Chapter 18

I gathered my wits and stepped into the elevator, her eyes locked on the button for the lobby. The elevator doors closed, and I was alone with Auden.

The tension in the air was thick, almost palpable. Neither of us said a word, neither of us dared to move. The elevator stopped on the next floor, and a man got on.

He looked at the both of us, his eyebrows raised in surprise. I gave him a tight smile, not wanting to make a scene. The man pressed the button for the lobby, and the elevator started moving again.

The elevator doors opened, and I stepped out. As soon as I got out, Anita rushed over to me to fix my hair and dress,

“Are they here?” I asked, she looked at me and then smiled.

“You're quite lucky today. They just walked in. I'm sure they'd call us soon.” She says, her gaze falling behind me as if looking at something then she darted her eyes to me.

I looked at my Anita, perplexed.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked. My assistant just shook her head, a look of disbelief on her face.

I turned to see Auden, who was standing in the doorway, looking equally confused. “Oh…Anita…let's go?" I said to her walking away, we got to sit down, and she turned to ask me.

“What's going on between you two?” She asked, I shot her a glare

“Just because I am friendly doesn't give you the liberty to ask about my private life.” She nodded and quickly apologized.

Auden went over to the other side and sat down, his Assistant behind him as she briefed him on something on the iPad she held. But I could feel his gaze on me.

“Just let's get this contract and get the hell out of here,” I said to myself.

The door to the boardroom room opened and a young lady

Just as I was about to question Anita further, a young woman emerged from the boardroom, looking flustered.

"We need you both in the boardroom," she said, her voice urgent.

"You're both up next for your presentation." I turned to Anita, a million questions on the tip of my tongue. But I knew I had to focus on my presentation. I took a deep breath and walked towards the boardroom, my mind racing.

We got to the conference room, our heels clicking on the polished floor. I took a deep breath as we entered the room, my heart beating fast in my chest.

I saw the clients sitting at the table, their faces expectant, their eyes fixed on me. Judging from their expressions, they must have met Auden in the past. But all I could think about was Amelia's words, the words that had given me strength. I took my seat with Anita behind me, one of them turned to me,

“The new CEO of Anchor Freight Shipping company, it's so glad to finally meet you.” A warm smile plastered on his face.

“Good Morning sir,” I returned with a small smile.

Just then the CEO walked in, he was an elderly man.

The elderly man was impeccably dressed, his clothes expensive and tailored to perfection. He exuded an air of wealth and power, his posture tall and commanding.

I could tell that he was used to getting what he wanted, and he expected nothing less than perfection from those around him. He looked at me with an intensity that made me feel like I was being sized up, judged, and analyzed. I had to stay calm and focused, and not let his presence intimidate me.

As he entered the boardroom, He had a stern expression on his face, and his eyes were sharp and focused. I instantly knew that this was the CEO of the company.

He motioned for me to take a seat, and I did so, my heart pounding in my chest.

"You're here to present your latest findings, correct?" he asked, his voice authoritative. I nodded, my mouth dry. This was my big moment, and I had to make it count.

The CEO of the company looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to begin my presentation. I took a deep breath and began to speak.

"Thank you for the opportunity to present my findings to you today," I said, my voice steady and clear. My eyes bounced to Auden, but then I looked away,

“Don't let his presence distract you, imagine he doesn't exist in this room”. I said to myself, after I was calm, I began to speak.

"As you know, my team has been working on a new system that we believe will revolutionize the shipping industry." I went on to explain the system in detail, highlighting its benefits and potential applications.

“The system I had developed was a computerized logistics platform that could track and manage shipments in real-time, using data from a variety of sources.

It could provide information on everything from the location of shipments to the status of customs clearance. It could even provide alerts when there were delays or other problems.

In short, it was designed to give businesses a complete, up-to-date picture of their supply chains, so they could make informed decisions and optimize their operations.” Anita picks up the laptop, showcasing my ideas in the slideshow on the projector.

As I continued my presentation, I could see the CEO's interest growing. His eyes lit up as I described the system's capabilities, and he began to ask questions, probing for more information.

I did my best to answer his questions, but I could feel the pressure mounting as the minutes ticked by. Finally, I came to the end of my presentation, and I looked at the CEO, hoping for a positive response. He leaned back in his chair, a thoughtful look on his face.

"This is an impressive system," he said, "but I have some concerns."

My heart sank as I heard the CEO's words.