Chapter 7
A victorious smile had already appeared on Vincent's face.
He was even ready to stand up and soak in the praise.
"The East Claera branch of Innova Tech will be fully managed by Ms. Diana Clayton," William said slowly and clearly, making sure every word landed.
As soon as he finished, the room erupted in an uproar.
Vincent's smile froze on his face.
It was as if he'd been slapped in front of everyone. His face went from red to ashen.
"No! This can't be!" Vincent stood up abruptly, losing all composure as he pointed at William.
He snapped, "Mr. Dalton! Your representative already made a verbal agreement with me!
"Our technical proposal is exactly what you asked for!"
"A verbal agreement?" William smiled, but there was no warmth in his eyes.
He said, "Mr. Sharpe, business isn't some playground game. Now, about the technical proposal..."
He glanced over at me.
I nodded and headed up to the stage.
I slotted in the USB drive and projected our new proposal onto the big screen.
The moment our cutting-edge plan lit up the screen, the tech reporters in the audience let out a collective gasp of amazement.
"This... this is a brand new system!"
"It's at least a generation ahead of anything else out there!"
I glanced at Vincent, whose face was pale. I started speaking. "Mr. Sharpe, I'd like to ask you something.
"Your company, Everglow Tech, took our scrapped proposal, dressed it up as your own, and used it to compete for this project.
"So tell me, Mr. Sharpe. What do you call this kind of thing in our business?"
My voice was calm, but it landed on Vincent like a heavy blow.
Vincent was still struggling to defend himself. "You... that's a baseless accusation! When did I ever steal your proposal?"
"Is that so?" I gave him a cold smile.
I said, "Then would you dare to compare the core code from your proposal with this 'old proposal' I have right here. Let's do it in front of everyone."
I held up another USB drive.
That was the proposal Everglow Tech had stolen from me through corporate espionage.
In an instant, cold sweat broke out all over Vincent.
He knew he was done for.
If the theft got exposed, Everglow Tech's name would be trashed, and they'd be staring down a lawsuit that could wipe them out.
The reporters in the audience were going wild.
"Mr. Sharpe, is what Ms. Clayton said true or not?"
"Did Everglow Tech really steal trade secrets?"
"Give us a straight answer!"
Vincent was swarmed by microphones and cameras, completely cornered and flustered.
He was speechless, and in the end, security had to escort him out. He fled the venue in disgrace.
What should have been his victory celebration had turned into a public execution.
And there I was, standing on stage, with all eyes on me.
The camera flashes no longer felt harsh to me.
Instead, they seemed like stars crowning me.
After the press conference, William hosted a proper victory dinner for me.
It was at that same exclusive little restaurant.
"Congratulations, Ms. Clayton." He raised his glass. "You turned things around beautifully."
"Congratulations to you too, Mr. Dalton." I smiled and clinked glasses with him. "We took care of a major threat without even having to fight."
We shared a knowing smile, no words needed.
William asked, "What's your next move?"
I replied, "I'm going to nail this project and take the company to the next level."
"And then?" He looked at me with a hopeful look in his eyes.
"And then..." I met his gaze head-on, not backing down this time. "Maybe I should start dealing with my own personal matters."
William's eyes lit up instantly.
His gaze sparkled, like he'd fallen into a sea of stars.
He set down his glass and took my hand. His palm was warm and dry.
"Diana, I've been waiting for you to say that for so long," William said, his voice soft.
Outside, neon lights painted the city in brilliant colors.
I knew my own new chapter was just beginning. And this time, I wasn't facing it alone.
*****
After William and I got together, my life felt like it was on fast forward.
At work, we were a team, side by side.
The 1.5-billion-dollar project was officially underway, and there were a million things to handle.
I was out front, driving the market and connecting with clients.
William was back at headquarters, making sure all the tech resources were lined up.
We worked together like a well-oiled machine, and the project was moving forward at lightning speed.
In my personal life, he was always there for me, taking care of every little thing.
William always remembered when that time of the month was coming and would have hot cocoa ready for me ahead of time.
He basically took over my fridge, stuffing it with all sorts of healthy ingredients so I'd never run out.
He even learned to make my favorite pot roast. Though the first time, he almost set the kitchen on fire.
William made me feel what it was like to be someone's whole world.
At work, we kept our relationship under wraps.
But the sharp-eyed employees had already caught on to the subtle hints that something was up.
Like how their new CEO wore a couple's necklace that matched the one the big boss of Innova Tech had.
Or how the big boss was dropping by the branch way more than necessary.
And every time William visited, his gaze was almost glued to their formidable CEO.
Rumors began swirling around the break room.