Not in the Same League

The news of Jenna officially taking charge of the Cirrus Project spread through the company at lightning speed.

When Celeste sent me screenshots, I was crouched at the construction site, going over the latest quotation with the contractor.

'Ms. Cladwell, Jenna has already added several people into her project team group. They're all close to her. Everyone is congratulating them, saying the Cirrus Project is a billion-dollar cake. Whoever gets in is guaranteed a share.'

I glanced at the screenshot.

Jenna had posted a long message in the group, her tone modest but laced with pride. 'Thank you, Adrian and Harvey, for trusting me, and thank you all for your support. I'll do my best to complete the Cirrus Project and live up to everyone's expectations. I hope for your guidance and cooperation moving forward!'

A stream of replies followed.

'Congratulations, Jenna. Well deserved!'

'Jenna's incredible. Her first independent project and it's already at this scale. Her future's limitless.'

'Mr. Cladwell and Mr. Grant really have an eye for talent. Jenna truly deserves it.'

'Jenna, take me with you. I want to join the Cirrus Project team too!'

I scrolled past without expression.

Adrian posted a message next, his tone openly smug. 'The Wetland Project is garbage. My dad gave it to her because he's already given up on her and doesn't want her competing for the inheritance. Look at the numbers. It's already down more than eight million. Whoever takes it is finished.'

Harvey followed up. 'She's too arrogant. Let her stumble this time. It might teach her something. Some people only learn after they take a loss.'

I let out a quiet scoff and turned back to my work.

…

At three in the afternoon, Adrian showed up with Jenna and Harvey in tow.

The three of them stepped out of the car and stood at the project entrance like executives inspecting a site.

Jenna was dressed head to toe in luxury brands, carrying a limited-edition bag. She looked nothing like the fragile girl she had pretended to be in the hallway before.

Adrian swept his gaze around and let out a derisive laugh. "What can possibly come out of a dump like this? The weeds are taller than people, the equipment's rusted, and there isn't a single worker in sight."

He turned to me, mockery filling his eyes. "Ayla, are you here for the experience? Or just playing house?"

Jenna walked over as well, her voice soft and sugary. "Ayla, do you need help? I can teach you how to run a project."

Tilting her head, she smiled with feigned innocence. "I just secured the Cirrus Project. There are several senior staff members on my team. I could lend you a couple. The Wetland Project is so small, after all. It doesn't need that many people…"

Harvey stood beside her silently, but he was not looking at me. His gaze rested on Jenna, a faint smile at the corner of his lips.

That smile was so jarring it made me nauseous.

"There's no need." I folded up the blueprints, my tone flat. "I can handle it myself. I don't need your help making things worse."

Adrian's expression darkened slightly before he laughed. "You? Alone? In this dump?"

He stepped closer and lowered his voice. "Ayla, stop wasting your time. Dad gave you this project to take the fall. You really think he values you? Even if the Wetland Project succeeds, at best you'll break even. The Cirrus Project, on the other hand, is worth tens of billions without even trying. You and Jenna aren't even in the same league."

Jenna immediately put on a sympathetic look. "Adrian, don't say that about Ayla… It hasn't been easy for her either."

At that, she tugged lightly at Harvey's sleeve. "Harvey, don't you think so?"

Harvey finally looked at me. His expression was complicated—guilt, reluctance, but most of all, impatience. "Ayla, listen to me. Just do your best with the Wetland Project, but don't take it too seriously. Some things can't be changed just by trying harder."

I looked at him. This was the same man who had once told me that he would always stay by my side. Now he stood next to another woman, telling me not to take things so seriously.

"Are you done?" I asked. My voice was so calm it sounded foreign even to myself.

Adrian paused.

"If you are, leave. I have deadlines to meet. I don't have time to entertain you." With that, I turned and walked into the project office, closing the door behind me.

Jenna's voice drifted in from outside. "Is Ayla angry? Did I say something wrong again…"

"Don't mind her," Adrian said dismissively. "She won't give up until she hits a wall."

I did not look back.

Back in the office, a message from my father's secretary popped up. 'The chairman said you've been doing very well on the Wetland Project. The project outlook is highly promising. Not only can it recover all losses, it may even turn a profit. Keep it up.'

The Announcement

Three months later, at the Wetland Project acceptance meeting, the entire conference hall was packed. Government officials, media reporters, and senior executives from the group were all present.

I stood on stage, the full project data displayed on the large screen behind me. "Following completion, the Wetland Project achieved a 5.8 times return, directly recovering 83 million dollars in losses for the company, while indirectly driving over 200 million in value growth in surrounding land. The project has passed government environmental inspection and has been designated a model for ecological restoration across the city."

Applause broke out across the hall, and camera flashes fired nonstop.

A government official personally came on stage to present me with an award, shaking my hand as he said, "Ms. Ayla Cladwell, you are a role model among young entrepreneurs."

Reporters quickly gathered around, microphones thrust toward me.

"Ms. Cladwell, how did you turn a loss-making project into five times the profit?"

"We've heard the project was on the verge of collapse when you took over. How did you reverse the situation?"

I answered each question in turn, my smile composed.

From the stage, I could feel the eyes of the company's executives on me—some filled with admiration, some with surprise, others more complicated.

My gaze swept toward a corner of the room.

Adrian sat there with his arms crossed, a faintly dismissive smile on his lips. Jenna sat between him and Harvey, leaning in to speak softly, letting out the occasional laugh.

After the meeting ended and the crowd began to disperse, I stood by the window with a glass of water. Celeste approached, her voice low but excited. "Ms. Cladwell, you were incredible today. With results like this from the Wetland Project, that should shut them up."

I did not respond, my eyes drifting toward the three of them in the distance.

Adrian was speaking with a few executives. His voice was not loud, but it carried just enough.

"It's just small-scale work. The Wetland Project is tiny. Five times the return still isn't much. The Cirrus Project is on an entirely different level. That's a billion-scale operation. You make a move there, and you're talking hundreds of millions."

Harvey stood beside him, nodding in agreement. "The Wetland Project's scale is limited. Even at five times the return, it won't break 100 million."

Jenna tilted her head, smiling with practiced innocence. "Ayla really worked hard. She's lost so much weight in just three months. But the Cirrus Project is about to launch soon. When that happens, Ayla, you're welcome to come visit."

A few people nearby chuckled along.

Adrian walked over, a glass of wine in hand, and stopped in front of me.

"Ayla, not bad. You did well on this project." His tone was the kind used to praise a child for getting full marks. "But compared to Cirrus, it's still a long way off. Once Cirrus starts turning a profit, you'll understand what real business looks like."

Harvey stood behind him, nodding.

Jenna remained between them, looking at them with admiration before turning to me, her expression shifting into something almost sympathetic. "Ayla, don't feel bad. The Wetland Project might be small, but it's still your hard work."

Her voice was soft, almost consoling, as though she were comforting someone who had failed. "Once the Cirrus Project gets underway, I'll have someone send you some materials. You can study them and aim for a bigger project next time."

I looked at the three of them. One was my brother. One was my former fiance. The last was the intern who had taken what was mine and still played the part of an angel.

Three months ago, they had stood in that hallway, looking at me like I was nothing.

Now they stood in front of me, speaking as if they were offering charity.

I said nothing.

Because I did not need to.

"Taking this opportunity, I'd like to announce an important decision."

My father, Frederick Cladwell, spoke from the stage.

The entire hall fell silent, and all eyes turned toward him.

Frederick stood at the microphone, his gaze sweeping across the room before settling on me. "From this day on, Ayla will assume the position of CEO of Cladwell Co., taking full responsibility for all company operations."