Chapter 3

“Jimelle, where are we on Project Genesis?”

The director, Robert, coughed lightly.

I had a good guess what was happening.

“The final contract will be signed this afternoon—”

Tristan cut me off and towered over me. “Add Cassandra’s name to the contract as co-lead. She’ll handle the follow-up on the remaining payments from here on out.”

Cassandra tugged at his sleeve and sobbed.

“Tristan, forget it. My depression keeps acting up. I don’t have the energy. I don’t deserve to take credit for Jimelle’s work anyway…”

“Nonsense!”

Tristan shot me a glare and said, “Jimelle, this project is Cass’ only shot at getting confirmed! You’re about to be the salesperson of the year anyway. Would it kill you to let her share a little of the credit?!”

Robert looked uneasy.

“Tristan, Project Genesis has great margins, but the client is a nightmare. As per our risk control policy, any co-lead is also on the hook for shared KPI liability. Cass just got here.”

Tristan said, “I’ve reviewed the first three quarters’ numbers. Cash flow is looking good. What risk are we even talking about?

“Robert, don’t make excuses for her. Jimelle already did all the grunt work upfront. Now, it’s just a victory lap. How could Cass possibly mess up wrapping things up at the end?”

Watching his smug face as he practically handed the golden opportunity to Cassandra, I sighed and slid the document across the desk toward him.

“Fine. Since you’re so confident, Mr. Zabel, I’ll step aside and hand this one off. This is the official transfer of responsibilities. As of today, Cassandra owns all ongoing work and KPI exposure on Project Genesis. I’m withdrawing from this project.”

Tristan was stunned for a moment when he saw me agree so readily.

He sneered, pulled out his fountain pen, and signed his name in the approval section as the overseeing vice president.

“Good call! I’ll clear it with risk management. I’ve got Cass’ numbers covered. If anything happens, I’ll put my own job on the line and take the fall.”

I smirked as I saw his bold signature.

He had no idea that Project Genesis, which looked like a great deal, was only being held up by my personal connections and a high-stakes performance clause I had in place.

It was a ticking time bomb. Once I walked away, it was going to blow up in their faces.

Whoever took over would spend next month getting hounded by the client and get stuck with a pile of uncollectible debt. They would become a total joke across the industry.

Cassandra barely suppressed her smugness and thanked me.

I stood up and left my work badge and access card on the desk.

“Mr. Lance will handle the rest of the paperwork. Enjoy working together.”

Tristan frowned and grabbed my wrist. “You’re not even taking your badge? You’re acting weird today.”

I glanced at the old watch on his wrist that I had given him, then I pried his fingers off me.

“Get that thing sanitized. I’ve got plans this afternoon. Don’t bother waiting up tonight.”

As the elevator doors closed, I watched Cassandra clinging to his arms and pointing at that contract with a beaming smile.

‘Smile all you want. This will be the last time you two take anything from me,’ I thought.

At noon, I took the spare key and drove the car Tristan usually used straight to a used car dealership.

I sat in the cafe across the street and called the dealership owner, Leo Wade.

“Leo, I brought the car. The pink slip’s in the glove box. I’ll sign a limited power of attorney. Get someone to take it for now and rush the paperwork. Just sell it outright. Sixty percent of book value.”

Half an hour later, after deducting the expedited service fee, the advance payment was transferred to the offshore virtual account I had prepared in advance.

I tossed him the keys, turned, and walked into the designer boutique next door. I sold every bag Tristan had ever given me as “makeup gifts.”

I had spent a month erasing every trace of myself from this city.

As for the few thousand dollars left in my domestic bank account, I left it there for him to deal with the mess he had created.