<b>Chapter </b><b>232 </b>


    <b>Chapter </b><b>22</b><b>: </b><b>The </b>many lies of <b>Vanessa </b>Taylor.


    A <b>week </b>after Josie left the <b>estate</b><b>, </b>Vanessa began working at HT–Corp on the designing team. Christian felt this department would be great for her because of the amazing designs she’d done over the years. She would constantly bring him blueprints and drawing of different architectural designs. Because of this<b>, </b>Harlod sent her to Allistar University, the top designing institute in Bridgeton.


    “<i>Ms. </i><i>Vanessa</i><i>, </i><i>Mr. </i><i>Taylor </i><i>requested </i><i>for </i><i>you </i>toe to <i>his </i>office.<b>” </b>


    Vanessa <b>was </b>reading a text message from Jamie about Tillman when the secretary came into her office causing her to jump a little.


    <i>“</i>Jesus! <i>Don’t </i><i>you </i><i>knock</i><i>! </i><i>How </i><i>dare </i><i>you </i><i>just </i><i>walk </i><i>into </i><i>my </i><b>office</b><b>!</b><b>” </b>


    <i>“</i><i>Apologies </i><i>ma’am</i><i>! </i>Mr. <i>Taylor requested </i>to <b>see </b>you<i>.</i><i>” </i>


    Vanessa rolled her eyes and dismissed the secretary before heading to Christian’s office. <b>Since </b>arriving in the designing department<b>, </b>many of the junior and senior interns and assistants had been on pins and needles. Vanessa was the Taylors precious heiress, and she wasted no time making sure she let everyone know it. She would constantly boss many of the employees <b>around </b>forcing them to do her tasks with threats of getting them fired if they didn’t do <b>as </b>she said.


    At first<b>, </b>some of them resisted deciding to call her bluff. All that changed the day Emily Wright was fired because of a proposal Vanessa did. When Christian Taylor demanded to know who was responsible for such a disastrous proposal, Vanessa instantly med Emily. When Emily tried to exin it wasn’t her and in fact Vanessa<b>, </b>several staff members bribed by Vanessa came forward saying they’d witnessed Emily working on the proposal. After that, not only did Christian fire Emily, but he also made sure she couldn’t find a job anywhere else in Bridgeton.


    After the firing, the employees quickly began sucking up to Vanessa, treating her like she was the queen of the department.


    “<b><i>Hey </i></b><i>big </i>brother<i>!</i><b><i>” </i></b>


    Vanessa bounced into Christian’s office with a huge smile on her face. Motioning for her to sit, Christian was finishing up a call.


    <i>“</i><i>Well </i><i>there </i>has to be <i>something </i>on her. <i>See </i><i>if </i><i>you </i><i>can </i><i>find </i><i>out </i>who <i>her </i><i>assistant </i><i>is</i><i>. </i><i>People </i><i>have </i><i>already </i><i>worked </i>with <i>her </i>here in Bridgeton so <b>there’s </b>no <b><i>reason </i></b><i>the </i><b><i>Taylors </i></b><b>can’t </b><i>find </i>her.<i>” </i>


    Christian barked his orders to <b>his </b><b>assistant </b>and sat back into his chair.


    “What was that <i>about</i><b><i>?</i></b><b><i>” </i></b>


    Vanessa looked at Christian with a puzzled expression.


    <i>“</i><i>Elizabeth </i>Bowen,<i>” </i>


    Vanessa’s <b>eyes </b>widen. She’d heard about this Elizabeth Bowen person from office gossip. Everyone was ranting about how great <b>her </b>designs were. An instant feeling of envy crept into Vanessa.


    <b><i>“</i></b><b><i>A</i></b>–<b><i>Are </i></b><b><i>you </i></b><i>thinking </i><i>about </i><i>hiring </i><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>?</i></b><b><i>” </i></b>


    Christian nodded <b>yes </b><b>as </b><b>he </b><b>took </b><b>some </b>papers out of his desk.


    <b>1/3 </b>


    270


    Vanessa’s eyes darkened as she began to panic. If Christian hired that Bowen person and brought her into thepany, it could jeopardize her chance of running the design department!


    <i>“</i>But <i>why</i><i>! </i>You don’t need her<i>! </i><i>You’ve </i>got me<i>!</i><i>” </i>


    Christian looked up at his sister with a puzzled expression. It was true, Vanessa was fairly talented, buttely her work had been less than ster. If they were going to win the designingpetition and secure the Delgato contract he would need <b>designs </b><b>that </b>were not only beautiful but extremely unique.


    <i>“</i><i>Actually</i><i>, </i><i>that’s </i><i>what </i>I wanted to talk to you


    Vanessa began to panic inwardly.


    about.<i>” </i><fn4fbd> ??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? Find[?]ovel</fn4fbd>


    <i>“</i>As <i>you </i>know, <i>after </i><i>the </i><i>new </i><i>year</i>, <i>Delgato </i><i>Developments </i><i>will </i>be hosting the designingpetition to pick apany to design and build their <i>new </i><i>condos </i>and <i>townhomes </i>in the southern <i>region</i><i>.</i>”


    Vanessa nodded, she’d heard about thepetition from office gossip.


    “<i>HT</i>–<i>Corp </i><i>will </i><i>be </i><i>entering </i><i>that </i><ipetition</i><i>. </i><i>Dad </i>really <i>wants </i><i>to </i>secure <i>that </i><i>contract</i><i>. </i>A <i>contract </i>this big will allow HT<i>–</i><i>Corp </i><i>to </i>go global<i>.</i>”


    Christian handed Vanessa a bunch of nk blueprint and sketching sheets. Confused, Vanessa stared at the sheets.


    <i>“</i><i>Chris</i><i>…</i><i>I </i><i>don’t </i><i>under-</i>”


    <i>“</i><i>I </i><i>want </i><i>you </i>to create <i>some </i><i>new </i>designs for <i>condos </i><i>and </i><i>townhomes</i>.<i>” </i>


    “<i>What</i><i>! </i><i>Why</i><i>?</i>”


    Christian leaned on his desk.


    <i>“</i>Because dad would <i>rather </i><i>you </i>be <i>the </i><i>designer </i><i>for </i><i>this </i><ipetition </i>and <i>not </i><i>Elizabeth </i><i>Bowen</i>. <i>I </i>on <i>the </i><i>other </i><i>hand</i>…well I’m not sure you’re ready.<i>” </i>


    Vanessa’s eyes widen, she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. mming her hands on the desk she stood up in defense.


    “<i>Why </i>not<i>!! </i><i>You’ve </i><i>always </i>said <i>you </i><i>loved </i>my designs! <i>You </i><i>don’t </i><i>even </i><i>know </i><i>anything </i><i>about </i><i>this </i>Bowen-”


    “<i>That’s </i>precisely <i>why </i><i>I’m </i>researching <i>her</i><i>. </i><i>And </i><i>yes</i>, I did <i>love </i><i>many </i><i>of </i><i>your </i><i>designs</i><i>…</i>but <itely</i><i>…</i><i>your </i>work <i>has </i>beenckluster at best.”


    Vanessa’s eyes shifted in panic; she wasn’t aware Christian noticed the changes in her work. Christian continued.


    <i>“</i><i>Look </i><i>Ness</i><i>, </i><i>I </i><i>would </i><i>love </i><i>nothing </i><i>more </i><i>than </i>to <i>have </i><i>you </i><i>be </i><i>the </i><i>one </i><i>to </i><i>win </i><i>the </i><i>contest </i><i>for </i>HT; but I need to see some better quality <i>of </i><i>work</i><i>.</i>”