Chapter 6

Leah Sterling POV

I lay in bed for three full days. Only by secretly buying medication did I barely stabilize the condition of the fetus in my womb.

On the fourth day, I received a call from Tristan's secretary telling me to come to the CEO's office at Cole Group immediately.

When I pushed open the office door, I saw Vanessa Sullivan sitting on Tristan's lap, their posture intimate. Seeing me enter, not only did Vanessa not get off his lap, but she provocatively tightened her arms around Tristan's neck.

Tristan patted Vanessa's waist, signaling her to get up, then tossed a document onto the wide office desk.

"Sign it." This seemed to have become the sentence he said to me most often.

I walked forward, my eyes scanning the document header. "New York Public Library Project Lead Designer Change Consent Form."

My pupils constricted sharply.

The Public Library project was the last national-level key project my teacher had accepted before his death. On his deathbed, my teacher entrusted this project to me. It was the most important milestone in my architectural career and the achievement I'd worked so hard for.

And now, the document clearly stated changing the lead designer's name to "Vanessa Sullivan."

"What do you mean?" My voice couldn't help trembling. "Vanessa Sullivan didn't even graduate from college. Does she know what a load-bearing wall is? What spatial mechanics is? You want to put the Public Library in her hands?!"

"She doesn't need to know." Tristan's tone was indifferent, as if discussing some insignificant toy. "Vanessa wants to establish herself in New York's socialite circle. She needs a presentable identity and title. The genius architect title suits her well."

"So you want me to give up my achievement?" I found it absurdly ridiculous. "I draw the plans, I supervise the construction, and her name goes on it in the end?"

"This isn't difficult for you." Tristan's eyes were cruel. "You're already my wife. These things are meaningless to you. Give this title to Vanessa as compensation for pushing her off the cliff the other day."

"I absolutely won't agree!" I grabbed the document and tore it in half. "This is my teacher's work. I absolutely won't allow anyone to defile it!"

Tristan's expression instantly darkened.

"Leah Sterling, I'm not discussing this with you." He stood up, advancing step by step. "If you don't sign, Cole Group will not only immediately withdraw funding from your teacher's studio, I'll also use all media outlets to expose fake news about your teacher taking bribes before his death. Your teacher is already dead anyway. Who do you think the public will believe?"

I froze in place, the blood in my body seeming to flow backward in an instant.

He knew too well where my weaknesses were. He was using the reputation of the person I most respected to pave the way for his mistress.

Looking at Tristan's cold, merciless face, I suddenly laughed until tears streamed down my face.

I bent down, picked up the torn document from the floor with trembling hands, pieced it together, and signed my name on the last page.

"Are you satisfied now?" I slammed the pen heavily on the desk and turned to leave.

Back home, I opened the sketchbook.

"For Vanessa Sullivan's vanity, you stole my teacher's work and took my achievement. Deduct 15 points."

Twenty-five points left.

Tristan Cole, there's really nothing left between us.