Does she think | wonât go just because she didnât invite me to it? Well, that makes me want to go even more. âGreat. From now on, | want you to tell me everything about Elliot. Also, | want you to keep an eye on Anastasia. If she has any intimate interactions with Elliot, | need you to tell me immediately.â
Daniel held a relatively important position in the company, although he wasnât as powerful as Elliotâs head assistant, Timothy.
Regardless, Daniel still had access to most of Elliot's daily schedules. After Daniel left, Hayley still felt too furious to go to bed.
What does Old Madam Presgrave mean by this? Is she looking down on me? Does she want me to stay away from Elliot?
Hayley was especially furious because of the unfair treatment .
The next morning, Anastasia rushed to her office after sending Jared to school. Today was a day she had been looking forward to. When she arrived at the office, Grace opened the door and came over to give Anastasia some words of comfort. âDonât mind all the nonsense that they say about you, Anastasia. | trust that you and President Presgrave are innocent.â Anastasia could no longer be bothered by these things-she felt that there was no point in clarifying such matters, and that she shouldnât be living her life based on othersâ comments.
It was about 10.00AM when Anastasiaâs landline rang. âHello?â She picked the call up.
âYou need to come for a meeting, Anastasia. | have the list of winners with me.â Feliciaâs voice came from the other end.
Anastasia felt her heart skipping a beat. Is it out already? | thought it'd only be out by the afternoon. She headed to the meeting room with a mixture of fear and excitement coursing through her veins.
The rest of the staff members from the design department were already there, but Felicia had yet to arrive. Alice shot Anastasia a cold glare as Anastasia sat down opposite her. Anastasia merely cast her an uninterested glance.
â| wonder if itâs Alice or Anastasia who won the prize! I'm so excited! Thatâs 1 million worth of cash right there.â One of the junior designers made the atmosphere tenser on purpose.
âWe'll find out once the director arrives,â another person replied. Right then, Felicia walked into the room and glanced at the two competitors before taking a seat at the table. âThe sponsored meal that you guys have been waiting for has been approved.
Would you guys like to eat together tonight?â
âOf course! We'd love a feast, Director Evans,â someone cried. Both Alice and Anastasia exchanged glances. Judging by the look on Feliciaâs face, they could tell that someone in the company must have won a prize. The winner had to be one of them.
A look of jealousy flashed in Aliceâs gaze. Itâs obvious. It has to be Anastasia. âAlright! Letâs organize dinner for tonight! Well, I'm going to proceed with announcing the winners and the prizes that they will receive. Firstly, I'd like to congratulate the champion of this jewelry design competition -Anastasia! You've won a total of 1 million!â
Anastasia heard a loud ringing sound in her ears before Felicia even finished her sentence. Me? Am | the winner? Does the 1 million belong to me? Her heart was filled with joy at that moment-she had finally gotten the money she needed for her son.
Felicia turned to Alice before she continued speaking. âThe company decided to also provide some rewards to those who were selected, so Alice gets 20,000 as a consolation prize.â Alice curled her lips up into a sarcastic smile. A consolation prize, huh?
What a joke.
Right then, the room erupted into applause as Anastasia found herself drowned by a bunch of wishes. She hastily thanked the people who congratulated her before turning to thank Felicia. âThank you for your encouragement and support, Director Evans.â
âYou got this because of your own skills, Anastasia. Continue to work hard, okay? Alright, the meetingâs over. You guys can decide on a place to have dinner tonight.â
Felicia stepped out of the room, and Anastasia was just about to leave when Alice crossed her arms and let out a scoff. âDonât you feel any shame for taking this 1 million, Anastasia?â
âWhy should | feel ashamed?â Anastasia asked in return. She was confident about her own work.
â| donât think you should thank Director Evans. Maybe you should thank President Presgrave instead-| bet you only got this prize because he put in a good word for you. He was the one who gave you this 1 million. | wouldnât have the nerve to take this money if | were you!â
Alice let out a scoff and walked out after finishing her sentence. Anastasia was the only one left in the meeting room after that, and her mind went blank for a few seconds.