Emily was on the phone and didn’t notice what Edwina was doing.
The two simply exchanged a glance before returning to their own work.
Edwina headed back to her desk. She pretended to be busy with something else at first, then, after a while, glanced around discreetly before carefully unfolding the blueprint Adelaide had given her.
As she went through the pages, she couldn’t help feeling secretly alarmed. Emily’s design was flawless. Despite the tight deadline, her submission was thorough, detailed, and aligned seamlessly with Sterling Properties’ corporate culture—while still incorporating her own creative ideas.
Honestly, Edwina knew that even if she had two weeks, rather than just two days, she probably couldn’t have produced drawings like these.
This blueprint would be perfectly acceptable to hand over to the leadership at Sterling Properties—especially as a preliminary submission.
So why was Adelaide targeting Emily like this?
After thinking it over, Edwina could see the logic. Adelaide must have found out before she came onboard that Padgett was originally supposed to be the department head. Now, as a newcomer, she needed to build her own network—and protect herself against Padgett.
And since Emily was someone Padgett valued, she naturally became Adelaide’s first target.
Edwina’s gaze flickered as she came to understand why Adelaide was trying to draw her in.
Emily was just a designer; Adelaide was management. Now Edwina herself needed to take sides.
Should she choose friendship, or her future?
Edwina clutched the blueprint a little tighter and sighed inwardly. The truth was, she didn’t need to dwell on it. The moment she’d accepted the blueprint from Adelaide, she’d already made her choice.
A pang of guilt struck her, but at the same time, she understood: sooner or later, both Emily and Padgett would be on their way out.
That’s what passed for camaraderie among coworkers, wasn’t it? You got along if you clicked, but would anyone really put themselves on the line for someone else?
With that thought, Edwina felt a faint sense of relief.
*
The man nodded amiably. “This Sterling Properties project—Lake Westhaven is to the southwest, and from here, if you look north, you can see the left peak of Thunder Ridge. The way this property is situated, well, it could turn out real lucky or not—it all depends on the design!”
Emily was surprised. “You know about things like—Feng Shui?”
The man smiled. “I’ve been to a lot of places, heard a lot of ideas—so I know a little.”
Emily grinned. “Isn’t that just superstition?”
The man laughed. “Well, where do you think superstition comes from?” His expression was warm and friendly.
Emily shook her head.
He continued in good humor: “Everything in the world has its own energy. Buildings are no different—you shouldn’t think of them as just dead objects, but as living things. A development like this has an energy field shaped by its surroundings, and in turn, it affects the people who end up living here…”
He went on for a while, and although Emily could only half-follow his explanation, she listened very seriously.

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