Chapter 2 While They Celebrate

On the day of the tender meeting, I showed up at the Wetland Project site right on time.

I did not need to check to know how things had gone on Jenna's side. I knew the weight of my own proposal better than anyone.

When my assistant, Celeste Trevelyan, messaged me, I was crouched by the construction site, studying the blueprints.

'Ms. Cladwell, the tender results are out. Jenna got the Cirrus Project. Mr. Cladwell personally went on stage to back her, and Mr. Grant was there too. She stole the spotlight completely. Mr. Cladwell even said Jenna is the backbone of Cladwell Co.'s future.'

I gave a quiet hum, not even lifting my head. It was exactly what I expected.

'Also…' Celeste hesitated for a moment. 'The company group chat has exploded.'

I opened the group chat and was immediately bombarded with messages.

Scrolling up, I saw a photo Jenna had posted from the tender venue. She stood on stage, holding the project file, smiling sweetly. The caption read, 'Thank you, Adrian and Harvey, for trusting me. I'll do my best!'

Adrian had replied to it with a comment, 'This is the kind of talent Cladwell Co. needs.'

Harvey had liked it too.

Beneath that was a flood of praise.

'Jenna really lives up to being a top graduate. She landed a billion-dollar project on her first try.'

'Mr. Cladwell has such a great eye, discovering someone this outstanding.'

'So what if someone worked on it for three months? She still got outdone by an intern!'

'Exactly. Jenna's capable and kind, unlike certain people who think being the CEO's daughter makes them untouchable.'

I read through each message, my finger pausing on the screen.

Another message from Celeste came in, full of indignation. 'They're all opportunists, siding with whoever's winning. Jenna even treated the whole company to afternoon tea to celebrate. Shameless. And the bill was paid by Mr. Cladwell!'

I did not reply. Instead, I opened my social media, posted a photo from the Wetland Project site, and added a caption, 'New project, new starting point. See you in three months.'

At that, I locked my phone and went back to the blueprints.

I had already organized the project's problem list the night before. There were three core issues: the environmental assessment was stalled, the contractors were in dispute, and the funding chain had broken.

For the environmental assessment, I had already contacted an old classmate at the city's Department of Environmental Protection and set up a meeting for the next day. As for the contractors, after reviewing the contracts all night, I had found a loophole that would allow renegotiation.

The funding issue was the trickiest, but it was not impossible to solve.

I pulled out my notebook and wrote down the day's tasks one by one. When I finished, I closed it and stood up.

The project site was desolate. The workers had long since left, leaving only an old gatekeeper behind.

He sized me up, suspicion clear in his eyes. "You're the new person in charge? This project's not easy, young lady. Three project managers have already quit before you."

"I know." I took the keys from his hand. "That's why I'm here."

He shook his head and said nothing more.

…

At two in the afternoon, I met with the contractor in charge. The moment he saw me, his attitude was dismissive. "Ms. Cladwell, it's not that I don't want to cooperate. The project itself has problems. The environmental approval is stuck with the government. We can't even start construction."

I laid the contract loopholes I had compiled in front of him. "I'll handle the environmental approval. But before that, we need to renegotiate the contract price. According to Clause 7, Section 3, your side has committed three breaches. We have the right to demand a price adjustment."

His expression changed.

He clearly had not expected someone who had just taken over the project to have examined the contract in such detail.

The negotiation lasted three hours.

In the end, the contractor agreed to a 15% reduction.

…

At eight that night, I returned to the office. The group chat was still flooded with messages about Jenna.

She had posted photos of the afternoon tea, surrounded by people, smiling brightly. 'I'm so happy today, thank you all for your support!'

Adrian commented below, 'Keep it up. If you do well on the Cirrus Project, you'll be a major contributor.'

Harvey added, 'You have real talent, Jenna. Your future is limitless.'

More praise followed.

'Jenna's amazing. I'm honestly jealous.'

'Mr. Cladwell and Mr. Grant treat her so well. She's practically their precious little sister.'

I ignored it, closed the chat, and opened the environmental assessment documents, continuing my work.

My phone buzzed again. It was Celeste. 'Ms. Cladwell, I heard Mr. Cladwell said in the department group that the Wetland Project is trash. He said your father gave it to you so you wouldn't compete for the inheritance. He even said you're just there to take the blame.'

I looked at the message and let out a faint, casual smile. 'I'm busy. No need to waste time on them.'