CHAPTER SIXTY–SIX – Will she Let Him In?
For the next hour, Laura found herself in a whirlwind of introductions and small talk. She shook hands with venture capitalists, fielded questions from tech entrepreneurs, and tried to hold her own in conversations about market trends and investment strategies.
“So, Laura,” a silver–haired man she’d been introduced to as Mr. Hoffman said, “Ryan tells me you’re working on some fascinating TECH applications Care to elaborate?
Laura took a sip of her spritzer, gathering her thoughts. “Well, we’re particularly excited about our work in predictive analytics for environmental conservation Our TECH can process vast amounts of data–everything from satellite imagery to local weather patterns to predict areas at high risk for deforestation or wildlife habitat loss ”
A woman to her lett–Mrs. Chen, if Laura remembered correctly leaned in. “That’s all very noble, but where’s the profit in that?”
“Excellent question,” Laura said, warming to her subject. “While there’s certainly a philanthropic aspect, we’ve found there’s also significant commercial interest. Governments and NGOs are willing to pay for this kind of data to inform their conservation efforts. Plus, we’re adapting the same technology for use in agriculture and urban planning”
Mr. Hoffman nodded approvingly, “Impressive. And how does this tie into Sivarra’s broader strategy?”
As Laura launched into an explanation of their long–term goals, she caught sight of Ryan across the deck. He was deep in conversation with a group of men in expensive–looking suits, but he caught her eye and gave her a thumbs up.
The conversation flowed, and Laura found herself actually enjoying the challenge of fielding questions and explaining their work. She was in the middle of describing their latest breakthrough when Julia’s voice cut in
“I’m so sorry to interrupt,” Julia said, not sounding sorry at all, “but I simply must steal Laura away for a moment. Laura, darling, could you help me with something in the galley?”
Confused but not wanting to make a scene, Laura excused herself and followed Julia below deck. As soon as they were out of earshot, Julia turned to her, eyes flashing
“I don’t know what game you think you’re playing.” Julia hissed, “but let me make something clear. This is my world, not yours. Stop trying so hard to impress everyone. It’s embarrassing
Laura blinked, taken aback by the venom in Julia’s voice. “I’m not playing any game. I’m here to do my job and represent Sivarta Tech‘
Julia laughed, a cold, brittle sound “Oh, please. I’ve seen the way you look at Ryan. But let me save you some time you’re not his type. He needs someone who understands this world, not some wide–eyed newbie trying to punch above her weight.”
Before Laura could respond, Julia plastered on a fake smile and turned on her heel, heading back to the deck. Laura stood there for a moment, her cheeks burning with a mix of anger and embarrassment.
Taking a deep breath, she composed herself and returned to the party. She spent the rest of the lunch trying to avoid Julia’s gaze while maintaining her professional demeanor.
As the lunch wound down, Laura excused herself, citing work to be done. She made her way back to the business center, her mind still reeling from Julia’s confrontation.
She pushed open the door to find Alden staring at his laptop screen, his face ashen. “Laura,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper, “I think I’ve done something terrible.”
Laura’s heart sank Laura’s heart sank. “What happened?”
“I was trying to save our latest version, but I think… I think I saved over it with an old file. All our work from this morning….. it’s gone.”
Laura closed her eyes, counting to ten in her head. When she opened them, Aiden was looking at her with such despair that her frustration melted into sympathy.
“okay,” she said, pulling up a chair. “Let’s see what we can salvage. Between your memory and mine, we should be able to reconstruct
For the next few hours, they painstakingly pieced together their lost work. Laura kept her voice calm and encouraging, even as exhaustion and stress threatened to overwhelm her.
They were deep in the weeds of a particularly complex section when there was a knock at the door. Ryan poked his head in, his brow furrowing at the sight of their obvious distress.
“Everything okay in here?” he asked.
Laura forced a smile. “Just a little technical hiccup. We’re working through it.”
Ryan looked unconvinced. “Laura, why don’t you take a break? A walk might do you good. Aiden, you okay to keep going for a bit?”
Aiden nodded, not looking up from his screen. Laura hesitated, but the idea of fresh air was too tempting to resist.
“Alright,” she said, standing up. “Aiden, I’ll be back soon to help with the final section ”
Ryan led her out onto the promenade deck. The late afternoon sun sparkled on the water, and a cool breeze offered welcome relief from the stuffiness of the business center.
“Rough day?” Ryan asked as they fell into step together.
Laura sighed. “You could say that. Sometimes I wonder if I’m cut out for all this.”
Ryan chuckled. “Trust me, we all feel that way sometimes. You want to hear about my first big pitch? I was so nervous I knocked over the projector and set the client’s tie on fire.”
Laura couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re kidding ”
“I wish I was,” Ryan said, grinning. “But you know what? I closed that deal. Because at the end of the day, it’s not about being perfect. It’s about believing in what you’re selling and being able to communicate that passion.”
They walked in comfortable silence for a moment before Ryan spoke again. “You know, Laura, I’ve been really impressed with your work on this project. The way you handle Aiden, the depth of your knowledge… you’ve got a real future in this business.”
Laura felt a warm glow of pride at his words. “Thanks, Ryan. That means a lot coming from you.”
Their eyes met, and for a moment, Laura felt that same spark she’d experienced the night before. But before either of them could say anything more, a familiar voice cut through the air.
“There you are, darling!”
Julia appeared, looking stunning in a flowing sundress. She wrapped her arm around Ryan’s waist, planting a kiss on his lips. “I’ve been looking all over for you. The sunset’s about to start, and it’s supposed to be spectacular tonight.”
Ryan smiled at his girlfriend, but Laura thought she detected a flicker of… something in his eyes. Regret? Frustration? But it was gone so quickly she couldn’t be sure.
“Sounds lovely,” Ryan said. “Laura, why don’t you join us?”
Julia’s smile tightened almost imperceptibly. “Oh yes, do join us… if you’re not too busy with work, of course.
Laura forced a polite smile. “Thanks for the offer, but I should really get back to Alden. We’ve still got a lot to do before tomorrow.”
As she turned to leave, she heard Julia’s voice, syrupy sweet. “Such a dedicated little worker bee, isn’t she?”
Laura quickened her pace, not wanting to hear Ryan’s response. She made her way back to the business center, relieved to find that Aiden had made some progress in her absence.
“Hey,” she said, settling back into her chair. “This is looking good. Though I think we might need to adjust these figures here…
As she immersed herself back in the work, Laura found her gaze drawn to the window. Outside, she could see Ryan and Julia on the deck, their arms around each other as they watched the sun begin its descent towards the horizon.
Laura felt a twinge in her chest – jealousy? Longing? She wasn’t sure. Shaking her head, she turned back to the laptop. There was work to be done, and no time for distractions. Tomorrow was going to be a big day, and she had to be ready.
