Chapter 186

Chapter 186:

Tina extended one of the coffee cups to Sadie. “What happened last night? I ran into Mr. Wall. He… he asked me where you were.” Her voice faltered, her eyes darting nervously as if she was fearful of overstepping.

Sadie’s expression turned contemplative. Noah had asked about her whereabouts?

Sadie had thought that Noah and Kyla had deliberately arranged for those people to humiliate her.

A chill ran down her spine, freezing her to the core, and her heart sank. Tina noticed the sudden change in her expression and grew even more uneasy.

“Sadie, are you… are you okay?”

Sadie took a deep breath, trying to steady herself.

“I’m fine,” she replied flatly, accepting the coffee Tina offered. The steam from the coffee warmed her face, but it couldn’t melt the icy weight in her chest.

She pushed open the door to her storeroom office, where a faint musty smell mingled with the scent of fabric. Setting the coffee down without taking a sip, she walked to the desk, pulled out her chair, and sat. Her slender fingers brushed the cold surface of the desk.

Her gaze landed on a design draft at the corner of the desk—a sketch she had created for Wall Group.

Picking up the draft paper, she studied it carefully.

“Timeless Love.”

What was she thinking? Even if Noah wasn’t involved last night, so what? He was married, yet promised another woman “timeless love”? How absurd!

A few days later, the design drafts were complete.

During this time, Jordyn had been unusually quiet, refraining from picking on her. It seemed the warning from last time had indeed worked.

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Sadie organized the printed drafts and placed them on Jordyn’s desk. Jordyn flipped through them absentmindedly.

“Not bad,” she remarked.

Then, she pulled a gold-embossed invitation from her drawer and slid it across the desk toward Sadie.

“Here’s the invitation for Vision Clash; you’ll be a judge, representing Wall Group.”

Sadie picked up the invitation, her fingers tracing the intricate patterns on its surface. Vision Clash was one of the top art and design selection programs in the country, with judges being the best masters in the industry. Her gaze calm and steady, Sadie said, “But this is outside the scope of my work. My cooperation with Wall Group is strictly design-related, nothing else.”

Jordyn’s lips curled into a cold smile. “This is Mr. Wall’s decision.”

Sadie sneered inwardly. Perhaps it was Kyla’s idea too. Lowering her gaze, Sadie said, “Since it’s Mr. Wall’s decision, I guess I have no choice but to comply.”

Jordyn’s eyes glittered with a flicker of triumph as she observed Sadie’s composed demeanor. She relished the thought of Sadie’s forthcoming embarrassment at Vision Clash. Imagine, a woman barely out of her early twenties judging her peers — she wouldn’t be taken seriously! Jordyn smirked.

Her red-nailed fingers drummed a rhythmic, sharp pattern on the desk. Leaning forward, she said, “Miss Hudson, I trust you won’t disappoint us.”

Offering a faint smile, Sadie responded with measured calm, “I’ll do my best.”

She left the room, her movements measured and poised. Behind her, Jordyn’s smile widened as she watched Sadie depart, the corners of her lips curling with satisfaction. Yet, as the distance grew, her smile waned, revealing a trace of concern. Turning to her phone, Jordyn dialed Kyla’s number.

“Hello, Miss Wade, it’s done,” she said, her tone dripping with feigned sweetness.

Kyla’s response was icy. “Did she agree?”

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