The coordinator flipped through the clipboard in his hand and said, “It’s been moved forward. She is now the final speaker for this evening’s session, right after Mr. Gova’s panel.”Michael blinked and said, “Wait, today? I thought her session was supposed to take place tomorrow.”He tried to mask the irritation in his tone, but the look on his face betrayed him.“We are sorry for the inconvenience, but with the increase in last-minute attendees and the need to rebalance the topics by industry sector, the scheduling team made a few adjustments.” The coordinator explained."Are you saying there is no other way for her session to remain on tomorrow's calendar?" Michael asked."I'm afraid not, Mr. Gary," the coordinator replied.Michael stood there, deep in thought for a few seconds as he tried to mentally see how possible it was for Anna to present that same day.“If you could please help speak with Ms. Howard, we would be most grateful. We know she is here as a representative for the G
The eye contact, the narrowing glint in his eyes, had lasted for a split second. So fast that Anna wasn’t sure it had actually happened.The entire hall went up in applause as Simon walked over to the podium. He cleared his throat, trying to regain his calm after the text message he just received.Mr. Gova shook him before handing over the mic to him.“Hello everyone, it feels so great to be here with you all.” Simon said, smiling as the cheers and applause quieted as he began his speech, his voice strong and commanding.“Now, if you ask me what the essence of telecoms is, I would say it's all about connecting people and enabling communication across vast distances. It's about bridging gaps and bringing the world closer together through technology." Simon's words resonated with the audience, who listened intently to his every word.As Simon rounded up, the applause that followed was double the one that welcomed him. Anna sat there, staring at him, seeing the man she once loved. The on
Back in town, Steve drove into the parking lot of Simon’s tech team. He put off the ignition and walked straight for the elevator.As soon as the doors opened, he saw Hillary standing there, already waiting for him.“Another attack?” Steve asked.“You just need to see this.” Hillary replied.They both walked down to the lower level of the room. Zack and Viola were busy typing away at their keyboard.“Here, what do you see?” Hillary asked.Steve stared at the screen for a couple of seconds and said, “Why is the locator in so many places?”“Exactly, we used the same configuration like you mentioned the last time you were able to pinpoint the location, but now we can’t.” Hillary explained.“There are over twenty IP addresses right now, and we can’t say exactly where the attack itself is coming from.” Zack stated."It looks like the attack today is more complicated than it has been.” Hillary added.“Can we try to filter out the IP addresses that overlap or are used to route so we can narr
The first golden ray of sunlight seeped through the half-drawn curtain. Simon lay flat on his back, his eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling like it held all the answers he didn’t want to hear.“F*ck it, man, what the h*ll are you thinking?” Simon cursed.He had rolled and tossed through the entire night, unable to catch a wink of sleep. Haunted by thoughts that refused to rest. Every time he closed his eyes, they returned—memories, faces, voices, especially her voice.“I should have just left town this morning,” he muttered.His bare feet hit the cold floor as he sat up. Running a hand through his thick, unruly hair, he cursed under his breath.“That f*cking Charlotte’s text… I should’ve ignored it.” He muttered.Just then, the doorbell rang through the room. He pulled on a shirt, walked out of his bedroom, through the living room, and opened the door.“Good morning, Simon.” William said with a wide grin.Simon didn’t return the smile. Instead, he nodded, tapped William on the shou
As the elevator took Charlotte upstairs, the door opened to pick up someone on the next floor.“Michael?” Charlotte muttered.“Charlotte?” Michael muttered with a nod of his head.As soon as the doors closed, Charlotte turned to him and asked, “What is it with you and Anna?”“Why do you ask?” Michael replied, unbothered.“Please do not feign ignorance; you know perfectly well what I am talking about.” Charlotte responded.“I have absolutely no idea; please enlighten me.” Michael replied with a shrug.“Is this about Simon, or do you just simply want what was once his?” Charlotte asked.Michael turned to look at her, his eyes completely blank.“One of them must be true, seeing as you are now looking my way.” Charlotte said, her lips curling up in a wicked smile.“Like I told you before, Anna is mine, Charlotte; whatever it is you plan, leave her out of it,” Michael warned.“I don’t think I can keep that bargain anymore, Michael. She is getting on my nerves, and the earlier she is gone,
The whole drama amused Nancy as she sat watching quietly and hatching her plan.“Was that Anna?” Someone at the table asked.“Yes, it looks like it,” another responded.“Oh,” the person replied.After another twenty minutes, people started retiring for the night. Everyone left the restaurant one after the other. The program started the next day, and a good night's rest was paramount."Should we go get Anna?" Nat asked Clayton."She will go to her room when she is ready." Clayton replied as they stood up."Okay," Nat muttered, still concerned but deciding Anna probably needed the space."Good night, Michael," Clayton said as he left for the night with Nat.Michael sat there watching them leave as he contemplated his decision.“We should head back too; it’s going to be a long day tomorrow.” Felix stated.“I agree,” another member of the team replied.“You guys go ahead; I’ll be with you shortly.” Nancy said, standing up to hurry out of the room as soon as she saw Charlotte leave.Nancy