Love's Bitter Edge (Eva and Leonard)

I went through the proposal Anne gave me meticulously, and I had to say that she surprised me.

I was right in thinking that Anne was a detail-oriented person. She might not have much creative juice, but she was an expert when it came to spotting the details. Judging by this area alone, she was a genius. After all, details were the name of the game when it came to design. Anne had offered a sincere apology to me, and she took her job seriously. So, I was willing to give her a chance.

McLennon Group had a lot of competitors in Erewhon now, but I was brimming with confidence. I would feel very successful if I could stand out in this harsh environment.

There were only four people in my team, but we worked very efficiently. We managed to finish the bulk of the design in just a few days.

When I received a call from Astrid, I was packing up my stuff and getting off work.

"I can finally go for an internship, Eva! Hurry up and get downstairs. You're buying me a big dinner tonight!"

"Shouldn't you be buying me dinner instead? Give me two minutes. I'm coming right away." I smiled as I walked out of the office.

Astrid drove today, and she was waving at me non-stop. "Hurry up. I've long heard about a good steak joint in this part of the city."

"Since I'm the one who's been here longer, shouldn't you be asking for my preferences?" I looked at her, feeling amused.

Astrid immediately protested, "I've just started my internship, and the pay isn't exactly high. Moreover, don't you think you should welcome the new employee to the company?" Astrid winked at me, and I finally knew why she was this exhilarated.

"Are you going to work here too?"

"Yes, and I'm going to work in the same department with you. Let's hit the road. Juicy steak, here I come!"

Astrid slammed on the gas pedal and brought the car to 75 miles per hour, leaving me feeling as if I was going to fly out of the car.

I didn't learn this until we were having dinner; the McLennon family intended for Astrid to take over the international market.

"As you know, Jack is managing

both the local and overseas

companies at the same time. So, he practically doesn't have enough time on his hands. Mom and Grandpa are waiting for him to get married and give birth to a child. My mom wants a grandchild so badly that..."

Astrid stopped speaking abruptly. She probably recalled that I was infertile, and she quickly took a sip of water to hide her diffidence.

Meanwhile, I lowered my head and gave a blank expression. It was common for the older generation to want their children to get married and have kids. Actually, even the younger generations shared the same sentiment.

Jack and Astrid were the McLennon family's only hope now. He might've taken over the family business now, but what would happen next?

All of a sudden, Leonard popped into my mind. He had been obsessed with having a child. Perhaps he had the same concern as well.

Astrid noticed that I wasn't talking at all, and she quickly swayed my hand. "It's fine, Eva. If you end up together with Jack, I'll get married and have kids for you. The kids will call you 'Mom' and take me as their sister. How does that sound?" I looked at her, feeling speechless. Then, I shook my head. I wanted to tell her that it was practically impossible between me and Jack.

When I saw the hopeful expression on her face, however, I chose to change the topic instead.

"How long are you going to intern? Are you going to become a team leader from the start, or are you going to work your way up from the bottom?"

"The bottom. Also, I can't let anyone find out about my identity. Jack says he doesn't want anyone to indulge in me." Astrid sounded a little annoyed, and she kept stabbing the steak.

"At first, I thought about starting as a

team leader and overseeing a

department.or something. Then,

Jack showed me the project younet

guys are working on, and I

immediately gave up on the idea. I think it suits me better to be your

underling or something."

I giggled and shook my head, but Jack's arrangement was very well done. Astrid had always been in college, and she was shielded from the harsh realities of society. She would surely run into a brick wall if she started out in a managerial position. "That's great. We'll work as a team from here on out. I'll have your back."

Astrid pursed her lips when she

heard what I

think to said. "You didn't even

think to take it to Jack when you ran into problems. How are you supposed to back me up? I'll have your back instead. If I can't take it anymore, I'll tattle. I'll help you preserve your dignity."

We swapped glances and chuckled. I didn't really need anyone to back me up but it did feel good to have a friend stand by me.