Chereads / unspoken love and cross the line / Chapter 11 - Rising Rivalries: Isabelle vs. Cecilia's Battle for Dominance

Chapter 11 - Rising Rivalries: Isabelle vs. Cecilia's Battle for Dominance

In the midst of Natalie's favor, Isabelle was waiting for Isla to take a step closer. But unexpectedly, out of nowhere, Cecilia emerged. Over a year ago, Cecilia had interned at Natalie and gradually gained Isla's appreciation. Now, just a few months after officially joining, she had already outshined Isabelle.

Two tigers cannot share the same mountain.

Since Cecilia's first day at the company, Isabelle had keenly sensed the threat she posed. Leveraging her position as a long-standing employee, Isabelle tried to assert her dominance over Cecilia by making her buy coffee. However, Cecilia didn't buy into her act and simply ignored her, publicly humiliating her.

Since then, Isabelle's dislike for Cecilia had grown, and she frequently tried to trip her up. She had initially assumed that, given her own position, getting rid of an inexperienced intern would be a breeze. Unexpectedly, she encountered a tough opponent who directly confronted her. Cecilia not only meticulously analyzed all the articles Isabelle had published in the magazine since joining Natalie, pointing out mistakes, but also actively expressed her opinions during weekly meetings, snatching away numerous topics that Isabelle had previously been responsible for.

Furious and resentful, Isabelle felt even more pressure as Cecilia delved into the roots of every fashion trend, surpassing her knowledge of luxury brands and items, which she had acquired through daily research.

During the fashion charity gala the day before yesterday, Isla deliberately introduced Cecilia to several people in the industry. Anyone could tell that she was intentionally nurturing Cecilia. Isabelle couldn't hide her jealousy and walked into the office with a sour face. She didn't have a good expression for anyone, let alone Cecilia.

Isla quickly entered the meeting room, and the atmosphere instantly turned serious. Isla approached work with a strict attitude and demanded the same from her subordinates. In meetings, she could ask anyone questions at any time, so the weekly departmental meetings were not easy for the editorial team, especially for the new interns who were constantly on edge, keeping their heads down, afraid of making eye contact with Isla.

However, Isla had more important work to discuss today, and she didn't have time for the interns. She went straight to the topic and discussed the topic selection for the next month. Finally, she looked at Cecilia and Isabelle and said, "This year, the editor-in-chief plans to launch an additional end-of-year special issue. The main content of this magazine will be different from our current magazine, leaning more towards art and music. This will be the top priority for our work in the remaining two months. If the sales are successful, we will have an additional issue per edition next year. The selection of the first celebrity for this special issue needs to be very careful. Cecilia and Isabelle, after you go back, come up with a list of the celebrities you want to invite."

She didn't say the rest, but everyone understood that once an additional magazine was added per edition next year, one person from the editorial team would be chosen to be in charge of the new magazine. And currently, the only ones in the editorial department qualified to compete for this position were Cecilia and Isabelle.

Ultimately, it would depend on who planned the invitation of the celebrities for this time, as they would be the ones selected.

Cecilia nodded and began to think about which celebrities in the entertainment industry would be suitable for Natalie Magazine but haven't been featured yet.

"Chief Editor, I have a suitable candidate in mind," Isabelle suddenly spoke up. Isla looked up from her computer towards her, saying, "Tell me more."

Isabelle glanced at Cecilia out of the corner of her eye, lips curving into a confident smile. "Lydia Sterling."

After Isabelle finished speaking, everyone in the meeting room looked up at her. Isabelle stood tall with confidence. "Lydia has been doing very well since she entered the industry, and she hasn't accepted any invitations from other fashion magazines. This would be her first feature in a magazine. I happened to encounter her at the fashion charity gala the other day, and we had a conversation. She seemed to have known about our plan to launch an end-of-year special issue, and she expressed a strong willingness to collaborate with us. I believe she would be the most suitable person to be featured on the cover of our end-of-year special issue."

With these words, everyone understood that the editor-in-chief suddenly proposed the addition of this end-of-year special issue likely just to highlight Lydia.

