For a long, suspended beat, neither of us looked away—two people gauging the terrain between them.
Until Bell shattered it.
“Emma,” he drawled, stretching my first name like taffy.
“Call me Ms.Sinclair,” I corrected.
His mouth twisted. “Come now, if we’re truly discussing partnership, first names shouldn’t be an issue.”
“It’s a matter of respect,” I snapped back.
A vein surfaced at Holt’s temple.
Bell leaned forward, mouth parting for another comment—
But Holt cut in first. “Thank you for the clarification, Ms. Sinclair.”
Bell flushed but held his tongue. Message delivered.
We carried the meeting another thirty minutes—and by the end, hope crackled faintly around us.
“We’ve covered substantial ground,” Morgan said, snapping her binder shut.
Holt inclined his head. “Agreed. There’s real value here. We’ll send another scheduling request within the next forty-eight hours, Ms.Sinclair.”
“We look forward to it.”
Then the screen went black, and the room held its breath.
I stood, the movement loud in the silence, and rolled my shoulders until something cracked.
“Well,” Jennifer said, exhaling. “That was… layered.”
“If Bell ever talked to a male CEO like that—” Kevin began.
“He does,” Jennifer interrupted. “Just not as boldly.”
David snorted. “Maybe they keep him around so Holt looks civilized.”
“If that’s the plan, it’s working,” Jennifer said, the corner of her mouth lifting.
My gaze drifted out the window to the city below. “It doesn’t matter. Bell’s role in this isn’t as important as our preparation.”
Three murmurs of agreement.
“Jennifer,” I said, “draft Phase Two prep. Two routes—Bell present or Bell absent.”
“They’ll be ready by morning.”
“Kevin, send load specs to Maria. David, compile any unseen vulnerabilities.”
“On it,” they both confirmed, already gathering their things.
One by one they filed out, leaving me alone with what came next.
The display blinked alive again—investor names populating one by one, filling the same grid Falkirk had just vacated.
Harrison appeared first—silver hair, wire-rim glasses, gravel in every word. Davidson followed, leaning back casually. Margaret connected last—clean lines behind her, posture elegant.
