Lauren’s eyes stayed fixed on Ethan, who stood near the doorway, calm and composed, yet unreadable. His usual warmth was gone—no smile, no acknowledgment of the shock rippling across her face. Just the sharp line of professionalism, as if nothing personal existed between them.Lauren felt awkward, her pulse hammering. Words she wanted to say stuck somewhere behind her throat. Preston, oblivious—or perhaps willfully insensitive—stepped forward, breaking the silence.“Now that we’ve seen your system in action, Lauren, it’s time to talk next steps,” Preston said briskly, gesturing toward a digital display. “Our last project—Zurich, clean, on time, optimized—that was only the beginning. We’ve proven this network works. Fast, precise, scalable. Governments are noticing. Labs are begging for priority slots.”Lauren nodded silently, her attention flicking between Preston’s confident grin and Ethan’s stoic stance.Preston continued, excitement lacing his voice, ignoring the tensio
Last Updated : 2025-08-21 Read more