Love's Bitter Edge (Eva and Leonard)

Chapter 11 The News

is the second-hand furniture

Glenn and the others were already working hard when I returned to the studio. I nearly choked when I saw

wha bebught this junk in?

""Me! Eva, It was p

I'll be as good as new. It's durable and budget friendly. This cabinet can

Glenn bared with pride. "This is solid wood With just a little refurbishing, alt spruced up with some stickers, and it's made of 304 stainless steel-pretty sturdy!"

He led me around for a tour, and I was shocked by his outdated taste in furniture.

It was strange how esthetically gifted he was in architecture, yet his choice of furniture seemed stuck in the last century. But when I heard that all of it cost just a thousand bucks, I couldn't argue a few days. Just wait and see! -

Lydia

ia was equally proud. "Eva, we can transform this place in just a fes

"I bet we won't even need five grand. We'll save some money!"

She looked at me, eager for praise, while Glenn was practically from joy.

I nodded vigorously. "Awesome! You two make a great money-saving team.

"Who's a team with him?" Lydia playfully nudged me, then happily went off to move a table.

Everyone had a knack for hands-on work, and by the end of the afternoon, we had transformed quite a bit of the fumiture,

Later, when we gathered for fondue, the mood was electric.

"This is fantastic! We finally have our own office and don't have to rely on anyone else!"

"I think we can nap in the afternoon, and Eva won't mind me using the Wi-Fi either.

"Are there any good takeout options nearby? If not, I'll have to request a microwave!! Everyone seemed pleased with the office, grinning from ear to ear

But when Emma arrived, she looked utterly exhausted.

"Is the investigation over?"

"Not even close!"

She downed a large glass of beer, finally calming her emotions

"Eva, I'm losing my mind! Is Amelia out of her mind?!"

She began ranting about how Amelia had joined the investigation team, inspecting everyone's computers and copying some designs.

"She claims she's investigating, but who doesn't see through her little games? She says she's pregnant and can't be exposed to radiation, so she's offloading her work onto everyone else!"

I listened silently, not chiming in.

Amelia was likely the instigator here, and if she was involved in the investigation, the outcome might not be favorable

"Oh, and today, I saw her talking to Luca in the break room. As soon as I walked over, they quickly split apart, looking guilty."

Once she finished venting, Emma finally dug into her food.

I set my cutlery down, recalling how unusually kind Ivy had been to Amelia and the recent design theft....

"Emma, do you think Amelia might be trying to sabotage me? Could she sell us out?"

"Absolutely, it's definitely possible!"

Crystal quickly jumped in, saying, "I saw them together the last time I was at the coffee shop. You think they were exchanging information?"

Emma and I exchanged a look, and suddenly, words escaped us. But deep down, we understood this could very well be a scheme orchestrated by Amelia and Luca. If those two were involved, everything started to make sense. Amelia hated me but loved Leonard, so she wouldn't want me to succeed in this project.

Joining the investigation team might give her leverage, but I doubted Luca would let her get her way.

Suddenly, Glenn leaned in. "Hey, Eva, my classmate just messaged me. They got this design on the last day of bidding"