Michelle Quinn added, "But it’s too windy there, which isn’t good for your postpartum recovery. I’ve been researching postpartum care centers these past few days. I found a few with good privacy and service. I’ll send them to you later so you can pick one."
A hearty laugh ca from Nina Walsh on the other end of the line. "It’s still so early."
"Too early? You have no idea. The famous postpartum centers are so in demand you can’t get a spot even ten months in advance. And the top-tier postpartum nannies? You can’t hire them even if you have the money."
Just figuring out which baby formula and diapers to choose had filled an entire notebook for Michelle Quinn; she was more invested in this than Nina was.
Michelle Quinn then changed the subject to Declan Grant.
"Declan Grant just ca looking for . He asked where you were. I did what you asked and didn’t tell anyone. Dr. Grant asked to pass on a ssage. He said he’ll always be your Second Brother Grant."
On the other end of the phone, Nina Walsh’s expression froze.
Michelle Quinn said, "I’ve been keeping an eye on news about the Grant Family lately. Announcing the engagent was Dr. Grant’s own decision, and Mrs. Grant was so angry she fell ill. Putting everything else aside, I don’t get what Mrs. Grant is trying to do. She was the one who arranged the engagent back then, and now she’s the one who won’t acknowledge it. Anyone with eyes can see that Dr. Grant likes you."
"Shelly, don’t say any more," Nina Walsh interrupted her. "It’s impossible between and Brother Declan. That engagent was called off six years ago. I promised Mrs. Grant I would never contact Brother Declan again. I was the one who broke the agreent first, so I can’t bla Mrs. Grant."
"What? It was called off six years ago? Does Declan Grant know?" Michelle Quinn was stunned.
But Nina Walsh didn’t want to talk about the past anymore. They chatted about a few other things before ending the video call.
Michelle Quinn put her phone away and turned her attention back to her unfinished work.
’She shouldn’t be worrying about others; her own life was a complete ss, too.’
...
At eight in the morning, during the peak of the morning rush, the area in front of the elevators at Lawson Tower was packed.
There was a company eting this morning, and as a secretary, Michelle Quinn had to arrive early to prepare the materials.
She squeezed into the crowded elevator, but before she could steady herself, soone shoved her from behind just as the doors were closing.
Michelle Quinn stumbled and fell out of the elevator, her knees hitting the hard floor. The contents of her bag scattered everywhere.
Low snickers rippled through the crowd.
As Michelle Quinn reached down to pick up her scattered belongings, a lambskin high-heeled shoe suddenly stepped on her sketchbook.
"Director Dalton."
"Director Dalton."
Diana Dalton, head held high, soaked in the attention as she walked toward the VIP elevator. As she did, she left a footprint on Michelle Quinn’s sketchbook.
The VIP elevator opened, and Caron Lawson, standing inside, glanced out.
"Good morning, Mr. Lawson."
Swaying her hips, Diana Dalton stepped into the elevator. Caron Lawson retracted his gaze and nodded at her.
The elevator doors closed quickly, followed by a small commotion outside.
"Are things getting serious between Director Dalton and Mr. Lawson? I see them together all the ti. Now Mr. Lawson is even letting Director Dalton use his private elevator."
"I think so. Last ti, I even saw Mr. Lawson at a restaurant with Director Dalton and his family. Sounds like they’re at the ’et the parents’ stage."
"I’d bet anything our Mr. Lawson and Director Dalton will announce so good news within three months. Just you wait and see..."
"The elevator’s here! Hurry up, or we’ll be late."
Michelle Quinn paid them no mind. She wiped the footprint off her sketchbook and silently squeezed into the next elevator.
Inside the cramped space, soone standing behind Michelle Quinn started making faces.
"Lucia, isn’t your secretarial departnt fully staffed? Why the sudden new hire?"
Lucia was Michelle Quinn’s colleague. When Caron Lawson’s executive assistant resigned last month, she had been the most promising candidate for a promotion. But then Michelle Quinn appeared out of nowhere, brought into the company by Caron Lawson himself.
