As time ticked by, the only sound in the room was the scratching of pens on paper. The difficulty of the questions had many of them breaking out in a sweat.


    Faye propped her chin on her hand, biting her lip as she imagined how Eleanor would score on a test like this.


    Finally, time was up. Joel collected the papers with a nk expression and left.


    The results were to be announced at 3:30 p.m.


    Faye was too nervous to eat lunch and was back by two, waiting. The colleagues she ran into all looked grim, none of them confident about their performance.


    The air was thick with anxiety.


    "Faye, what are you worried about? You''re smarter than all of us. You definitely passed," one female colleague said.


    "Yeah, and you and Joel are so close. He''ll definitely pick you," another added.


    Thepliments, though hollow, were a smallfort. Faye managed a weak smile. "We''ll see when the results are out."


    About half an hourter, Joel reappeared, holding a list. His eyes scanned the small group, finallynding on Faye.


    "Faye."


    Her heart leaped. She quickly stood up. "Joel."


    "Your score was sixty-one. A bare pass," he told her.


    Faye froze, unsure whether to be relieved or disappointed. Just barely passing? She had given it everything she had, only to get such a marginal score.


    Her colleagues, however, looked at her with envy. Joel addressed the rest of them. "None of you passed. You may go."


    stef


    As the others left in disappointment, Joel handed Faye her graded paper. "The basic assessment is just the first step," he said in a business-like tone. The civilian project demands a high level ofprehensive skill and resilience. There will be further team based exercises and simtions. Keep working hard and don''t getcent."


    Faye took the paper, a sense of injustice rising within her. "Joel, this test was incredibly difficult. If Eleanor had taken it, what would she have scored?"


    Joel paused, then looked at her. "If Eleanor had taken this test, I expect she would have received a perfect score."


    The words hit Faye like a punch to the gut. The vast gap between Joel''s assessment of her and his praise for Eleanor filled her with a bitter sense of inadequacy.


    She forced down her resentment, careful not to let it show. "Joel, does this mean I''m in?"


    Joel adjusted his sses, his gaze calm. "Yes. You''ve passed the initial requirement and can be transferred to the civilian project team."


    A flicker of joy ignited in Faye, but Joel''s next words extinguished it like a bucket of cold water.


    "However, based on your current score, you will be starting as a junior research assistant, responsible for data organization and peripheral support."


    Faye''s eyes widened. A junior research assistant? Data entry? She hadn''t even made it to the core R&D team.


    "Joel, I—you know I''m capable of more than that," she protested.


    "Faye, there''s no shame in starting from the bottom. For you, it''s the most stable path. Of course if cana that, you''re free to


    You


    remain in your current department."


    Faye''s current position was also as a junior researcher in Eleanor''s division. With Eleanor there, she''d never get near the core work. Besides, with Callie having transferred over as well, she was even more eager to leave


    She took a deep breath. "I ept. I''ll join the civilian project team as a junior research assistant."


    She wasn''t worried. The day Vanessa married into the Goodwin family,


    promotions would be easy toe by.


    For now, this allowed her to make a good impression on Joel and work close to


    him. It was apromise she could live with.