Filed to story: Finding the Secret Daddy for My Baby Novel >>
Alice let out a scoff and walked out after finishing her sentence. Anastasia was the only one left in the meeting room after that, and her mind went blank for a few seconds.
Could there have been a hidden reason I got this prize? Did Elliot help me win this? Did I not win this with my own skills? The cash prize had been increased from 10,000 to 1 million—outsiders might see this as the company’s generosity, but it doesn’t seem that simple to me now. The more I think about it, the more this seems to be one of Elliot’s acts. He intentionally raised the cash prize, and he intentionally gave me the chance to win this. He’s indirectly trying to repay me.
Anastasia felt her face turning hot as a mixture of shame and anger filled her insides. She grabbed her phone from the table before leaving the meeting room. On the way out, a bunch of people congratulated her. Anastasia often got things her way in the company, and she was close to the boss, so none of the staff members had the guts to trigger her. Instead, all of them tried to suck up to her.
Once Anastasia walked into the elevator, she pressed for the eighth floor without any hesitation. That was the level Elliot’s office was on. She bumped into Rey right after the elevator doors opened, and she immediately questioned him. “Is Elliot inside?”
“President Presgrave is…” Rey was about to ask for a reason Anastasia wanted to meet him, but she had already pushed the door open.
A handsome man was seated on the couch, and he shifted his gaze up to see a woman walking while panting. With a calm, unfazed expression, he looked into her eyes. “Is anything the matter?” he asked.
“Tell me—did you have anything to do with the International Jewelry Design Competition?” she asked in an interrogative tone. Behind her, Rey shot Elliot a nervous look. However, Rey turned and shut the door behind him after exchanging glances with Elliot.
“Felicia told me that you won first place in it. Congratulations.” Elliot narrowed his eyes for a moment before speaking. There was only one thing Anastasia wanted to know then. Did I win first place with my own skills? If this guy arranged for me to win it, then I wouldn’t feel accomplished at all. There would be no meaning to this title.
“Don’t you have any confidence in yourself at all?” He curled his lips into an icy smirk.
“Of course I have confidence in myself… But—” Anastasia fixed her mesmerizing eyes on him. The man cut her off before she could finish her sentence. “Do you think I have nothing better to do, Anastasia? Do you think I would mess around with such tiny competitions? If you don’t want the money, the company can always save it instead of handing it to you.” He spoke in a domineering and arrogant tone that allowed him to take full control of the situation in the room.
Anastasia felt herself losing the courage she had earlier after he threatened to withdraw the cash prize. She desperately needed the money—she didn’t want her father to worry, and she wanted Jared to go to a better school. “Elliot, you’d better give me the cash prize if you’re sure that you didn’t meddle with the results.” Anastasia turned to leave right after finishing her words.
The man curled his lips into a thoughtful smile after she left. Once Anastasia got back to her office, Felicia walked over to congratulate her. Felicia got Anastasia to attend the award ceremony and told her to place the trophy among the rest of the showcased items in the company.
Anastasia nodded obediently. At 3.00PM sharp, she brought her assistant, Grace, to collect the trophy before setting it at the most conspicuous spot on the shelf. There was even a picture of Anastasia on the trophy which made it more eye-catching than ever.
That evening, the staff members discussed and agreed on a location to have dinner together. Alice was the only one who didn’t attend the dinner, while Anastasia was the main highlight of the night. The dinner was mainly organized to celebrate her win, after all.
Anastasia requested for Felicia to take some money out from her cash reward to pay for the dinner, but Felicia rejected this idea immediately. Before the dinner celebration, Anastasia had phoned her father and asked if he had the time to pick Jared up. “I have a dinner that I have to attend,” she explained. It had been a while since Francis saw his grandson, so he gladly agreed to pick Jared up. Perhaps it was due to his age, he was increasingly appreciative of having a grandson to care for.
The company dinner was hosted at a restaurant nearby their office. More than 10 of the staff members gathered at a long table, and the restaurant served all sorts of dishes that filled the table. None of them had to worry about the price of the food they ordered since it was all paid for by the company.
Anastasia sat beside Felicia, and they talked about the competition that had just passed. There had always been great competition among the jewelry companies in their local industry, yet none of the more established businesses managed to win any prizes this time. All of the designers were furious when they heard that Anastasia was the one who won the prize!
After the dishes were served, most of the staff members started drinking. They were all relatively young, so they were prepared to get drunk that night—some of them had even hired personal drivers. “Cheers, Anastasia!” One of the male designers sitting opposite Anastasia stood up.
“Sure. Thank you.” Anastasia held her glass up. She hadn’t expected all of the other people to clink glasses with her, but everyone was in a good mood that night, and they quickly turned Anastasia into their target for drinking. “More beer for Anastasia!” someone cried.
“You have to drink with us, Anastasia! At least one sip!” another cried.
“Everyone else clinked glasses with you, Anastasia. I’d feel bad if I didn’t do it. Here, cheers!” another one said.