Everyone in the company knew Lucia couldn’t stand Michelle Quinn.
"Everyone has their specialty. We can only handle the day shift. So people specialize in the night shift, which is sothing we can’t do."
All eyes in the elevator turned to Michelle Quinn. She pretended not to hear, standing up straight with her back rigid.
When the elevator doors opened, she quickly stepped out.
"What’s with the act? Everyone knows she was kicked out of the design departnt for plagiarizing Director Dalton. The nerve of her to co back to the Lawson Group. She’s so shaless."
Soone cursed from behind her just as the elevator doors closed.
Without breaking her stride, Michelle Quinn went to the conference room to set everything up.
As she was leaving the conference room, Caron Lawson happened to be walking over with a group of people.
He wore a crisp, dark suit with a matching tie, his cuffs and collar impeccable. His steps were sharp and decisive, just like his features—fierce and cutting as the wind.
The Lawson Group had many male models, but none could wear a suit with such a noble and ascetic air as he could.
Caron Lawson walked past Michelle Quinn without a single glance, entered the conference room, and sat down in his designated seat, ignoring her completely the entire ti.
At ten in the morning, the eting ended.
Caron Lawson used the internal line to summon Michelle Quinn to his office.
"Get ready. There’s a lunch eting at noon. You’re coming with ," Caron Lawson ordered without looking up.
Michelle Quinn’s heart sank. "Mr. Lawson, I’m not feeling well. Could you ask soone else to go?"
Caron Lawson stopped writing and looked up at her. "Where are you not feeling well?"
Michelle Quinn blurted out, "It’s my period."
Caron Lawson glanced at a calendar. "Isn’t your period supposed to be on the twentieth?"
Michelle Quinn’s face instantly flushed beet red.
Caron Lawson looked at her seriously. "Why did you lie? You don’t want to go out with ?"
"Suit yourself. If you don’t want to go, then don’t."
Caron Lawson turned and picked up a black gift bag from behind him, which bore the logo of a luxury brand.
"I saw this while visiting the stores and thought it would suit you, so I bought it."
"Thank you."
Michelle Quinn took it and glanced inside. It was a black-and-white casual set, simple and clean—just her style.
She stood there for a long mont, holding the bag. Caron Lawson looked up again. "Is there sothing else?"
Michelle Quinn mustered her courage. "For the design departnt’s next quarterly selection, can I participate?"
For each of the Lawson Group’s quarterly product lines, the design departnt’s various teams had to first propose designs. Then, through company-wide discussion and voting, the top three designs would be chosen for production and marketing.
Although Nina was willing to use Maelie to clear her na, Michelle wanted to stand up proudly right where she had fallen.
"The design departnt has a rule: any employee dismissed for a serious incident like plagiarism will never be rehired. If you enter the competition, others will think it’s unfair," Caron Lawson stated calmly.
Michelle Quinn’s face fell. "I didn’t plagiarize. I created that design myself. I don’t know why Diana’s was exactly the sa as mine."
Just thinking about that competition from years ago made Michelle Quinn feel wronged.
Back then, she had been with the Lawson Group for just a year. The clothes she designed always started new trends due to their market appeal.
Her career was on a steady rise, but just as she was about to reach the top, she was suddenly thrown from the clouds into the mud.
It was an international design competition, and the winner would get to study with the master designer Emily for three months—a huge temptation for any designer.
Michelle Quinn signed up and submitted her work, only to be told that it was identical to Diana’s, but Diana had submitted hers earlier.
Diana had dragged her in front of Caron Lawson for a confrontation, and he had only said one thing: ’Handle it according to the rules,’ before firing her.
"You never believed , did you?"
He called her back to the company, only to stick her in the secretarial departnt.
Did he have any idea that she had to endure strange looks and malicious gossip from others every single day, even though she hadn’t done anything wrong?
"Caron Lawson! I quit! I’ll return the five million the sa way I got it!"
Michelle Quinn threw the bag back onto the desk, turned, and left Caron Lawson’s office without looking back.
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