20-Love After Heartbreak

The Henderson meeting was scheduled for ten in the morning, and by nine forty-five, Anna was already seated in the conference room, arranging the documents she had prepared for the presentation.

She has reviewed the company's financial projections, studying the proposed partnership and making notes on the areas she believed the Henderson Group might question.

Elliot had given her the opportunity to participate in the meeting, and she was determined to prove that his decision was not a mistake.

Although their disagreement that morning still lingered in her mind, she had no intention of allowing it to affect her performance. She was there as an employee, and that was exactly how she intended to conduct herself.

A few minutes later, Elliot entered with two senior executives. He wore a charcoal-grey suit, his expression composed as he exchanged brief greetings with the people already seated.

His eyes briefly met Anna's.

"Good morning, Mr Hayes," she greeted professionally.

He nodded in response, placed his tablet on the table and took his seat at the head of the conference table.

He didn't ask whether she was prepared or made any of the casual remarks she expected him to at least say. Instead, he turned his attention to the documents in front of him.

Anna wasn't bothered, that's his business, he can stay and do whatever he wants.

The Henderson representatives arrived shortly afterwards.

Leading them was Richard Henderson, the chairman of Henderson Group. He was a man in his early fifties, with neatly styled silver hair, an expensive navy suit and the confident manner of someone accustomed to having people accommodate him.

He entered with two members of his team, exchanging handshakes with Elliot and the other executives.

"Mr Hayes," Richard greeted warmly, extending his hand. "It's been a while, I hope business has been treating you well."

Elliot stood to shake his hand. "Very well, Richard. I trust the same can be said for you."

"Yeah. Though I suspect we'll both be doing even better after today's discussion."

They exchanged polite laughter before everyone took their seats.

Richard settled into the chair opposite Elliot.

His attention moved around the conference room, briefly acknowledging the executives before settling on Anna.

He looked at her for a moment longer than necessary.

Anna noticed, but she simply lowered her eyes to the documents in front of her.

"Shall we begin?" Elliot asked, opening the presentation on his tablet.

"Absolutely." The meeting started with an overview of the proposed partnership.

Elliot explained the company's expansion plans, the expected returns and the financial structure of the investment. One of the senior executives followed with a breakdown of the projected figures, while the Henderson representatives listened and occasionally interrupted to request clarification.

Anna remained attentive, making notes whenever necessary.

Richard seemed more interested in her than the presentation. His eyes kept returning to her whenever she spoke to the other executives.

Even when Elliot was explaining an important part of the proposal, Richard occasionally glanced in her direction, studying her face and the way she carried herself.

Anna tried not to pay attention.

She was dressed in a fitted cream blouse tucked neatly into a black pencil skirt that fell just below her knees.

Her hair was styled neatly, and her makeup was simple, enhancing her features without appearing excessive. She looked polished and professional, exactly as she had intended.

When Elliot finished explaining the projected investment returns, he turned slightly towards her.

"Anna, could you take us through the revised financial projections?"

She nodded and reached for the presentation remote. She stood up, connected her laptop to the conference room screen and began explaining the figures.

Her voice was steady as she walked everyone through the revised projections, highlighting the areas where the company had adjusted its estimates and explaining why the changes were necessary.

She didn't rush through the explanation. Whenever someone raised a question, she answered carefully, referring to her notes when necessary and making sure the reasoning behind each adjustment was clear.

Richard watched her throughout.

At one point, he leaned back in his chair, resting an arm on the table as he listened to her explain the anticipated revenue growth.

"That's an interesting adjustment," he remarked, interrupting her presentation. "Your previous estimate was considerably higher. What made you reconsider it?"

Anna turned towards him. "We reviewed the operating costs and identified a few expenses that weren't adequately reflected in the initial projection. I felt it would be more responsible to present a figure supported by the available data rather than maintain an estimate that might prove difficult to achieve."

Richard nodded slowly. "And you made that adjustment yourself?"

"Yes, sir. I worked on the revised report with the finance team." Anna replied politely.

He continued looking at her.

Anna offered a polite smile before returning her attention to the screen.

"Thank you, Mr Henderson. If you look at the next section, you'll see how the adjustment affects our expected returns over the next three quarters."

Elliot watched the exchange without interrupting.

He had noticed Richard's excessive attention to Anna, but he initially assumed the older man was simply impressed by her presentation. However, as the meeting progressed, it became increasingly difficult to overlook how frequently Richard's eyes wandered towards her.

Whenever Anna spoke, he watched her. Whenever another executive addressed the table, he seemed to find a reason to glance at her.

Elliot's expression remained neutral, but his attention had shifted.

The presentation continued for another twenty minutes before the discussion moved to the terms of the proposed partnership.

Richard raised several questions about the company's proposed profit-sharing arrangement. Elliot answered most of them, occasionally asking Anna to clarify a financial detail.

The meeting was progressing smoothly until Richard suddenly closed the folder in front of him.

"Well, I must say, I'm impressed with what I've seen so far," he announced, looking directly at Elliot. "Your team has clearly done its homework."

"I'm glad you think so," Elliot replied.

"However, there's one thing I'd like to discuss before we conclude."

Elliot rested his hands on the table. "Go ahead."

Richard glanced towards Anna. "I'd like to have Miss Sinclair on my team."

Anna looked up, surprised by the unexpected statement.