Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan) novel Chapter 3016

"Nothing," Emily said with a fleeting smile. She shoved a stack of documents into her bag. "I've got site visits. I'll see you later."

Watching her walk away, Edwina frowned, chewing over her cryptic words.

Adelaide's assistant suddenly appeared. "Edwina? The director wants to see you."

"Oh, right! Be right there," she stammered, shaking herself out of her daze and hurrying toward the corner office.

As she stepped inside, Adelaide looked up, her face breaking into a warm, inviting smile. "Edwina! Take a seat."

She sat down nervously. "You wanted to see me?"

Setting her pen aside, Adelaide asked brightly, "How are the Sterling drafts coming along? We're presenting to Mr. Greco in two days."

Edwina shifted uncomfortably. "I'm... struggling to find an angle."

Adelaide's smile cooled slightly. "Didn't I give you a reference file? You can't even pull something together with a template in front of you?"

"It's not that," Edwina mumbled, her eyes darting away. "I just... I really don't want to use Emily's work."

"I didn't tell you to copy it line for line. You're a professional; you know how to adapt it."

"Even so, if she recognizes it, everyone will know I plagiarized."

Leaning back in her plush leather chair, Adelaide looked at her with a calculating gleam. "You don't trust me to handle it?"

Edwina stared at her in shock.

Adelaide's sharp features made her look remarkably severe when she dropped the friendly facade. Her tone turned dead serious. "Let me be brutally honest with you. Padgett despises me. He opposes me at every executive meeting. Emily is his golden girl. Do you really think she's ever going to fall in line with me?

"Next month is the mid-year review, and there is only one promotion slot for Senior Designer. I want it to be you. But looking at the sheer numbers, her performance metrics blow yours out of the water. If you don't take this opportunity to leapfrog her, she's going to steal that promotion right out from under you.

Glancing at her, Adelaide let her voice ice over. "Of course, you could just do nothing. You can show up on Wednesday empty-handed, let Emily play the hero, and watch her add another massive win to her portfolio. When the promotion board meets, she'll be the undisputed choice. Even if I try to go to bat for you, my hands will be tied.

"I am handing you the fast track to success on a silver platter because I believe in your potential. But if you don't have the stomach for it, I won't force you."

The threat was thinly veiled, hanging heavy in the air.

If Edwina wanted to survive at Paragon Pixel Design, she had no choice. Clenching her jaw, she gave a slow, definitive nod. "I'll do whatever you say."

Adelaide beamed. "That's the spirit. Look out for number one. Indecisive people never achieve greatness. Stick with me, and I promise you'll be fast-tracked to the top."

"Thank you," Edwina murmured, a nervous edge to her voice.

"Now, go work on that draft while Emily is out running errands," Adelaide instructed cheerfully.