Proposal?

It seemed she had indeed submitted one.

Promotions and raises weren't on her agenda, so naturally, she'd gone through the motions.

Furthermore, she had been busy helping with Tess' plan recently, which had pushed the proposal to the back of her mind.

"Can you salvage this or not? If not, pack your things and hand in your resignation. It'd be a cleaner break for both parties than escalating it into a lose-lose situation." The threat hung heavy in the air.

"I'm so sorry," she stammered, forcing a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

Panic clawed at Milly's throat. She couldn't leave yet. Not until she achieved her objective.

Getting fired now would mean all her previous efforts were in vain.

"I can fix it," she pleaded, forcing a smile. "Give me another shot. I promise a revised version that meets your expectations."

The director's stare was arctic. “This is your last chance. Don't disappoint me again. And consider this a favor to Miss Phillips."

Miss Phillips.

Milly scoffed internally. Lilah's smugness wouldn't last much longer.

"Thank you so much. I genuinely appreciate the help you and Lilah have offered me."

Clutching the files to her chest, Milly offered a final apologetic smile before beating a hasty retreat.

Three minutes later, Lilah entered the office, a confident smile on her lips.

"Done?"

“Everything's handled, Miss Phillips," the director confirmed. "Milly's nowhere near Adelynn's competence level. I'm concerned about the brand's image if this continues."

Lilah's eyebrow arched coolly. “If there's a risk, mitigate it. Weaken her authority if she's incompetent. Basic logic, wouldn't you say?"

A light bulb flickered on in the director's head.

But why was Lilah so tolerant of Milly?

"You know what to do?" Lilah asked.

“Absolutely, Miss Phillips. Consider it done."

"Beep! Access denied."

Milly furrowed her brows, perplexed by the unexpected response. With a puzzled frown, she slid her employee card across the scanner once more.