"Vera, are you okay? Oh, look at your hand-it''s a bit red. Let me grab some burn ointment for you."


    Vera nced at the back of her own hand; honestly, it wasn''t that bad-not nearly enough to need first aid.


    "No need for that. You should get back to the office before your supervisor notices you''re gone too long. I''m going to find Miss Yvette."


    This was ridiculous. Was it possible that the new girl, Gwh, was really Mr. Everhart''s girlfriend? Maybe even the real deal-otherwise, how could she be so brazen?


    Miss Yvette had all but told her to get lost, and yet Gwh just carried on working as if nothing happened. Bold didn''t even begin to cover it.


    Vera made her way to Yvette''s office just as Yvette finished up some paperwork. Seeing Vera return so quickly, Yvette couldn''t hide the smirk tugging at her lips.


    "How did it go?"


    She was certain that a fresh-out-of-college rookie like Gwh would be sniffling by now.


    "Nothing happened. The folks in the creative department said she just went back to her desk and kept working. She doesn''t seem like she''s nning to leave."


    "What?"


    Yvette, caught off guard, grabbed the nearest mug and hurled it to the floor.


    Thankfully, the carpet cushioned the blow so the mug just rolled a few times and came to a stop, but hot coffee sttered everywhere, leaving a stain on the expensive rug.


    Vera shot Yvette a cautious look. "Miss Yvette, what should we do next?"


    Yvette was at a loss. She had never expected Gwh to be so unppable, so brazenly ignoring her hints and waltzing back to work as if nothing had happened.


    Did Gwh even have her in her sights at all?


    Yvette took a deep breath-twice. She couldn''t afford to loseposure in front of her assistant.


    "That''s enough. We''ll leave it for now."


    Just then, a department manager came looking for Yvette. Honestly, she''d never met anyone quite like Gwh before, and for the moment, she had bigger fish to fry.


    Gwh spent the whole morning in


    meetings. The department head had critiques for almost every concept artist in the game division-tweaking details here and there. But when it came to Gwh, not a single criticism.


    Everyone in the room could tell: it wasn''t favoritism. Her designs really were wless-beyond reproach.


    After two hours, Gwh had earned more than a few envious nces from her colleagues. Just next? round of brainstorming, the


    as they were diving into the Just


    ve


    conference room door swung open and L strode in, pointing straight at Gwh.


    "Thief! The concept art on yourputer was in my folder from when I still worked here. I didn''t have time to clear it before I left, and now you''ve stolen my designs! How


    could someone your age stoop so low?"


    L''s dramatic entrance left everyone stunned.


    Wasn''t L already out of thepany-gone to payroll to settle her final check weeks ago? Why was she suddenly back, and why was she picking a fight with the new girl?


    Under normal circumstances, Gwh would have retorted with a pointed argument. But she didn''t.


    She just smiled. “You say those are your designs? Why don''t you write down the technical specs and we''llpare them to the originals?"


    L froze. Technical specs? Compare?


    Yvette had sent her after Gwh. If she could get Gwh fired for giarism, Yvette had promised her two hundred grand to help fund her grad school abroad.


    A few sharp words, a huge payout-who wouldn''t jump at the chance?


    But technical specs? What specs?


    There wouldn''t be any.