Con

CHAPTER 40

Sophia’s POV

I was about to answer Craig’s question over the phone when Reese came over and tapped the end button. I looked at her in surprise, wondering why she had interrupted me. Her face was red, and she looked quite angry, even though her eyes were sleepy.

“Now, sleep! No phone!” Reese declared, her voice firm despite her tiredness. I couldn’t help but smile at her determination. I pinched her nose affectionately, thinking that I would just explain to Craig tomorrow.

“Alright, alright, no phone,” I chuckled, lifting Reese up and placing her gently on her bed. She snuggled into my pillow, already half asleep.

I grabbed a storybook that was lying on my bedside table and began reading it to her. Eventually her eyes closed and she was sound asleep.

“I love you, Reese,” I whispered, giving her a kiss on the cheek and lying down next to her to sleep.

Soon the big day came for Julia and I to present our refined proposal to the entire team. As I stepped into the meeting room, my heart skipped a beat when I saw Serena sitting there, looking as composed as ever. She didn’t even glance in my direction, which made me feel even more nervous.

Holy shit. She will surely shoot down my presentation and all my ideas.

Trevis welcomed everyone, “Good morning, everyone. I’d like to introduce Serena Foster, the Director of Design for the Sinclair Realty Group.”

My heart sank as the others clapped. Serena smiled at them briefly then glanced at me with an expression I couldn’t read.

She’s still angry at me, for sure, even though I haven’t seen Elijah for some time now. But Trevis will see that her comments are unfair and unjustified. Besides, there are plenty others who will also cast their

votes.

As Julia presented her ideas, I couldn’t help but notice the similarities between her work and mine. It was a strange feeling, knowing that our designs overlapped in terms of creativity. There was no clear line in the sand when it came to creativity, making it difficult for me to pinpoint any evidence of plagiarism.

By the time it was my turn to present, I could sense the whispers among my colleagues. They, too, must have noticed the similarities between our work. I took a deep breath and tried to ignore the knot of anxiety in my stomach. I began my presentation, by focusing on the unique aspects of my design that set it apart from Julia’s.

Later on, when the votes were tallied, it became clear that Julia and I had received the same number of votes. I glanced at Serena, whose expression gave nothing away. I knew she must have voted for Julia, based on her earlier reaction to my presentation.

The room fell silent as Trevis’s mysterious smile hung in the air. “I’ve arranged for a special guest to cast the final vote,” he announced, his voice dripping with suspense. “Since we had taken a video of the presentations, we had sent this to someone with the authority to pick the design.”

”

I wasn’t really interested anymore because Julia wasn’t playing fair. It really made me feel bad, especially since I considered her a friend and she’s been acting the opposite lately.

1/2

CHAPTER 40

+25 BONUS

“Please welcome our guest…” Trevis started.

The door creaked open, and all eyes turned to see who would enter. A figure stepped into the room, shrouded in shadows. As the figure moved closer, we could make out the familiar features of Elijah. My heart skipped a beat. What the hell is he doing here?!

Trevis gestured for Elijah to join us, and as he took his place among the panel, the tension in the room grew thicker.

“Everyone, this is my good friend Elijah Sinclair, the President and CEO of Sinclair Realty Group. He also studied design back in the day, and for those of you who are not aware, he’s a multi–awarded businessman in the real estate industry,” Trevis said. “Elijah, you will cast the deciding vote.”

My eyes widened in alarm.

As Elijah spoke, his words felt like a blur to me, full of official jargon about the design process and the luxurious resort project. I couldn’t bring myself to care about what he was saying. My mind was too preoccupied with the outcome of his vote.

Finally, Elijah’s words took a turn that caught my attention. “After careful consideration,” he began, “I believe that Julia’s work not only meets but exceeds the commercial viability needed for this project.”

My heart sank as his words registered. Elijah’s vote was for Julia. Despite all my hard work and dedication, he believed her design was superior.

I tried to maintain my composure, but I could feel the disappointment welling up inside me and eventually turning to anger. This decision doesn’t feel fair. It feels personal.

The room fell silent, and I knew that Julia’s design had been chosen. I forced a smile and

gratulated

Julia, but inside, I felt defeated. All the whispers and doubts about plagiarism seemed to echo louder in my mind.