Chapter 5 A Spider's Invitation

I stared at my computer screen, my finger shaking over the delete button. The email from Vanessa Sharp was short and simple: "Lunch?" But there was nothing simple about it.

"Delete it," my brain screamed. This woman was Alex's ex-girlfriend and the daughter of a competing company. Jason had literally called her a "viper" yesterday. Getting involved with her felt like walking into a lion's den wearing a meat suit.

But another part of me was super curious. What did she want? She claimed to have information about Alex and Blackwood Industries that a new employee might want to know. Was she trying to warn me about something? Or was this some kind of trap?

I thought about how Alex had looked at me in his office, telling me not to sell myself short. Maybe it was the lack of sleep or that memory, but something stubborn woke up inside me.

"I'm not a pushover," I muttered to myself. "Not completely, anyway."

I turned back to my work on the Archer concepts. Alex wanted them to be bold and different. He wanted me to show the difference between throwaway tech and stuff built to last.

"Like you," he had said. My heart did that weird flippy thing again.

My third concept board looked too safe, just like he said. I needed to make it bolder, but how?

For the next hour, I sketched on my tablet, trying to mix the feeling of old-fashioned things with modern design.

I thought about faded family photos and worn leather books next to sleek phones and the cold marble floors of Blackwood Tower. As my new ideas took shape, I felt excited. This was my idea, and Alex had given me the chance to run with it.

Around nine, other people started coming in. I heard keyboards clicking and quiet talking. Jason walked in carrying coffee from downstairs. He spotted me and frowned at the dark circles under my eyes.

"Rough night?" he asked, coming over.

"You could say that," I said, gratefully taking the coffee and croissant he offered. "Thanks for this. Seriously."

"Hey, that's what friends are for." His eyes drifted to my screen and spotted Vanessa's email. "Vanessa Sharp? What's that about?"

My heart jumped. Should I tell him? He seemed honest, and he had warned me about her. "She invited me to lunch."

Jason's face hardened. "Lunch? With Vanessa? Olivia, be careful. Like I said, she's bad news."

"I know," I said quickly. "I haven't answered yet. I don't even know why she'd want to have lunch with me."

"Neither do I," Jason said quietly. "But it won't be for a good reason. She always has an angle. Especially with anyone Blackwood has shown interest in."

"He hasn't shown interest," I corrected, maybe too quickly. "He just put me on a project."

Jason raised an eyebrow, giving me a look that made my face feel hot. "Sure. Just be careful, okay? If you go, don't tell her anything important about work. Or about Alex."

"I won't," I promised, feeling even more nervous. Even Jason thought this was a bad idea.

I spent the morning working on the Archer designs. I finished one good concept based on Alex's feedback, a bold design mixing old-fashioned watches with futuristic tech. It felt risky but right.

At ten o'clock, Claire called a team meeting. My hands were sweaty as Jason and I walked in together. Everyone looked tense because of the tight deadline and Blackwood's "special interest" in the project.

Claire stood at the front, still looking strict but slightly less scary than yesterday. "Let's review our Archer concepts. Jason, you're up first."

Jason showed his team's ideas. They were good, solid work, the kind Blackwood Industries was known for. Everyone nodded along.

Then Claire turned to me. "Olivia, Jason mentioned you had a unique approach to share?"

My heart pounded. I took a deep breath and walked to the front, plugging in my laptop.

"So," I started, my voice shaky at first but getting stronger, "Alex, I mean, Mr. Blackwood gave me some feedback. He wants something that challenges how people think about luxury watches."

I showed my final concept; a simple, striking image of a beautiful Archer watch dial projected onto a screen showing complex computer code. The tagline read: "Time, Reimagined."

The room went completely quiet. People leaned forward with confused and surprised faces.

"It's... different," someone finally said.

"Exactly," I replied, finding my confidence. "We're not selling a watch just as a status symbol. We're selling it as something of lasting value in a throw-away world. A statement that some things, like time and craftsmanship, aren't meant to be deleted or updated."

I explained how the design contrasted the detailed mechanics of the watch with the temporary nature of digital code. I talked about legacy and making every second count in a meaningful way.

Claire watched me with a blank expression. Jason looked surprised but encouraging. Everyone else seemed either interested, doubtful, or completely lost.

When I finished, Claire was quiet for a moment. Then she nodded slowly. "It's... bold, Olivia. Definitely fits Mr. Blackwood's request for 'revolutionary.'" She turned to the group. "Thoughts?"

What followed was a lively debate. Some people thought it was brilliant and fresh. Others thought it was too abstract and different from Archer's usual style. They argued about who would buy it and what message it sent.

Jason jumped in to defend my concept, saying it could really stand out from the competition. He understood my vision, even though it had surprised him.

I stood there listening to them pick apart my idea. I felt exposed but also energized. This was what it meant to share ideas and face criticism,and it wasn't as scary as I'd always thought.

"Alright," Claire finally said, stopping the discussion. "We have different opinions, which is good. It means Olivia's concept is making us think. We'll develop both approaches. Jason's traditional concept and Olivia's 'Reimagined' idea. We'll present both to Mr. Blackwood later this week."

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. It wasn't a complete win, but it was a big step forward. My idea was moving ahead!

As the meeting ended, Jason came over and gave me a high-five. "You killed it, Olivia! That was awesome!"

"Thanks, Jason," I said, smiling despite being tired. "I couldn't have done it without Blackwood's feedback, though."

His smile faded a little. "Still... turning his feedback into THAT in just one night? That's real talent. Maybe he saw that in you after all."

I shrugged, not wanting to think too much about what Alex might have seen in me.

Back at my desk, I looked at Vanessa's email again. The meeting had made me realize something important; to succeed here, I needed to understand the game being played. I needed information. And maybe Vanessa Sharp could give me some of it.

Taking a deep breath, I clicked 'Reply'.

Subject: Re: Lunch?

Vanessa,

Thank you for the invitation. I'd be happy to join you for lunch. Please let me know when and where works best.

Best,

Olivia Gray

I hit send before I could change my mind. I immediately felt like I'd just jumped off a cliff.

My phone buzzed. A text from the Unknown Number.

Boss from Hell: I trust you are focused solely on Archer today, Ms. Gray.

My eyes widened. How did he know I had just sent that email? Was he watching me? Monitoring my computer? A cold shiver ran down my spine. I quickly deleted Vanessa's email from my sent folder, just in case.

My phone buzzed again with an email notification from Vanessa.

Subject: Perfect!

Wonderful, Olivia! How about The Gilded Cage? Tomorrow at 1 PM? It's very... exclusive. I'll make the reservation.

Vanessa

The Gilded Cage. I'd seen pictures online. One of the fanciest, most expensive restaurants in the city. It was known for private booths where important people made deals and shared secrets. Vanessa chose it for a reason.

Tomorrow at 1 PM. My stomach twisted into knots. The spider had set her trap, and I had just walked right into it.

And somehow Alex seemed to know or suspect what I was doing. The air suddenly felt heavy, like I couldn't breathe properly.

What was waiting for me at The Gilded Cage?