5. There's Still A Chance

Shirley POV

The Marketing Director, Mr. Gish, beamed as he introduced.

"Everyone, allow me to introduce our CEO, Mr. Rogers. It is an immense honor that he was able to take time out of his schedule to attend this review."

A ripple of applause swept the room, and a few women immediately began whispering.

"Connor Rogers! I finally get to see him in person! He's gorgeous!"

"He's usually so low-profile, never appears in public. Guess you only see him if you work for Virex."

"Look at that build. He's definitely hot in bed."

"I think I need to apply for a job here, immediately."

My heart seized up violently.

Connor? The CEO of Virex Group?

He had never mentioned the Virex Group to me.

I only knew him as a man who worked for a small, busy company, someone often frustrated by the daily grind of business and interpersonal conflicts, a man who seemed to be going nowhere.

Sometimes, he would hold me tight, staring vaguely into the distance as he asked, "Shirley, do you want lots and lots of money?" 

I would look into his unhappy eyes and kiss his lips tenderly.

"No. I only want you to be happy."

Now, everything shattered. He was the helmsman of this enormous corporation, a man who had concealed his identity since the very first day we met.

He had hidden this from me for three entire years!

My breathing completely failed me. I had never once questioned how he suddenly had the money to book the most expensive suite in the most luxurious hotel and spend three straight days ravishing me. I had never questioned why his card held such an enormous amount of money. It was far more than any salesman at a "small company" could ever earn.

I had been too devastated then to think clearly, but now, everything slotted into place.

I didn't understand why he had hidden his identity, but even knowing the truth now, I felt an intense wave of disgust and resentment.

Yet, at the very same moment, a desperate, luxurious thought flashed through my mind:

Considering our past connection, would he offer me even the smallest amount of preferential treatment?

It felt morally questionable, but I genuinely needed this contract.

I wanted Josh to win; I wanted our studio to succeed.

Just then, a staff member called out to me.

"Ma'am, please prepare yourself. You're next for the demonstration."

I blinked. "Me? I thought I was number ten," I said, glancing at the lottery ticket I held.

"It's fine. Please come in now."

It was a sudden, unexpected jump! A surge of desperate hope washed over me.

It seemed Connor was still bound by some semblance of past affection.

All the hatred I harbored for him could be set aside, just for now!

Nervousness, or perhaps excitement, made my hands tremble violently as I entered the conference room.

I quickly scanned the review panel; Connor was seated at the head of the table.

Mr. Gish, who sat beside him, appeared to be briefing him, but a single, icy glance from Connor silenced him instantly.

As I approached, Connor did something unexpected: he stood up and extended his hand toward me.

I felt the weight of every eye in the room focused on me, and my scalp prickled.

I forced a professional smile onto my face and met his hand.

"Hello. I'm Shirley Cage from Kolvo Studio. It's a pleasure."

Our hands lightly clasped.

His lips curved slightly, and his thumb brushed subtly against the back of my hand before he quickly released me.

My heart was battering the inside of my ribs.

My fingers were stiff as I connected my laptop to the projector and opened the presentation.

"Good morning. I'll be walking you through Kolvo Studio's proposed marketing strategy for your company…"

Josh had revised the plan countless times, and I had prepared many of the foundational materials, allowing me to manage, even in his absence.

Despite my nerves, I spoke coherently.

"Your current advertising relies heavily on traditional media. Kolvo Studio specializes in precision social media placement, which, in this digital age, can deliver new breakthroughs in sales."

I didn't know if it was the residual fever or just my nerves, but the blast of the air conditioning made me shiver uncontrollably.

Connor leaned back slightly, his head tilted, sketching aimlessly with a pen in his notebook.

Every few moments, he would look up, chin resting on his hand, his gaze settling on me for an unnerving length of time.

His perfect jawline was highlighted beautifully by the flickering light of the projector.

My mind went blank for a crucial second, and I almost forgot my place.

A wave of panic forced me to refocus, and I rushed to finish the final points of the presentation.

"Finally, thank you all for giving Kolvo Studio the opportunity to present our proposal. We look forward to further cooperation with Virex Group."

I forced my most confident smile, letting my final glance fall pointedly on Connor's face, signaling the end of my pitch.

The eyes of the other judges immediately shifted to the CEO.

With a lazy, almost cynical look, he finally spoke, his finger tapping the notebook.

He didn't compliment the proposal; instead, he targeted several specific weaknesses.

"Ms. Cage, please elaborate on these specific details."

I was stunned. I thought he hadn't even been listening!

How could he possibly have caught the subtle loopholes in my presentation?

And why was he pressing me like this? Every question struck directly at a core vulnerability of our plan.

I took a deep breath, desperately racking my brain for the details Josh had discussed.

After stammering through a few difficult answers, Connor pressed on.

"Regarding resource allocation and management, can you ensure the necessary human and material resources? And do you have sufficient experience in execution details?" 

His lip curled into a visible sneer.

"After all, your studio consists of only two people."

Mr. Gish, the Marketing Director, looked deeply uncomfortable, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow.

"Mr. Rogers, this is only the preliminary review stage; we haven't set any requirements for company size… perhaps we should just disqualify them directly."

His words felt like they were setting me on fire. In the eyes of these corporate giants, we were nothing more than an unprofessional, back-alley workshop.

They wouldn't even consider the merits of our strategy; they would simply disqualify us based on credentials.

The unfairness of it fueled my anger, but I refused to lose this fight.

Though my back felt freezing cold and my head began to pound again, I dug my nails into my palms to force myself back into lucidity.

"Mr. Rogers, you are correct, our scale is small, but we have operational experience across multiple projects," I stated, my voice steadier than I felt.

"In the age of social media, much of the execution is outsourced directly to influencer teams, and we only need to manage the overall strategy.

"Relying on large marketing teams to saturate the market is an outdated approach that incurs enormous human capital costs.

"I hope Virex Group can move swiftly to embrace the latest methods."

The interrogation was finally over.

I walked out of the conference room with my head held high.

Back in the elevator bay, my body felt heavy, and my eyelids struggled to stay open.

I leaned against the wall, clutching my laptop bag.

The familiar ding sounded, and the elevator doors opened.

A strong arm wrapped around my waist from behind, tightening as it smoothly pulled me into the vacant elevator.

"You're coming to my office," Connor murmured, his breath hot against my ear.