And Isabelle took the initiative to curry favor with Lydia, which is equivalent to gaining the planning rights for the year-end special edition.

It seems that this battle between Cecilia and Isabelle hasn't even begun, yet it's already lost.

Isla didn't immediately express her opinion and looked at Cecilia. "Cecilia, what do you think?"

Cecilia held a pen in her hand, and her nose poked at the notebook, leaving a black mark. She smiled faintly and said unhurriedly, "The invitation for the December magazine cover is for Juliette. For the year-end special edition, the celebrity invited should at least have higher popularity than Juliette to live up to the 'special edition' label. Whether it's fame or acting skills, Lydia surpasses Juliette by a mile. It doesn't seem quite appropriate for her."

Isabelle's face darkened, and Cecilia continued with a playful smile, "I do have a suitable candidate in mind, but it's difficult to schedule time with him. We'll have to communicate in advance and inform the editor-in-chief once the communication is sorted."

Isla glanced between Isabelle and Cecilia and said, "Alright, both of you go back and prepare. We'll finalize the candidate during our meeting next week. Meeting adjourned."

Isla took the lead and walked out of the meeting room with her laptop. Cecilia walked towards the door, while Isabelle stood there with her arms crossed, snorting coldly. "Cecilia, are you truly foolish or just pretending? Do you think Lydia is just an ordinary little star? Even if she hasn't reached the second-tier yet, getting the year-end special edition cover is a piece of cake for her. I advise you not to waste your efforts. Don't offend the wrong person just to compete with me."

Cecilia took a sip of her coffee and asked, puzzled, "Who is the person I shouldn't offend? I'm Natalie's editor, and it's my job to invite the most suitable person for our cover. How can you call it competing?"

Isabelle tilted her chin provocatively and said, "If you want to waste your energy, no one is stopping you. But this year's year-end special edition, I'm going to decide."

Cecilia saw her resolute appearance and estimated that Lydia had vaguely revealed something to her, as she often used such tactics of leaving people guessing.

Colleagues around them stopped and watched as the two stood there, in opposition to each other, afraid that they might start fighting at any moment.

Gabriella approached Cecilia and tugged at her sleeve, trying to defuse the situation. She said, "Cecilia, have you had breakfast? I bought an extra one this morning."

Given Lydia's connection with the higher-ups at Starlight Entertainment, it was almost predictable that they would include her in the year-end special issue. Otherwise, Isabelle wouldn't have been so high-profile about it. Cecilia worried that she wouldn't be able to withstand Isabelle's provocation and being publicly challenged. If she lost, it would not only be embarrassing for her but also diminish Natalie's reputation.

Several colleagues who had a good relationship with Cecilia secretly fretted for her.

Of course, there were also those who stood on Isabelle's side, eagerly anticipating the spectacle.

"Really? It seems like the two of us have the same goal," Cecilia smirked. "I've already secured my spot for the year-end special issue. You better work hard and not lose to me again."

"..."

Title:Sleepless Nights and Misunderstandings

Isabelle Nichols was so enraged by Cecilia Sterling's words that her face contorted. Gabriella Wilkins noticed Isabelle's dark expression and her gaze turned even sharper. She quickly grabbed Cecilia's arm and forcefully pulled her away.

Isabelle couldn't believe Cecilia's audacity. She was beyond infuriated.

As soon as Cecilia left, more than half of the people in the conference room dispersed. Isabelle had a gloomy expression, and no one dared to provoke her. Only her intern, Elise, reluctantly approached her and started praising her.

"Isabelle, you're amazing. You even know Lydia Sterling. I heard from a friend at Starlight Entertainment that Lydia has a high position in the company. Even the popular actress Juliette shows deference to her. She gets first pick of good scripts. It's like she's the company's favorite daughter."

The phrase "favorite daughter" held a deeper meaning. Isabelle recalled a conversation with Lydia a few days ago. Lydia accidentally referred to someone as "dad." Although she quickly corrected herself, Isabelle was certain she hadn't misheard. When Lydia mentioned Chairman Sterling, she called him "dad."