Love's Bitter Edge (Eva and Leonard)

I managed to talk Astrid down, but the tension between her and Mackenzie was far from over. Mackenzie had a solid skill set. She even scored top marks from a prestigious university. But compared to Astrid, she fell short.

Things escalated when Ryan casually mentioned during the morning meeting that the design department would only keep one person. The rivalry between the two flared even more.

Most people in the office were betting on Mackenzie to stay. After all, she was the boss' "sister". That assumption only led to more distance between me, Astrid, and the rest of the team. People whispered about how Astrid and I had gone to the same university, which didn't help our standing. An intern who was likely on her way out and a designer who didn't seem to have Mr. Finnley's favor? We were easy targets.

Jack kept sending afternoon teas, but the passive-aggressive commentary only grew louder. One time, Mackenzie even "accidentally" dropped the pastries all over the floor.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry!" she said, her tone anything but apologetic. "It wasn't on purpose. You don't mind, do you?"

Before Astrid could blow up, someone jumped to Mackenzie's defense.

"Come on, it's not a big deal. You're not seriously upset about this, are you?"

Another colleague said, "Yeah, everyone knows the design department's going to be hers soon. Better not get on her bad side."

"Not just the design department-she might even take over the whole company!" a voice exclaimed.

I silently shook my head. They weren't far off, but they had the wrong star of the show.

Mackenzie had been working

overtime to sell her image as Jack's little sister. Everyone knew Jack had left for Manovia again because Mackenzie made sure of it. She even paraded around the office the day he left, carrying the afternoon tea he

bought.

"Mr. McLennan said he's flying to Manovia today, but he wanted to treat everyone before he left," she had announced. "You all know how busy he is. He's hardly ever here."

Those little hints, paired with her carefully crafted image, had most people convinced she was the McLennon family's heiress.

Looking down at the pastries that had fallen to the ground and the tea tray that had shattered, I turned to Mackenzie with a calm smile. "If it was an accident, of course, we won't hold a grudge."

"Rinatta!" Astrid grabbed my arm, but I gently squeezed her hand to reassure her.

"We're not upset," I said, keeping my voice steady. "But these pastries aren't cheap. And that tea tray..." I pointed at the tray on the floor. "It's a custom piece from the vendor. They'll need it back, so you'll have to cover the cost." Mackenzie's smug expression froze. The pastries alone cost a few hundred bucks. It was not an outrageous price, but it was not pocket change either. The real issue was the tea tray.

It looked crystal, and considering the upscale hotel it came from, it was probably worth at least a grand.

I had noticed Mackenzie's habit of

sporting second-hand designer bags and clothes. Her shoes, too, showed wear patterns that didn't match her walk. They were either rented or thrifted. For someone like her coughing up that kind of cash wasn't a small ask.

"I said it wasn't on purpose! Why should I have to pay for your mistake?" she snapped, her face flushing with anger.

"If you don't want to pay, that's fine," I replied coolly, pulling out my phone. "I'll just ask Mr. McLennan. You're close to him, aren't you?"

Astrid immediately caught on and

flipped through the company

directory. "Let's contact Mr.

McLennan directly!" she said loudly scrolling dramatically. "We've got his internal number and email. Since Ms. Mack Lennon is so tight with him, he can help cover the cost. One or two grand isn't something us working folk can afford!"