Chapter 221: You Knew Her Before?

Chapter 221: Chapter 221: You Knew Her Before?

Finn Farrell shot her a disdainful look, and others also felt that Leah Sinclair was making a mountain out of a molehill. The project hadn’t even begun, yet she was already hiring an assistant.

Leah Sinclair couldn’t be bothered to explain. She went to the administration department to arrange for Louise Holt’s desk to be added to her office, which had plenty of space anyway.

Since Louise Holt wasn’t an official company hire, the administration staff was hesitant. They reported the matter to Shawn Grant, who told them to proceed as requested. So, the arrangements were made.

With just the three of them in the office, Leah Sinclair explained the situation to Shawn Grant. He frowned slightly after hearing her out. It was hard to say whether Madeline Sterling was genuinely insane or just faking it. But given that Asher Keating had been the one to send her to prison, if she was faking, she would almost certainly try to cause trouble for Leah and Asher.

After a moment of contemplation, Shawn Grant spoke up. "We need to tell our aunt about this."

Leah agreed, so she sent a message to Mabel Grant. Mabel immediately called, insisting on arranging for two bodyguards. It took Leah a long time to talk her down, repeatedly promising she wouldn’t be alone and that Asher Keating had already assigned someone to protect her. Only then did her aunt relent.

Once everything was settled, Leah Sinclair called Juanita Coleman into her office. Juanita looked surprised and, steeling herself against the odd stares from her colleagues, walked in.

Leah got straight to the point.

Juanita Coleman hesitated. When Leah had mentioned the project yesterday, she had indeed been tempted. She didn’t have a lot of work on her plate at the moment.

However, her colleagues weren’t wrong. Leah was probably just here to go through the motions. If she sided with Leah, Finn Farrell might give her a hard time later on. She genuinely wanted a stable job and had no desire to get caught in the crossfire between the two managers.

After considering for a moment, she finally said, "Manager Grant, I’m not sure I’m the right fit."

Leah remained pleasant, smiling as she replied, "I understand your concerns. All of you probably think I’m just here to put in an appearance before I get promoted, don’t you?"

Juanita didn’t answer, which was a tacit admission.

Leah stood up and poured her a glass of water herself. "To be honest, I spent a long time deliberating between you and another person yesterday. In the end, I chose you. Do you know why?"

"I don’t. Please, Manager Grant, enlighten me."

"Because you’re a mother."

Seeing Juanita’s perplexed expression, Leah broke into a small smile. "You have a child, which means you won’t be looking to switch jobs frequently, if only for their sake. And I happen to need someone both stable and experienced to help me."

Juanita was still hesitant, so Leah pressed on. "I know many of you think I’m just passing through Department Three, biding my time until my promotion. Let me be perfectly clear: I am here to do good work on this project."

"If I wanted a management position, I wouldn’t have continued to study this field while I was abroad. My university degree is in civil engineering. I enjoy working on projects, so you don’t need to worry that I’ll leave you high and dry one day."

"On the contrary, if you’re willing to join me on this project now, you’ll be the first person I think of for new projects in the future. Your income will increase as a result. How is that not a good thing for you?"

Leah said no more after that. Juanita looked up at her earnest expression and weighed her options. ’After all, who doesn’t work for the money?’ Her only real hesitation was the fear that Leah would bail on them. But Leah sounded so sincere, and she had a feeling she wasn’t just being fed empty promises.

Finally, she gritted her teeth. "Manager Grant, I’ll do it. I’ll join the project. But you have to promise me you won’t just take off halfway through. Otherwise, I’ll really be..."

"Don’t worry, I won’t. My dream is to watch buildings rise from the ground. Don’t you find that incredibly rewarding?"

Seeing Leah’s smile, Juanita smiled back. "That’s exactly what I thought back in the day. My parents were against me choosing this major in college, but it truly is a profession that brings a great sense of accomplishment and pride."

Leah smiled, stood, and extended her hand. "Then welcome to the team. I hope we can do great work together. I’m sure that one day, your child will get to live in a house that you built."

Leah’s last sentence was playful, and Juanita’s gaze softened. She quickly shook Leah’s hand. "With Riverfall’s property prices... but I’ll do my best."

Afterward, Leah called in Miles Kessler and Doris Harlow in turn for a brief chat, and just like that, the four-person renovation team was formed.

Leah informed Finn Farrell, then immediately left for the site with her team of three and Louise Holt. She wanted to get their opinions on location so they could start discussing a proposal as soon as they got back.

After they left, the office erupted into chaos. Everyone gathered around, debating whether the three had volunteered or been handpicked by Leah.

Someone went to ask Finn Farrell, but he didn’t know either. Furious, he slammed his files down on his desk. The loud CRACK instantly silenced the office.

In the car, Doris Harlow asked Leah if she had called everyone in individually to protect them from retaliation. That way, no one would know for sure who had volunteered and who had been recruited.

Leah simply smiled without answering. She had indeed considered that, but she hadn’t expected Doris Harlow to be so astute. Miles Kessler, on the other hand, hadn’t thought of it at all.

Juanita Coleman was the most experienced of the group. Once they were on-site, she began pointing out things to watch for as they walked around. Leah and the others listened intently, taking out notebooks to jot down key points.

When Juanita turned back and saw Leah also taking notes diligently, she was a little surprised. Leah noticed her pause and stare. She glanced down at her own clothes. "What is it? Did I get something on my shirt?"

Juanita laughed. "No, it’s not that. I just didn’t expect you to be so meticulous with your notes, Manager Grant."

Leah’s eyes crinkled in a smile, her attitude humble. "I really am lacking in experience, so I’ll have to learn a lot from you, Juanita. I’ll probably have a lot of questions. I just hope you won’t get tired of me pestering you."

"Not at all. Ask away."

Leah did indeed start asking questions, two of which she’d had since her last visit. Juanita took her notebook and began explaining in detail.

Doris nudged Miles from behind. "I really didn’t expect Manager Grant to be so dedicated."

"I know, right? Manager Grant is seriously amazing!"

Miles was also thrilled. Yesterday, he had realized that the new "parachuted-in" Second Miss Grant was none other than the upperclassman he had deeply admired back in university. He had instantly become her biggest fan.

"You knew her from before?"

"Not personally. She was my upperclassman."

"What? From the gossip I heard, I only knew that Manager Grant was supposedly the daughter of the Grant Group’s CEO, the one he’d only acknowledged a few years ago."ℯℯ𝘭.