Chapter 61 Sixty One


    Hearing Naomi’s absolute words, Grace felt helpless. If the client was against using Isabelle’s design,


    what else could she do?


    When she had first received the rejection notice, she had thought it was something to do with the


    design, even though no clearmentary had been made on what Green Leaf found unsatisfactory.


    But now, after meeting the person who was in charge, she realised the design wasn’t the problem. The


    designer was.


    The CEO excused himself, and Naomi left with him. There was clearly no space for further


    negotiations.


    It was either that the Larson Group presented a draft from a different designer, or the coboration was


    off. The customer always came first, so Grace would have to go back and send them the second-best


    design from the submissions.


    “We should get back,” she told Isabelle. “Let’s talk about it at thepany.”


    She couldn’t imagine how disappointed Isabelle was to have her design rejected for some trivial


    reason. She had worked so hard on it, and even though Grace hadn’t worked with her for long, she


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    could tell that she was quite passionate about her work.


    They stepped back into the elevator to head to the ground floor. “It’s okay,” Isabelle told her as they


    began the descent. “She will never ept my design. You should choose another draft for the project.”


    Grace sighed, not happy that a serious project was being derailed because of what she could tell was a


    personal grudge. “She acted like she had a grudge against you. Have you ever offended her?”


    Isabelle nodded. “You could say that.”


    Grace sighed again. How unlucky were they to meet a client who couldn’t draw a line between their


    professional and personal life?


    Was that any way to run a business? After what she had seen about the woman who was in charge of


    the project, she was sure working with her would not be easy. Or maybe it would once Isabelle was out


    of the picture.


    “This is unfair to you,” she told Isabelle. “You rightfully won the opportunity to be on this project. Green


    Leaf are making a big mistake by letting you go because of some personal vendetta. If they don’t


    prioritise quality, at the end of the day, they will be the ones to suffer.”


    The elevator doors opened and they stepped onto the ground floor. Grace looked at her watch and


    realised that it was about time for her meeting with another client.


    “You’ll have to get back to thepany without me,” she told Isabelle. “There’s a client I’m meeting


    elsewhere.”


    “Thanks foring with me,” Isabelle told her as they parted. “At least now I know there was nothing


    wrong with my design.”


    Grace gave her a gentle pat on her shoulder. “You’re truly talented, and hard working too. Don’t let


    anyone make you doubt yourself. I’ll see you at work.”


    Isabelle nodded and watched her go. Before Isabelle could leave the building too, she noticed Naomi


    walking towards her. She must have taken a different elevator down.


    Isabelle sighed, not being in the mood to entertain her sister anymore. “What do you want?”


    Naomi’s lips curled in a sneer as she came to a stop in front of Isabelle. “You’re still so naive, aren’t


    you? When will you realise that the sess or failure of a woman depends on whether she has found


    the right man or not? My boyfriend gives me everything I want. I can even bar you from the industry if I


    want.”


    Isabelle crossed her arms over her chest and scoffed. “Is that so? You’ve had quite a number of


    boyfriends, how far along have youe?” She tapped a finger on her chin thoughtfully. “I recall that


    you dumped your first boyfriend because his family went bankrupt. You left the second one because he


    developed a serious ailment, and the third…ah. His parents were arrested.” She tilted her head as she


    studied her sister’s suddenly narrowed eyes. “Forget your failure and sess, I believe you bring bad


    luck to everyone you date.”


    Naomi folded one hand into a fist and took a threatening step forward. “Watch your mouth.”


    “I wonder what bad luck you’ll bring to this one who gives you everything you want,” Isabelle mused,


    undeterred by the furious look on her sister’s face.


    Before Naomi could spout further nonsense, Isabelle walked past her and made it outside the building.


    Naomi went after her, probably desperate to have thest word. But Isabelle hailed a taxi and left her


    fuming on the front steps of thepany building.


    ***


    That evening at home, Jacob noticed that Isabelle was in a low mood. She hadn’t said much after


    elsewhere.


    Since she had been okay when she left in the morning, he figured something must have happened at


    work.


    “Is something wrong?” he asked eventually, hoping he could fix whatever was bothering her. He had


    fired the director who had been giving her a hard time and hired a new one. Isabelle wasn''t still being


    bullied at work, was she? He would never tire of getting rid of anyone who caused her grief.


    She looked at him and shook her head. “It’s nothing,” she said, “just some work stuff.”


    Well, that was his specialty, wasn’t it?


    He gave her a smile and arched an eyebrow. “You still consider me an outsider, don’t you?”


    “Uh?” she mumbled.


    “Do you not want to share what happened since you still regard me as a stranger?”


    “Oh, I… No, I…” she trailed off and sighed. “There is this new project at work. It’s a coboration


    between ourpany and another one called Green Leaf. All the designers in my department


    submitted drafts, and mine was chosen for the project. But when the director sent it to Green Leaf, they


    rejected it and demanded a redesign.”


    Jacob frowned. He had never known a design from the design department at the Larson Group to be


    rejected anywhere. If anything, otherpanies would give anything to have designers from Larson


    working on their projects. “Did they say why they rejected it?”


    Isabelle sighed again. “Well, that’s the thing. They rejected it because I was the designer behind it. My


    sister is in charge of the project over at Green Leaf.”


    “What?” That was absurd.


    Isabelle shrugged. “You already know that she doesn’t like me. I apanied the director to Green


    Leaf to discuss the drafts and ran into her. She made it clear that if I was the one working on the


    project, herpany would rather cancel the project. The CEO so happens to be her boyfriend, so he


    did what she asked. Now, the director has to send them another draft.”


    “That’s not right,” Jacob said, clenching his jaw.


    Isabelle smiled sadly and waved her hand in dismissal. “What’s done is done. I’m sure I’ll have a go at


    another project soon.”


    Jacob shook his head. He refused to let Isabelle’s hard work go to waste just because of her evil sister.


    “Don’t worry, she won’t be arrogant for long.”


    He already knew what to do to put her in her ce.