on the laptop.

"Someone has changed my project documents. They've added requirements I never approved and circulated them under my name."

His voice immediately became serious.

"Who authorised it?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out."

"Send me the file. I'll have the security team investigate."

Amelia hesitated.

"There's something else. The file was last edited using an account belonging to someone in your executive team."

Silence filled the line.

Alexander's voice lowered.

"Are you certain?"

"I checked the account details twice."

He said nothing for a moment. Amelia could almost picture him standing in his office, staring at the same kind of evidence she was looking at.

Then he spoke.

"Don't confront anyone yet. Preserve everything. I'll make sure the records are protected."

"Alexander, I don't want you taking over my project."

"I'm not asking you to give it up. But if someone inside my company is using executive access to damage your work, this is bigger than a design dispute."

Amelia looked once more at the name attached to the file.

The messages, the questions about her relationship, the altered requirements. They were beginning to look less like separate problems and more like parts of the same plan.

Her voice dropped to a whisper.

"Someone inside the company is doing this."