Tense meeting

Inside the conference hall...

Zack entered, his smile strained as he greeted Theodore, suppressing his mounting unease. The meeting was on the verge of starting, yet the presentation remained unfinished.

What he heard from Amy was both shocking and infuriating. However, he maintained his cool, reminding himself now was not the time to lose his composure. All he could do at this point was to wait for Amy to arrive with the presentation file ready.

He forced another smile, settling into a plush chair. "Mr. Reid," he began with a gentle tone, "I hope you wouldn't mind waiting for a few more minutes. My secretary will bring coffee. Perhaps some snacks to tide us over?"

Theodore's response was cold, "The meeting is what interests me, not refreshments."

Zack forced a chuckle. "Let me extend my hospitality. A cup of coffee will perk us up, wouldn't you agree?"

Theodore sighed a concession. He turned to Skyler and launched into a hushed conversation. Zack stole a glance at his watch, the ticking seconds amplifying his anxiety. The pressure to ensure the meeting's success weighed heavily on him, knowing that any further delay could jeopardize their professional standing.

A tense silence stretched across the conference hall before Ivy entered with a confident stride. "Hello, Mr. Reid," she greeted, extending a hand toward Theodore. "I'm Ivy Hill."

Theodore offered a curt handshake. "Miss Hill," he acknowledged."We're all very excited about this project," Ivy continued, sitting down in her seat, "and we hope you'll be impressed by our fresh ideas.""I am hopeful too, Theodore replied, "but I can't help but notice the delay. Is there an issue, Mr. Hudson?" His gaze moved to Zack, a flicker of doubt clouding his expression.Zack's carefully constructed composure faltered for a moment. Before he could stammer out a response, Ivy intervened. "Zack, perhaps we should begin the presentation," she suggested, her eyes flashing with a purposeful glint. She was confident that the meeting would be canceled due to the delay and that Bella would face severe consequences for her negligence.

"Absolutely," Zack fumbled for agreement. "There's still a little time. Let's have some coffee first. Ah, and speaking of coffee..." He gestured towards the doorway with forced enthusiasm. "The coffee has arrived."

Amy entered, a tray laden with steaming cups balanced in her hands. She offered a warm smile as she served the coffee to each person around the table. Leaning close to Zack as she placed his cup down, she murmured, "The presentation's almost there."

A wave of relief washed over Zack. The meeting was still five minutes away. "Amy will get the presentation set up," he announced to Theodore, gesturing towards her. "In the meantime, please enjoy your coffee."

Theodore nodded and took a sip from his cup.

Zack watched Amy as she moved to set up the presentation, his mind racing to ensure everything would proceed smoothly from this point on.

Across the table, Ivy savored her coffee, a sly smile playing on her lips. She was just waiting for the big drama to unfold.

In the meantime, the door creaked open, and Bella entered, her steps faltering as her gaze landed on Theodore. She hadn't anticipated him being present at the meeting.

Theodore's surprise mirrored hers. It was a meeting of C-level executives. What was Bella doing there?

Zack grinned. Confidence surged through him, the anxiety that had been gnawing at him moments ago disappearing. He was certain things were about to take a turn for the better.

Bella, regaining her composure, hurried over to Amy and discreetly handed her a pen drive.

In relief, Amy mouthed a silent "Thank you." With practiced ease, she plugged the drive into the laptop. The presentation file materialized on the large screen.

Ivy's expression froze. She couldn't fathom how Bella had managed to conjure up the presentation in such a short time.

"Sir, we are ready to begin the meeting," Amy declared.

"Excellent, Amy," Zack replied, his eyes flitting towards Bella. "Miss Dawn, since you prepared the presentation, why don't you take the lead?"

He hadn't had a chance to review the content, so delegating the task seemed like the most logical course of action. After all, he had complete faith in Bella's abilities.

His words sent a shockwave through the conference hall. Bella stood frozen, mouth agape, unable to comprehend what had just transpired.

Theodore, equally bewildered, stared at Zack, his brow furrowed in confusion. What was Zack's intention? Was he trying to advance Bella's career by giving her this opportunity?

The thought sparked a flicker of something akin to jealousy within him. If anyone could help Bella, it should be him, not anyone else.

Ivy's composure shattered. "Absolutely not!" she erupted. "How can she possibly handle such a critical presentation? She is just a normal staff member in the secretary's office. She is not qualified for it."

Unfazed by Ivy's outburst, Zack pivoted towards Theodore. "Bella is a highly talented member of my secretarial staff," he explained. "Since she is the one who spearheaded the presentation, I believe it would be most fitting for her to deliver it."

"But—" Ivy lunged again, but Zack cut her off with a raised hand. Her spluttering protests died in her throat, replaced by a simmering anger she was forced to swallow.

A flicker of comprehension flitted across Theodore's cold demeanor, though a hint of suspicion lingered. "Very well," he conceded. "Proceed with the presentation, Miss Dawn." His tone was mild, yet laced with an undeniable undercurrent of authority.

Leaning closer to Skyler, Theodore murmured, "Look into this Bella situation. Something feels off."

Skyler, his expression unreadable, offered a curt nod and discreetly slipped out of the conference hall.

Bella's legs trembled like jelly beneath her. Trapped in a situation with no escape, she steeled her nerves and plunged into the presentation.

She started with greetings to everyone, her voice faltering. Pointing at the projector screen, she began, "This chart shows Brico's growth over the past five years. We launched our clothing line five years ago, and now we're an international brand. Here, I'll showcase our success."

With each passing slide, her confidence blossomed. Bella spoke with increasing conviction, her voice weaving a compelling narrative of the company's meteoric rise.

Across the table, Ivy seethed. A potent cocktail of rage and humiliation churned in her stomach. Her meticulously crafted plan to oust Bella from both the company and Zack's life had spectacularly backfired. She placed the blame on Olivia.

That good-for-nothing trash had not done her job properly. Looking at Zack's admiring gaze toward Bella, Ivy's fury reached a fever pitch. Every fiber of her being yearned to shove Bella out of the conference hall.

Meanwhile, Skyler slipped back in, whispering something urgent into Theodore's ear.

Theodore's face remained an impassive mask, betraying no hint of emotion. Only the subtle tightening of his fists hinted at the storm brewing beneath the surface.