CHAPTER SIXTY–FOUR- The Retum of the Unseen
They settled around the large mahogany table, Laura and Alden on one side, Ryan and Julia on the other. Ryan pulled out a tablet and began to speak
“So, here’s the deal,” he started, his tone shifting from casual to all business. “We’ve got three days to convince Harold Rothschild that Sivarra Tech is worth a hundred million dollar investment.”
Aiden gulped audibly. Laura shot him a reassuring smile before turning back to Ryan
“What can you tell us about Rothschild?” she asked. “Any particular interests or pet projects we should focus on?”
Ryan nodded approvingly. “Good question, Laura. Rothschild’s big on sustainable tech. He wants to see how our innovations can be applied to environmental conservation and clean energy.”
“Oh, that’s perfect!” Laura exclaimed. “We can highlight our new solar cell design and the water purification system.”
Julia cleared her throat delicately. “While those are… interesting, shouldn’t we focus more on the profit margins? After all, this is an investment, not a charity.”
Laura felt her cheeks heat up. “Of course, but showing the practical applications-”
“I think Julia has a point,” Ryan interrupted. “We need to strike a balance between the tech specs and the financial projections.
Aiden spoke up, his voice slightly shaky. “What about our TECH developments? They have both environmental applications and strong profit potential.”
Ryan snapped his fingers. “That’s good, Aiden. Let’s lead with that.”
The meeting continued for another hour, with Ryan outlining the schedule for the next few days. Throughout, Julia kept interjecting with suggestions that seemed designed to undermine Laura’s ideas.
“Perhaps we should let the more… experienced team members handle the main presentation, Julia said at one point, her smile not reaching her eyes.
Laura bit her tongue, reminding herself that Julia was Ryan’s girlfriend and assistant. She couldn’t afford to make an enemy of her.
As the meeting wound down, Ryan stood up. “Great work, everyone. Laura, Aiden, why don’t you two head to the library to start putting the presentation together? Julia and I need to make some calls.”
Laura nodded, gathering her notes. As she and Aiden left the conference room, she couldn’t help but feel a mix of excitement and trepidation. This was her chance to prove herself, but with Julia seemingly determined to undermine her at every turn, it wasn’t going to be easy.
They found the library easily enough, a cozy room lined with bookshelves and featuring a large desk perfect for their needs. Aiden immediately set up his laptop, his fingers trembling slightly as he typed in his password.
“Okay,” Laura said, trying to inject some confidence into her voice. “Let’s start with the outline we discussed in the meeting.”
For the next few hours, they worked steadily, piecing together their presentation. Laura focused on crafting a compelling narrative that wove together their technological innovations with their potential environmental impact and financial projections.
Aiden, however, seemed to be struggling. His usual quick wit and technical expertise were overshadowed by his obvious nervousness. He fumbled with the laptop, accidentally closing windows and losing unsaved work.
“Shit!” he exclaimed suddenly, his face pale. “I think I just deleted our entire section on the TECH applications.”
Laura took a deep breath, reminding herself to be patient. “It’s okay, Aiden. We can recreate it. What do you remember?”
What followed was an hour of frustration as they tried to piece together the lost information from memory. By the time they managed to reconstruct a passable version, Laura was exhausted and Aiden looked ready to throw up.
“Let’s call it a day,” Laura suggested gently. “We’ve made good progress, and we still have tomorrow to refine everything ‘
Aiden nodded gratefully. “Yeah, okay. Thanks, Laura. I’m sorry I’m such a mess,”
Laura patted his shoulder. “You’re not a mess. You’re just nervous. It’s a big deal, but we’ve got this. Get some rest,
okay?”
As they parted ways to prepare for dinner, Laura couldn’t help but worry. She needed Alden to pull it together if they were going to Impress Rothschild.
An hour later, Laura stood in front of the full–length mirror in her cabin, smoothing down her navy blue cocktail dress. She’d chosen it
carefully, wanting to strike a balance between professional and elegant. Taking a deep breath, she headed to the dining room.
The room was a marvel of luxury, with crystal chandeliers casting a warm glow over the polished wood table. Laura found her seat between Aiden and an empty chair, directly across from Ryan and Julia.
As the other guests filtered in – mostly Rothschild’s business associates and their partners the room filled with the low hum of conversation. Ryan stood, raising his glass,
“Welcome, everyone,” he said, his voice carrying easily across the room. “We’re honored to have you all here as we embark on this exciting venture. Here’s to new partnerships and groundbreaking innovations!”
A chorus of “Cheers!” echoed around the table as everyone raised their glasses. As the first course was served a delicate lobster bisque – Julia leaned forward, her diamond earrings catching the light.
“So, Laura,” she said, her tone syrupy sweet. “Ryan tells me this is your first time on a luxury yacht. It must be quite the experience for you.”
Laura forced a smile. “It’s certainly impressive. But I’m more excited about the opportunity to present our work to Mr. Rothschild.”
“Oh, of course,” Julia laughed lightly. “It’s just, well, these kinds of settings can be intimidating if you’re not used to them. I do hope you’re comfortable.”
Ryan, engrossed in conversation with the man to his left, seemed oblivious to the undercurrent of tension.
“I’m quite comfortable, thank you,” Laura replied coolly. “Aiden and I have been working hard on our presentation. We’re looking forward to showcasing Sivarra’s innovations.”
Julia’s smile tightened almost imperceptibly. “That’s wonderful. Although, I must say, I was surprised Ryan chose such a… fresh face for such an important presentation. But I’m sure you’ll do your best.”
Before Laura could respond, Aiden jumped in, his voice slightly too loud. “Laura’s been instrumental in developing our TECH applications. She’s more than qualified.”
Julia raised an eyebrow. “Is that so? And what about you, Aiden? Are you feeling prepared for tomorrow?
Aiden’s face paled visibly. “L… yes, of course. We’ve been working very hard.”
“I’m sure you have,” Julia said, her tone dripping with false sympathy. “It must be quite stressful, having so much riding on your
performance.”
Laura watched as Aiden’s hand trembled, nearly knocking over his water glass. She placed a steadying hand on his arm under the table.
“We’re both well–prepared,” Laura said firmly, “Sivarra’s work speaks for itself.”
Ryan, finally tuning back into their conversation, beamed. “That it does! I have full confidence in both of you.”
The rest of the dinner passed in a blur of exquisite food and carefully navigated conversation. Laura found herself constantly on guard, deflecting Julia’s subtle jabs while trying to keep Alden from completely unraveling.
As dessert was served – a decadent chocolate soufflé – Laura excused herself. “If you’ll all excuse me, I think I need some fresh air. She made her way to the upper deck, breathing in the cool night air. The yacht had set sail during dinner, and now the coastline was just a distant line of twinkling lights, Laura leaned against the railing, letting the gentle rocking, of the boat soothe her frayed nerves.
“Beautiful night, isn’t it?”
Laura startled at the sound of Ryan’s voice. She turned to see him approaching, his jacket slung casually over one shoulder.
