Jealousy Alpha's Regret novel Chapter 48

Chapter 48

I kept my breathing even, refusing to give her the satisfaction of

seeing me rattled. I was curious to see how far she would take this

little power play, so I remained silent, watching her.

When I didn’t respond, Megan’s smile faltered slightly. “Is this just

your design habit, Ms. Stone?” she asked, her voice taking on a

patronizing tone. “Or did you misunderstand the brief?”

I felt a cold amusement bubbling up inside me. Does she really think

I’ll break that easily?

“Oh, I see the confusion,” I finally said, my voice calm and slightly

puzzled. “Ms. Claire must not be familiar with next–generation design

concepts yet.” I looked around at my colleagues with a small smile.

“This is my innovation draft. If you’re having trouble understanding

the approach, that’s completely normal.”

I saw a flash of anger in Megan’s eyes, quickly masked behind another

perfect smile. The other designers shifted uncomfortably in their

seats, sensing the tension.

“Innovation,” Megan repeated, drawing out the word. “Well, since Ms.

Stone is so… innovative, I think this is the perfect opportunity to

showcase your talents.” Her smile widened, revealing perfectly white

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Chapter 48

teeth. “Why don’t you take the lead on the main design proposal for

the North Star project?”

Our team leader’s eyes widened in shock. This was unprecedented-

giving a major project lead to an intern. Everyone knew what Megan

was doing: setting me up to fail spectacularly.

“The entire main proposal?” I asked, deliberately injecting

uncertainty into my voice. “But I’m just an intern.”

“If you want to shut people up, you need to show what you’re capable

of,” Megan said sweetly, her eyes cold. “Unless you don’t think you’re

up to the task?”

I looked down at my sketches, pretending to consider her challenge.

Inside, my mind was already racing ahead, planning exactly how I

would approach this project. I would create something that blended

the Aurora style that had made me famous with new elements that

would showcase growth.

No one here knows that I am Aurora, I thought with a private

satisfaction. My pseudonym has protected my identity well, allowing my

work to speak for itself without the Stone or Grey name attached. That

secret identity had been my salvation during my marriage, a creative

outlet where I could shine without anyone connecting the dots. Now,

it would become my silent weapon in this challenge.

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Chapter 48

“Are you sure about this assignment?” I asked, carefully constructing

my tone to sound hesitant. “It’s a significant responsibility.”

“Absolutely,” Megan confirmed, triumph flashing in her eyes. She

thought she’d cornered me. I believe in throwing people into the

deep end to see if they can swim.”

“Alright then,” I said with a small nod. “I’ll do my best.”

As the meeting ended, I gathered my materials slowly, watching

Megan from the corner of my eye. She was already on her phone,

probably reporting to whoever had helped orchestrate her return to

Crescent Design.

Back at my desk, I settled in and opened my design program. Every

time Megan walked by on her “rounds” of the department, I quickly

switched to a blank screen, letting her believe I was struggling. Each

time she passed, I caught the small satisfied smirk on her face.

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