Chapter 4

"Good morning, Ms. Ford."

Kiara whirled around to look at Stephanie. She wore a shirt with a V-neck. As she spoke, she'd tug her shirt downward to reveal the hickeys scattered across her chest.

Bile kept rising in Stephanie's throat, prompting her to turn on her heel and walk away.

Coincidentally, Tyler walked out of the kitchen with a plate of fried eggs. When he noticed Stephanie, he spoke up right away.

"Steph, let's head over to the company together later."

"I'm not going to the company." Stephanie didn't bother glancing back at Tyler. "I'm going to the hospital."

"The hospital? Are you feeling unwell?" Tyler placed the eggs on the dining table. "I'll go with you."

He was about to approach Stephanie when Kiara grabbed his arm.

"Have you forgotten about your promise, Ty? You told me you'd accompany me today…" She sounded pitiful and aggrieved.

As Kiara expected, Tyler stopped in his tracks hesitantly.

Stephanie seemed to have predicted the same thing as well. She left the house on her own, no longer caring about Tyler's phony acts.

As Tyler watched Stephanie leave, he felt slightly uneasy for some reason. But he was aware of how much she loved him. At most, she'd get mad at him for not accompanying her to the hospital. What was there to worry about?

Once Stephanie reached the hospital, she went through a thorough checkup.

"The state of your gastritis has worsened. I'll prescribe you some medicine. Remember to take it on time," the doctor said as he looked at the report.

Stephanie heaved a sigh of relief. Thank goodness she wasn't pregnant at all.

"Ms. Ford, did you overwork yourself again? Did you stay up past midnight and skip meals often?" The doctor wore a stoic look. "You might be young now, but if you don't take your gastritis seriously, you'll most likely suffer from major health problems in the future."

Stephanie could only smile bitterly in return. It was true that she had devoted all of her efforts to the project to the point that she neglected her own health.

But now, the project was in its final stage. There was no need for her to work herself to the bone anymore.

"Thank you, doctor. I'll be more careful with my health."

"And not just during this period, you know. You'll have to take care of yourself from now on."

"Got it," Stephanie replied softly. "I won't wreck my health ever again."

Once she grabbed her medication and left the hospital, she set off to the company. As soon as she stepped out of the elevator, she heard a gentle and kind voice addressing the other employees.

"We'll be colleagues from now on. Here's a little something from me. Don't be shy, everyone!"

"Wow! These are pastries from May's Delights! I remember that bakery being on the pricier side!"

"Ms. Grover, you're so generous!"

"I'm glad to see everyone liking these pastries!"

The colleagues in the Executive Office crowded around Kiara, who was distributing the pastries to them one by one.

"Ms. Ford, you're here!" A colleague greeted Stephanie when she saw her. "Come, come! This is Ms. Kiara Grover, our new colleague!"

Kiara looked at Stephanie, a smile tracing her ruby lips. There was a faint hint of provocation and delight in her smile.

Stephanie frowned slightly, but she chose to ignore Kiara. Instead, she walked toward her own workspace. Her assistant, Brenda Miller, scooted over instantly while wearing a resentful and upset look.

"Why must this happen to you, Ms. Ford?"

"What's wrong?" Stephanie turned on her computer as she wanted to refine one of the schedules in the project.

"You've put in so much effort into the project during this period. Why is it that others get to savor your fruit of labor?"

That was when Stephanie paused in her typing.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Mr. Grover just announced that the project you're in charge of will be transferred to Ms. Grover, effective today." Brenda sounded very miffed.

Stephanie could feel blood rushing to her head instantly.

No wonder Kiara shot her that look. It turned out that she got to rob Stephanie's fruit of labor that she had been cultivating for the past half a year or so without even lifting a finger.

Stephanie rose to her feet instantly. Then, she strode right into Tyler's office.

"Are you planning to let Kiara head that project?"

Having expected that Stephanie would confront him, Tyler remained calm and composed.

"You've been working far too hard for so long," he said gently. "In fact, you even visited the hospital today. I'm very worried about your health, Steph. That's why I decided to transfer the project over to Kiki."

But Stephanie just sneered in return. "The project is already in its final stage. The hard times are already over. Who will you list as the person in charge when the project ends? Who will be the one receiving the profit generated by this project?"

She almost ruined her health by working hard on this project. Yet, Tyler intended to let Kiara take the credit with just a simple command.

"Steph!" Tyler's expression darkened slightly. "I want Kiki to participate in the collaboration with the Fords. If she's listed as the contributor of this project, it'll greatly benefit me. Can you settle down already?"