CHAPTER SIXTY–What Was Lost, Now Found
As Rear was about to leave, the office door opened, and Julia Florent swept in, carrying a brown paper bag
“Ryan, darling!” Julia called out. “You forgot your lunch at home. I thought I’d drop it off”
She made her way to Ryan, fussing over him and straightening his already impeccable tie. As she did so, she cast pointed glances at
Laura, her smile turver wavering
“Oh, hello everyone,” Julia said, tuming her attention to the team. “How wonderful to see you all hard at work. Kira, that blouse is simply stuming on you. And Zaya, your energy always brightens up the room.”
Her compliments somehow managed to sound both sincere and slightly condescending: When she got to Laura, her smile tightened almost imperceptibly, “Laura, dear, you’re looking professional today”
Laura forced a polite smile. “Thank you, Julla. It’s nice of you to bring Ryan his lunch.”
“Oh, it’s no trouble at all,” Julia said, linking her arm through Ilyan’s. “I always take care of my Ryan Now, I won’t keep you from your important work any longer Ta–ta”
As Ryan and Julia left, Laura couldn’t help but notice the shift in Kira’s demeanor, While not exactly friendly, Kira seemed to be reassessing Laura, eyeing her with a new sense of consideration.
“Your future projections section,” Kira said after a moment. “It’s, not bad. We might be able to use some of it.”
Coming from kira, this was high praise indeed, Laura felt a small spark of hope. “Thanks. I’d love to hear your thoughts on how we can integrate it with the rest of the presentation”
Kira nodded, her usual brusqueness softened slightly. “Let’s take a look at it together after lunch. We can see how it fits with the historical context I’ve prepared.”
As they broke for lunch, Laura felt a shift in the office dynamics. The afternoon proved to be more productive and harmonious than she could have hoped. Kira, while still not exactly warm, became more cooperative, actually listening to Laura’s ideas and incorporating them into their shared work
The change didn’t go unnoticed by the rest of the team. Zaya shot Laura a thumbs up when Kira wasn’t looking, emerged from his shell long enough to offer a small smile of encouragement.
and even Alden
As the day drew to a close, Bo called everyone together to review their progress. Laura held her breath, waiting for the usual barrage of
criticism
To everyone’s surprise, Bo’s feedback was minimal. She nodded approvingly as each team member presented their work, offering the occasional suggestion for improvement.
When it came to Laura and Kira’s section, Bo actually looked impressed. “This is good work,” she said, her tone as close to praise as it ever got. “The historical context flows well into the current applications, and the future projections are bold yet well–supported. Nice job, both of you.”
Laura and Kira exchanged a look of shared accomplishment. It wasn’t exactly friendship, but it was a start.
As everyone prepared to leave for the day, there was a sense that something had shifted. The office felt lighter somehow, the usual undercurrent of tension noticeably diminishand
Laura packed up her things, feeling cautiously optimistic for the first time since starting this job. She’d made progress with Kira, connected with Aiden, and even earned some recognition from Bo. Maybe she really could find her place on this team.
Laura carefully placed the framed photo on her desk, adjusting it slightly to catch the morning light. The image of her and Jen, arms wrapped around each other and laughing at some forgotten joke, brought a smile to her face. It had been a month since she’d joined Sivarra Tech’s R&D department, and while the transition hadn’t been smooth, she was finally starting to feel like she belonged. The office buzzed with nervous energy as the team prepared for their board presentation. Laura glanced up to see Bo Chen striding purposefully between desks, her sharp eyes scrutinizing everyone’s work with even more intensity than usual.
“Volkov, McKenna,” Bobarked, approaching their shared workspace. “un me through your section one more time.”
Kira straightened in her chair, launching into a concise explanation of their latest breakthrough. Laura chimed in, elaborating on the potential applications. As they finished, Ho gave a curt nod–high praise from their exacting leader.
“Not bad,” Bo muttered, moving on to interrogate Zaya and Alden.
Larry wheeled his chair over, grinning “Did I just witness actual teamwork between you two? Should I check if hell’s frozen over?”
CHAPTERLEXT). Whin Was Left on Found
Kira’s lips twitched in a rare smile, while Laura couldn’t help but chuckle. “We’re as surprised as you are, Larry.”
“Hey, I’m not complaining,” Larry said, raising his hands. “It’s nice not having to wear a kevlar vest to work anymore.”
As the morning progressed, the tension in the office ratcheted up. Zaya flitted from desk to desk, her nervous energy infectious. She hovered near Laura, peppering her with questions.
“Do you think the board will like our color scheme? Should I have gone with a different font? Oh god, what if I forget everything?”
Laura placed a reassuring hand on Zaya’s arm. “Take a deep breath. You’ve got this. We’ve all got this.”
From across the room, Kira rolled her eyes. “If you’re done with the pep talk, some of us are trying to work.”
Before Laura could respond, Aiden spoke up, his quiet voice cutting through the chatter. “I’ve finished setting up the presentation room. Want to do a quick tech run–through?”
The team gathered around as Aiden confidently navigated the setup, explaining each step with unexpected authority. Even Bo looked impressed.
“Nice work, O’Connor,” she said. “Didn’t know you had it in you.
Aiden ducked his head, a faint blush coloring his cheeks. “Thanks, Bo. I, uh, used to do AV setup for my college theater group.”
Larry clapped him on the back. “Hidden depths, my friend. Next thing you know, you’ll be telling us you’re secretly a world–class ballet dancer.”
Aiden’s eyes widened in panic. “What? No, I-”
“Relax, O’Connor,” Bo said, the corners of her mouth twitching “Goldstein’s just being an idiot, as usual.”
“Hey!” Larry protested, clutching his chest in mock offense. “I’ll have you know my mother thinks I’m very smart.”
The team burst into laughter, even Bo letting out a reluctant chuckle. The moment of levity helped ease some of the tension, and they returned to their final preparations with renewed focus.
As the clock ticked closer to presentation time, Ryan Callis stopped by the office. His presence seemed to have a calming effect on Bo, whose shoulders visibly relaxed.
Ryan made his way around the room, offering words of encouragement to each team member. When he reached Laura, their eyes met, and a silent understanding passed between them. She’d come a long way since that first day, and they both knew it.
“You’ve got this, Laura,” Ryan said softly. “Show them what you’re made of.”
With final adjustments made and nerves somewhat settled, the team made their way to the boardroom. As they filed in, Laura caught sight of the imposing figures seated around the table. She took a deep breath, reminding herself that they’d prepared for this.
Bo kicked off the presentation with a brief overview, her usual brusque manner tempered by a hint of pride in her team. Then, one by one, each member took their turn.
Zaya’s section on market analysis flowed smoothly, her earlier nervousness replaced by passionate enthusiasm. Aiden’s quiet confidence shone through as he explained the technical aspects of their project, fielding questions from the board with ease.
