Chapter 51

“It’s not your fault. Everyone looks out for themselves first. It’s human nature,” I said sincerely, not blaming Demi. Demi and I were close, but even between best friends, self-preservation comes first.

“Keira, I—” Demi grabbed my arm, attempting to speak.

I cut her off. “Mr. Johnston made it clear: if we don’t fix the lighting issue, it’s on us. We don’t have time for anything else. Let’s just get this done.”

Demi’s eyes widened. “But it’s not our fault. They’re acting like we messed up.”

“We’re in charge of this project. Any problems are on us. No excuses. If we don’t want to deal with the fallout, we need to fix it,” I said, keeping my voice firm.

Demi nodded silently and turned away, muttering, “He’s doing this out of spite.”

I understood—Jace’s actions stemmed entirely from his issues with me. I sighed. I knew it all too well. But the more he pushed, the more determined I was to resolve the issue flawlessly, leaving him no room to complain. Besides, this amusement park was my way of fulfilling my dad’s dream. It had to be perfect; no mistakes allowed. My dad was a perfectionist, and I wanted to show him that his daughter was just as capable and meticulous.

Demi soon returned with the contact information for the lighting supplier and the construction team. I called them, and we arranged to meet on-site to discuss the issues and solutions. However, they couldn’t come until the day after tomorrow, so I had to wait.

Noticing Demi hadn’t slept much the night before, I gave her the day off to rest. I then decided to visit the Johnston residence. I had sorted things out with Jace, but I needed to resolve matters with his family as well.

Just as I was about to leave, Tanya walked up and asked, “Can we talk?”

“I don’t think we have anything to discuss,” I replied. I had checked the HR records and knew Tanya had joined the company three days ago in the administration department. Since I was in the project department, our teams didn’t usually interact, so her approach wasn’t work-related.

“What do you want, Ms. Twain?” I asked, maintaining a formal tone. Tanya was not only in the administration department but also appointed as a supervisor. Jace’s actions were those of a man completely smitten, giving her the job despite the inevitable backlash. He showed no regard for my feelings, even though I was his fiancée, and Tanya had recently been involved in a scandal with him.

“It’s a personal matter,” Tanya said awkwardly.

I checked the time. “Sorry, it’s work hours now.”

Tanya looked even more uncomfortable. She bit her lip. “Can we talk after work?”

I grabbed my bag. “I have to go. I have other plans after work.”

Tanya’s face fell. She looked around to ensure no one was nearby, then said, “I know you’re mad about me living in that penthouse. I can move out.”

I laughed. “Don’t kid yourself. If you wanted to move out, you wouldn’t have moved in. Besides…”

I stared hard at her. “You know Jace and I are having issues because of you. Yet you still show up right in front of me. What do you think I am, blind or stupid?”

“I’m just trying to make a living,” Tanya argued.

I didn’t hold back. “Is Jace’s company the only place in the world where you can work? Or is it that you can’t live without him?”

“How can you say that?” Tanya raised her hand.

I stepped back, creating some distance between us. “There are cameras everywhere in our office. Don’t pull anything, or you’ll just embarrass yourself.”