Chapter 4

The first week with Laurent in the office passed in a blur of training sessions and getting-to-know-you conversations. I'd assigned him to shadow Sarah on a few smaller projects—nothing too challenging, just enough to get his feet wet and see how he handled real client work.

I wasn't expecting much. After all, he was still a sophomore, and there's a world of difference between classroom theory and actual client demands. So when Sarah knocked on my office door Friday afternoon, her expression somewhere between amazed and confused, I assumed Laurent had made some rookie mistake.

"Jessica, you need to see…