And I know you're not a placeholder, Ms. Hart. You're the real thing. Richard Chen is just too stubborn to admit he's afraid of you. Elena stared at him for a long moment. Something shifted in her eyes.
Surprise maybe, or recognition. "You don't talk like a maintenance worker," she said softly. "I wasn't always a maintenance worker." "What were you?" "Someone with plans, dreams, a scholarship to Northwestern for electrical engineering."
Marcus's jaw tightened. Then Lily's mother left and I had a choice. chase what I wanted or take care of what I had. It wasn't really a choice at all. You gave up your future for your daughter. I gave up one future, built a different one.
He stepped back, putting professional distance between them. Your calls in 10 minutes. I'll check the conference room after. Elena didn't move. Her eyes searched his face like she was looking for something she'd lost.
You make it sound simple, she said. Choosing what matters. It is simple, not easy, but simple. How do you know the difference? Easy is doing what everyone expects.
Simple is knowing what you can live with. Elena absorbed that. Then abruptly she straightened. The CEO mask slid back into place. Conference room B.
After my call. Yes, ma'am. She turned and walked away, but at the end of the corridor, she paused, looked back. Marcus. Yes.
Thank you for She stopped, started again for talking to me like I'm a person, not a position. Before he could respond, she was gone. The board meeting happened the next day. Marcus wasn't present, of course. He was in his office monitoring systems when his tablet pinged with an emergency alert.
Power fluctuation in the main boardroom. He grabbed his equipment and moved quickly through corridors that were unusually tense. Assistants huddled in small groups, speaking in whispers. Something was happening. The boardroom doors were closed.
He could hear raised voices inside Richard Chen's measured baritone. Elena's sharp responses, the murmur of other board members. Marcus checked the power panel outside the room. The fluctuation was minor, easily corrected, but it gave him a reason to be nearby. The door opened suddenly.
Richard Chen strode out, his face flushed with barely contained anger. He nearly collided with Marcus. Watch where you're standing. Richard snapped. Apologies, sir.