“You can have your laptop back when we’re done. Not a second sooner.” Anya clears her throat, turning to the rest of the room as if she hadn’t just staged a corporate coup. “All right, let’s begin. Kaori, why don’t you start us off?”
Fantastic. Not only am I the sacrificial lamb, but we’re also back to having a grump. I inhale deeply.Let’s just get this over with.“Sure.” I square my shoulders and switch into presentation mode.
Anya gives me a small, reassuring smile. Across the table, Leon catches my eye and mouths,“You’ve got this.”Warmth loosens the knot between my neck and shoulder blades. Okay. I can do this. I’m not alone. I have my work dad and my mentor at my back.
I take another deep breath, exhaling slowly. “Since last week’s review, I reran the Quantum Leap stress model with additional scenarios.” I tick them off on my fingers. “Different rider-weight distributions, extended run-time fatigue, and variable loading conditions. Structurally, the frame still holds within safety limits.”
I swipe to the diagram on my tablet, trying to keep my voice even. Theo is already squinting at the graph, wondering where I’m going with this.Patience, Your Frostiness.
“But I did catch one thing. At a certain frequency range, the capsule hits a vibration mode that could cause noticeable ride roughness.” I zoom in on the graph. “It’snot a structural failure. It’s just for the passengers’ comfort. The high-frequency oscillation could translate as a harsh jolt during descent. Think less roller-coaster thrill and more washing machine on spin cycle.”
A few engineers snort into their coffees.
“So I flagged it as a UX concern and noted a few possible geometry adjustments to dampen the vibration amplitude.”
Theo’s gaze sharpens. “Shaking? You mean resonance?”
“Yes.” The muscles around my eyes twitch. “Think of it like when you’re in a car and it hits just the wrong speed, and suddenly the dashboard starts rattling. The ride itself would be safe, but guests would feel it. Over time, that could wear the system down faster too. So I’ve identified reinforcement points that should dampen the oscillation.”
Theo leans back in his chair, arms folding across his chest. “So you’ve discovered a rattle.” His voice is smooth, but the edge in it cuts deep. “That’s engineering 101. I’d expect a first-year university student to catch that.” He regards me for a long beat. “We’ll see if it holds up in review. In the meantime, come up with another solution. We’re the world’s leading attraction-design firm.Shouldisn’t good enough.”
Dismissed. Just like that.
I turn my gaze back to my laptop, any sympathy I felt for this man curdling into pure, concentrated annoyance. Leon was wrong. Theo isn’t just in a bad mood when he comes back from London. Or I guess in this case, Amsterdam. What he has is a personality defect.
He pivots to the rest of the table. “I’m gone for a week, and this is what I come back to? A proposal that’s utter crap?”
A ripple of tension runs through the room.
“And you’re done.” Anya pushes back her chair, her eyes flashing. “Kaori worked hard on her revisions and gave you exactly what you asked for. If I let you continue as you are, you’ll just antagonize your team. You’re exhausted, jet-lagged, and acting like a spoiled brat who didn’t get any ice cream. Nobody, including myself wants to work with you when you’re like this.”
A beat. The room holds its breath.
“So I’ll say this like I would to my kids—If you can’t be professional, you don’t stay in the room. Go home.”
A muscle ticks in Theo’s jaw, but he doesn’t argue. He just stalks toward the door, not even stopping for his laptop.
“Anya, I didn’t think you had it in you,” Leon says.
A faint flush warms her cheeks. “I almost didn’t. But I didn’t feel like dealing with his attitude today. He needs to remember we’re his team and on his side. Not his personal punching bag.”
“What’s the deal with Mr. Harris?” I ask.
“Cuthbert Harris is the Excelsior Parks Chief Operating Officer.”
“That, I already knew. What else can you tell me about him? Why does he always sound like a jerk?”
“Let’s just say he’s a man with a massive ego who is used to always getting his way. No matter what,” Anya says.
A knock sounds on the conference room’s door. It opens and one of the team members from the children’s attraction division team pokes their head in. “Sharma, do you have a moment?”
“I’m gonna pop over to Lina’s. Can I get you anything?” Leon asks, already halfway to the door.
I glance at my watch. “Leon, it’s nine-twenty a.m. She won’t be open for another two hours.”
“The restaurant won’t be, but Lina will be in her office,” he says with a breezy confidence that’s frankly alarming. “She always reconciles her books first thing in the morning.”
I cock my head to the side, studying him. “You have her schedule memorized? I don’t know whether to be impressed or call security.”
