When Hearts Collide: From Ashes to Love

So, He Bing was Marian's ex-boyfriend? Ha, and she had the audacity to lie about being her former colleague. Compared to Aaron, this man was a complete non-starter. No wonder Marian lied about it—she probably didn't even want to mention him. Honestly, if it were me, I wouldn't bother bringing it up either. Then again, my standards for a partner were always high. To get my attention, a man would need to be at least on Julian's level. 

As for Marian? With her background, she could only "settle" for someone like He Bing. Pathetic.

And Marian had the nerve to set her sights on Aaron. Even He Bing saw through her ulterior motives. How shameless. The nerve to even dream of someone like Aaron—she really should take a good look in the mirror.

.....

As for the issue with the additional requirements, it seemed to have suddenly vanished. Mao Quan'an hadn't followed up, Julian hadn't brought it up, and even Marian began wondering if the entire situation had been a figment of her imagination.

But Liang Meiqi's ongoing hostility proved otherwise.

Recently, Liang Meiqi was in particularly high spirits. Not only had Marian's dinner with Aaron failed to achieve anything, but Liang also had some dirt on her. This put her in the perfect mood to provoke Marian.

Feigning concern, Liang approached her. "Marian, could you confirm whether we're proceeding with this requirement? If we are, I'll prioritize it. If not—"

Her tone, while polite, carried an unmistakable edge. The project team turned to Marian with similarly "concerned" looks.

Marian didn't respond.

That's when Mao Quan'an appeared, glaring at her. "As the project manager, you can't even handle this? I'm seriously questioning your competence! Do we even need you to continue servicing YuTou?"

The implication was clear—he was considering replacing Marian as the project manager from the vendor side.

Marian wasn't fazed. Lately, she'd been feeling off her game. Ever since taking on the YuTou project, it was one disaster after another. She was beginning to wonder if the company's feng shui was out of balance.

"Manager Mao, I completely understand your concerns. Let's ask Julian for his opinion. If replacing me is necessary, I'll step aside."

For the first time, Marian sounded like she was giving up. Her tone was so resigned—almost like she was saying, Go ahead, fire me. I'm done anyway. The entire team froze. Even Mao Quan'an and Liang Meiqi were stunned.

After a few seconds, Mao flew into a rage. "Are you threatening me? Do you think I won't? I'll call Julian right now and ask if he still wants this project!"

Before he could make the call, Yi Ming appeared at the door with a respectful demeanor. "Good afternoon, everyone. Could I trouble Manager Lin, Manager Mao, Engineer Zhang, and Ms. Meiqi to head to the top-floor conference room in ten minutes? Julian is already there with Aaron."

Marian quickly pieced it together: a decision was about to be made. She nodded at Yi Ming, thanked him, and headed to the elevator with the others.

In the conference room, Marian sat across from Liang Meiqi, whose smug expression was impossible to suppress. Soon, Aaron and Julian arrived, taking their seats at the head of the table.

Marian sat at a diagonal to Aaron, giving her a clear view of his subtle expressions. Compared to the last time she saw him, he looked tired, with dark circles under his eyes. His attire, however, remained impeccable—a tailored gray suit with a crisp white shirt. For once, he wasn't wearing a tie, giving him a minimalist yet refined look that didn't diminish his commanding presence.

Their eyes met briefly, but Marian quickly looked away.

Julian began by summarizing the situation. Liang Meiqi, visibly displeased, interrupted him. "Julian, I already explained—it wasn't an additional requirement out of nowhere. Marian said it could be done, so I included it."

"I don't like being interrupted. If you have concerns, wait your turn," Julian said firmly. His voice was calm but authoritative.

Liang Meiqi hadn't expected Julian, typically mild-mannered, to reprimand her. She quickly bowed her head.

Catching a glimpse of Marian's composed face, Liang inwardly rolled her eyes. Just wait, you won't stay smug for long.

"I discussed the matter with Aaron," Julian continued. "The additional requirement is indeed necessary. However, since the oversight occurred during initial planning, YuTou will cover half of the additional budget. Does anyone have objections?"

Marian was stunned. She hadn't expected Aaron to approve her initial proposal. She and Julian had originally planned to request YuTou cover half the budget, but fearing pushback, Marian had led with the full amount during their first meeting, expecting negotiations to follow. She hadn't anticipated being scolded so severely by Aaron on the first attempt.

Now that everything was back on track, she felt an immense sense of relief. "No objections. I agree with your decision."

Engineer Zhang, pleased with the resolution, added, "I agree as well!"

The room turned to Liang Meiqi. Marian raised an eyebrow. Surely she wasn't foolish enough to object, right?

Thankfully, Liang remained silent, as did Mao Quan'an, though his begrudging agreement was clearly due to the pressure of Aaron's gaze. "I agree as well," he muttered.

With the issue resolved, Marian was already planning a spa session to unwind. This ordeal had kept her on edge for far too long.

"Hold on. Nobody leave yet," Aaron's cool voice halted everyone in their tracks.

"While the matter is settled, there's still accountability to address."

Liang Meiqi practically glowed with excitement as she plopped back into her chair. "Absolutely. Aaron is right. Solve the problem first, then address the responsible parties."

Her satisfaction was written all over her face, as if she'd just won the lottery.

Marian's heart raced as she recalled Mao's earlier threat to replace her. She didn't have the energy to fight back anymore. She needed this job—the salary and benefits were excellent, and she couldn't afford to lose it.

Aaron's sharp gaze swept across the table, finally landing on Marian. "The project manager failed to verify requirements after project initiation. Marian, this is your mistake."

Lowering her eyes, Marian clasped her hands together. "Yes, I take responsibility for it."

Across the table, Liang's smirk widened. She was already imagining Marian getting fired. In a rare display of faux sympathy, she chimed in, "Aaron, while Marian made mistakes, she's been with the company for a while. Even if she hasn't achieved much, she's worked hard. Don't fire her!"

Aaron's icy gaze locked onto Liang, his voice dripping with authority. "Did I say I was firing Marian?"

Liang froze, her grin evaporating.

"Marian's error was minor. A written review will suffice. However, Liang Meiqi, your issues are far more serious."

Panic washed over Liang. "What? Aaron, I'm the victim here—"

Aaron glanced at his watch and adjusted his cuffs before standing. "This is an internal matter for your company, Julian. I won't interfere further. I have another meeting to attend. Excuse me."

Julian nodded, watching Aaron leave before shaking his head with a wry smile. Sure, it's an internal matter, but Aaron only pointed out Marian's mistakes and consequences. If there's no bias here, I don't believe it for a second.