Sign the Papers Mr. Langford novel Chapter 30

Willow pressed her lips together and stayed silent.

She knew exactly what Lawrence's answer would be.

The more self-righteous he felt, the less he cared about avoiding suspicion.

And as long as he wasn't actively keeping a distance, she could secure her footing step by step.

Willow lowered her head and murmured obediently, "Then I'll do whatever you think is best, Lawrence."

That afternoon, the Langford Philanthropy Dept emailed the project files for the rehab manual to Willow.

Lawrence was copied on the email.

Seeing Lawrence's personal sign-off—'To be overseen by Willow Whitaker'—Willow finally felt a solid surge of elation.

She wasn't just a pretty accessory hovering around Lawrence anymore.

She was officially working for him.

She could represent him publicly and earn him prestige.

She could prove to the world that she was infinitely more suited to stand beside Lawrence Langford than Wren ever was.

Willow opened her laptop and meticulously edited the proposal.

She genuinely understood rehabilitation medicine, and she certainly knew how to package a charity project to make it look spectacular.

She wasn't incompetent.

She just understood a brutal truth: talent meant absolutely nothing if no one saw it.

Since they were children, Wren had always effortlessly commanded the spotlight.

Wren had the best grades, Wren was the prettier one, and Wren had an incredibly accomplished mother.

Even after Vivian Vance died, Wren remained the untouchable eldest daughter of the Whitaker family.

And what about her?

She was also a Whitaker daughter, yet she was forever treated like an interloper.

So, she had to snatch what she wanted.

Everything Wren had, she was going to have too.

And whatever Wren failed to hold onto, she would gladly take over.

At dusk, Lawrence received a call from Willow.

Her voice carried a note of cautious excitement.

"Lawrence, I just sent the first draft of the manual to your inbox. Do you have a moment to review it? I'm worried it might not be perfect, and I don't want to tarnish Langford Medical's philanthropic image."

Lawrence had just stepped out of a grueling meeting. Hearing her voice, his tone softened considerably.

"I already looked at it. Your core concept is solid."

The line went completely silent for a second.

Then, Willow's voice melted into pure relief. "Really?"

"Yeah," Lawrence said. "The Philanthropy Dept will help you set up a meeting with the foundation tomorrow."

"Thank you, Lawrence," Willow said softly. "I promise I'll work hard. I won't embarrass you."

*I won't embarrass you.*

Those words made Lawrence freeze for a moment.

It was true—Willow never humiliated him in public.

She always knew exactly what to say, how to read the room, and how to maintain the Langford family's flawless reputation.

Unlike Wren.

Lately, it seemed Wren's only goal in life was to antagonize him.

Thinking of this, Lawrence's expression iced over again.

Here, there were only problems.

And problems always had solutions.

When Julian York pushed the door open, Wren was hunched over the desk, tweaking parameters.

She heard him enter but didn't look up. "I checked group seven's data. The dynamic compensation worked, but the extreme outliers are still wildly unstable."

Julian placed a cup of hot coffee right next to her hand.

"Take a five-minute break."

Wren finally lifted her head.

"I'm not tired."

"You've only had half a glass of water since noon."

Wren blinked.

She hadn't even noticed.

Julian's tone was incredibly gentle. "Ms. Whitaker, R&D isn't about running yourself into the ground. If Vivian Vance were still here, she wouldn't want to see you working like this."

Wren's grip on her pen loosened.

Julian rarely used her mother to lecture her.

But this time, it struck a nerve.

She set her pen down, picked up the coffee, and took a sip.

It was bitter.

But the temperature was absolutely perfect.

Julian slid a folder across the desk toward her.

"Dr. Sterling had this couriered over this afternoon. It's a collection of public research notes your mother contributed to years ago. There are some foundational concepts in here that might help you break through."