Chapter 536
Watts’s reaction caught Sylvie off guard.
Her body tensed, but she refused to let any emotion slip; she wasn’t one to dwell on things, and she certainly wouldn’t allow herself to appear unsettled. As far as she was concerned, Watts’s words had nothing to do with her.
She ignored his earlier remark about “no romantic involvement,” instead keeping her tone strictly professional. “If Eldrion Global has other arrangements, then-” “We have company,” a woman’s amused voice interrupted from the doorway.
At the sound, Sylvie’s brows drew together almost involuntarily.
By the time she regained her composure, Patricia had already swept into the room. She barely spared Sylvie a glance, but the cold disdain in her eyes was unmistakable—a look that came naturally to someone used to power.
“Perfect timing,” Patricia drawled, her gaze flicking to the unmoved Watts. “I caught a bit of your conversation. I’d hope you’re not blind enough to bring in someone like this-who knows when she’ll blow up in your face again?”
Her mockery was almost blatant.
Sylvie’s expression turned even colder.
Patricia dropped onto the couch and gave her a slow, appraising look. “What’s with the sour face? Can’t handle the truth?”
“Eldrion Global isn’t short of talented engineers, Ms. Fielding. What exactly makes you so confident?”
She was unflinchingly blunt-her words sharp as knives.
Sylvie could feel the edge to Patricia’s presence, a warning that she was not to be trifled with. It was even more obvious now, with Patricia and Elodie on friendly terms; Patricia would naturally see things from Elodie’s perspective, which only made her more hostile and combative.
Sylvie stood up, keeping her expression neutral. “If that’s the case, Mr. Aldridge, I won’t take up any more of your time.”
She had no intention of engaging with Patricia. If she could avoid conflict and keep things civil, that was best.
She still remembered the scene at the art show all too vividly. If Patricia hadn’t stepped in, things wouldn’t have gotten so out of hand…
Watts didn’t exactly have a favorable opinion of Sylvie, especially after picking up on her motives. He simply replied, “See her out.”
As soon as Sylvie left, Watts shot Patricia a look. “I have work to do. If you’re just here to stir things up, kindly leave.”
He was kicking her out as well.
Patricia was used to this dance with Watts. She grabbed an apple from the desk and hurled it at him with practiced force before scoffing and striding out.
Watts, without so much as glancing up, caught the apple effortlessly and tossed it back onto the desk.
Sylvie’s icy composure only deepened as she stepped out of Eldrion Global.
She glanced back at the building, her chest burning-not just with anger, but with disbelief. Watts’s words had been absurd. She hadn’t even said anything explicit -why react like that?
But she forced herself to calm down. If Eldrion Global wasn’t an option, she’d have to find another way.
For now, her top priority was the upcoming rounds of the
tournament: She was confident she’d make it to the third round and secure the chance to work on the
next-gen project. Still, what mattered most at this moment…
Patricia had clearly thrown her lot in with Elodie, With the two of them aligned, even if she did make it onto the research team, Patricia’s influence would make things exceedingly difficult-she could
el.ni
expect trouble at every turn.
She needed to find a way to deal with that problem.
Unfortunately, she didn’t have the power to go head-to-head with Patricia-at least, not yet. But…
A glint of resolve flashed in Sylvie’s eyes as she climbed into her car, her mind already made up.
Elodie, meanwhile, had a pretty good grasp of the competition’s structure.
Because it was a
national event, the
major corporations had reserved
spots, while the rest of the entrants came from top universities. The
organizers wanted a broad,
well-rounded pool of talent-a true
showcase of strengths from every corner.