Love's Bitter Edge (Eva and Leonard)

Chapter 52

Chapter 52 Remember to Pay Up

we barely slept all night. Emma's design was genuinely good, creative, and eco-friendly. But a small misstep somewhere had thrown off the entire project. Eventually, I started reviewing it from scratch and found the root of the problem. "Look here. You didn't make this change, right? The dimensions are off by an inch."

Emma adjusted her glasses and squinted at the screen before slamming her hand on the table. "No way, who changed my design? No wonder the data was so messed up!"

"Someone must have altered the file when I wasn't looking. I thought I accidentally deleted the original file!"

I had considered

this possibility earlier but hadn't mentioned it. We didn't have time to identify the culprit. She started correcting the data while I assisted her. After several hours of hard work, we finally finished the files as dawn broke. Emma hugged me with a hoarse voice. "Eva, without you, I'd be done for. You're my tesaver, like my second parent!

"I'm fine with being your lifesaver, but not your parent. I'm not ready for motherhood, thank you very much," I said while patting her head, which she brushed off in mock annoyance. Her throat was so strained she could barely tall Thad a headache from staying up all night Recently, I'd noticed Leonard seemed intent on keeping me away from company projects, leaving the design department with less to do. But Emma was in worse shape than 1 was... She could barely stand and had to attend the bid meeting. We discussed it, and she ask "You've already taken the day off, so help me out."

It'll be fine. You're smart enough for this," she reassured me. As

her businesslike demeanor. After thinking it over, I realized I was familiar enough with the project to handle it, so I started

arrived at the bid meeting, 1saw Zack and Leonard with their teams. Instinctively, I looked away. Emma noticed them too and sighed heavily.

Emma would undoubtedly stir things up. I could also feel a

patted my shoulder and said in her usually deep valor, "I'll

trouble. As soon as she took the stage, her raspy voice shocked the audience. But she powered through and presented the entire design

Department Three and was well-developed but more costly than Emma's budget-friendly approach. Zack's team seemed eager, but they Lacked experience and couldn't fully grasp the

the bid. She came off the stage

"Eva"

and popping a throat lozenge in her

was a magnetic baritone, sending shivers down my spine.

Harmon Group. How could you help another

betraying us?" she accused, with a few members from Design Department Three nodding in agreement. Since

you're a great designer. Why didn't you help your own