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Two months later, the Astor Corporation’s project officially opened for bidding.
Based on my six years of experience at the company in my past life and my exhaustive preparation for this project, I knew that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the proposal I held was the absolute best.
The only problem was my company was too new. We had to outsource many components, which drove up our costs. The biggest question was whether the Astor Corporation would cho- ose us based on the strength of the plan alone.
I gripped the report in my hand.
The next second, the proposal presented by the Vance Corporation sent a chill down my spine.
It was identical to the one my team and I had spent four agonizing months creating.
My colleague couldn’t contain himself. He shot up from his seat, a bitter laugh escaping him. “And how can your company guarantee that this proposal is, in fact, your own work?”
my lips.
I stared at the PowerPoint presentation, which was a perfect copy down to the last punctuation mark, and a cold smile touched
Was it Scarlett?
But in her past life, she had coasted through a third–rate college, never once getting involved in her family’s business, let alone having anything to do with the Astor Corporation. Besides, I
had refined and polished this proposal over fifty times.
It had to be a leak from inside my own company.
A thin layer of sweat slicked my palms.
Losing the project was a small matter. But if we were branded as plagiarists in the industry, our company would be finished before it even started.
Due to the allegations of plagiarism, the bidding was suspended.
I had just stepped out of the Astor Tower when a luxury car pulled up, the tinted window rolling down.
It was Scarlett.
I stared at her, my face a blank mask. “You did this?”
She smiled, a triumphant curve of her lips. “You can only blame your secretary for being so easily tempted. Luna, why did you have to go anywhere near the Astor Corporation?”
A flicker of guilt crossed her face, but it was gone in an instant. “Don’t blame me. I just don’t want to repeat my past mistakes. You’ve already stolen everything from me once. This is just
you returning what was always mine to begin with.”
The chat, after a moment of shock, filled with understanding.
[Chat She’s just scared. She hasn’t really done anything wrong.]
[Chat. I suddenly feel so bad for her. She was raised as a princess, had everything she ever wanted, and now she’s so insecure… It’s all Luna’s fault. If it weren’t for Luna, she would have had a happy life.]
[Chat Are the people above me complete morons? Hasn’t done anything wrong? Stealing someone’s work is justified now? If it wasn’t Luna, it would be some other ambitious girl. Is it a crime to seize an opportunity to better yourself? You all keep calling the MC a thief, but I think “she’s the real thief here!]
[Chat I’m officially on Team Luna now. Shaffer is already with her, so why does she have to be so cruel? I watched Luna kill herself for this project, staying up until two in the morning every single night for the last four months.)
Just when I thought all hope was lost, Shaffer appeared before me, alone.
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