Chapter 194

Ever since the Snow Village project fell through, a gloomy cloud had settled over the entire Hawthorne Corp. Someone quietly posted anonymously on the company's internal forum: [We lost the project, Secretary Sterling’s on a long vacation... so, are we still getting year-end bonuses or not?] It didn’t take long for others to jump in and pile on the thread: [Heard Snow Village was supposed to be the main focus for next year. Tons of budget went into it, but we still couldn't beat the Moore Group.] [This basically means our revenue this year just shrunk by a twentieth.] [Also, don’t you think it’s sus that Secretary Sterling took time off right before all this? And isn't she doing some singing contest now?] [Maybe she’s quitting next and going straight into showbiz.] The person everyone was gossiping about—Alice Sterling—was currently in her home music studio, working on a new song for her next competition round. Learning from her last experience, Alice and Jessica Lane sat down and spen