---- Chapter 18 Hardin POV: | strode into my office to find chaos. Arthur met me at the door, his face ashen. "Sir, it's the 'Phoenix Engine'," he said, his voice low and urgent. "The art department is refusing to move forward. They say the concept art provided by Ms. Sparks is... substandard. They're demanding that the original artist be brought in to redo it." Original artist. The words hit me like a physical blow. | swayed on my feet, the ghost of Athena's voice echoing in my ears. She stole my work... | saw her face, streaked with tears, as she tried to explain, tried to make me believe her. My own voice, snarling: "Stop making things up, Athena!" My own voice, calling her a plagiarist. | saw myself, blinded by my own arrogance, by my misplaced devotion to a fraud. A wave of dizziness washed over me, and | gripped the edge of my desk to keep from falling. "Sir? Are you alright?" Arthur asked, his voice laced with ---- concern. "I'm fine," | lied, straightening up. My mind was racing. | couldn't let the truth come out. Not now. If the board found out our flagship project was built on a lie, the company's stock would plummet. | would be ruined. "Tell the art department that Ms. Sparks is... unwell," | said, my voice strained. "She needs time to recover." | looked at Arthur, my eyes hard. "And you will find me every piece of concept art Athena Reyes ever created. Scour her old laptops, her cloud storage, everything. Carina will replicate them. Perfectly." | paused, the desperation clawing at my throat. "And double the teams searching for Athena. | want her found." Arthur nodded grimly. "Sir, there's... one other thing." He hesitated. "You know there's been a lot of buzz about PixelVixen's return." | just stared at him, impatient. "Well, he continued, a flicker of excitement in his eyes, "some of the board members were thinking... what if we hired her? To consult. To work on the 'Phoenix Engine.' Her name alone would send our stock through the roof. It could save the entire project." For the first time in days, a sliver of light pierced through the suffocating darkness of my despair. Hope. It was a brilliant idea. A path to redemption. If | could align ---- myself with a true genius, | could salvage the company. | could prove to Athena, wherever she was, that | could recognize and nurture real talent. That | had changed. "Do it," | commanded, my voice filled with a newfound energy. "Find her. Offer her whatever she wants. | don't care about the cost. Get me PixelVixen." Arthur smiled, relieved. "Right away, sir." He left, and | walked to the window, staring out at the city lights. | held one of Athena's original sketches in my hand, a beautiful, intricate design for a character | now knew Carina could never have conceived. | would find you, Athena. And | would make this right. | would bring you home. Title: A Princess? No! I'm the Female General! In "A Princess? No! I'm the Female General!" by CrushReel, Adela Taylor, a noble family's daughter, disguises herself as her brother to secure their Duke title by joining the army. Despite facing obstacles, she achieves remarkable success. However, upon her triumphant return, her brother betrays her, setting off a chain of events that will test her resolve and reveal hidden truths. This captivating novel delves into themes of secrets, reincarnation, revenge, murder, and drama. Adela's journey from deception to betrayal is filled with intrigue and suspense as she navigates through a world where power dynamics and family loyalties collide. What sets this story apart is its strong female lead who defies expectations and challenges societal norms in a quest for justice and redemption. Experience the riveting tale of Adela Taylor online at CrushReel and witness the transformation of a princess into a formidable female general.