The hours seemed to crawl as the dull drone of McQueen's presentation filled the sterile conference room, every word like watching paint lose its shine on an old canvas. Liam shifted in his seat, the effort to feign interest etching lines of boredom across his face as he kept darting glances at the clock, waiting for the merciful relief of the next speaker's turn.
When Ella Carter had first glanced at that flawed file, instantly identifying every missing piece and reshaping the narrative with surgical precision, Liam had to admit—perhaps grudgingly—that the bid was theirs to lose. A week later, McQueen hadn't even bothered to chase the missing documents. Worse, their promised amendment was barely a fraction complete, despite a dedicated team assigned to the task.
Ella had called their bluff without hesitation. Liam’s initial skepticism of her seemed misplaced now; she met every challenge head-on and had even managed to catch him unprepared a few times—a rare feat. He found himself silently wondering what other surprises she might conceal beneath her unassuming exterior.
Curiosity had driven Liam to dig into HCR Solutions, the modest company led by Sophia Hernandez. It was tiny—astonishingly so—with only three employees: Sophia, the client liaison; Ella, the data specialist; and Timothy Ried, self-styled as the 'Tech Lord' on their website, a title that conjured images of a geeky genius proud of his domain.
No doubt, their size was a weakness in the eyes of industry giants like Trenton Technologies, a multi-million dollar powerhouse. Yet, no matter what Trenton threw at them, HCR remained unruffled, like a small but unyielding island in a stormy sea.
"Mr. Anthony, Mr. Moore, always a pleasure," Ms. Diaz purred as she leaned in to shake hands, her calculated flirtation only deepening Liam's distaste during the drawn-out meetings.
"Should you require anything further, don't hesitate to reach out," Mr. Crawford added, his CEO charm in full display as they departed.
With the door's click, Declan dropped the polished mask, shooting Liam a frustrated glance. "What the hell was that?" he huffed, pointing at the still-open slide. "I'd be mortified showing up half-baked like that, yet he walks in here like the monarch of Mount Arrogance!"
Liam chuckled despite himself, the tension easing marginally. Declan, at twenty-seven, was young but sharp, a polished diplomat with a streak of unyielding ambition.
"Stop laughing and fetch me some scotch," Declan demanded, sinking into his chair with the exhaustion of a man ready to surrender to the evening.
The sidebar was a treasure trove of spirits, but Liam's gaze settled on the single malt scotch at the far end, a silent invitation. He poured two glasses, each with a single large ice cube, and handed one to Declan, who downed half in a swift gulp.
"Slow down," Liam cautioned with a smirk. "We've got another round coming." The smooth burn of the scotch was a welcome reprieve from the stifling meeting.
"Don't remind me," Declan groaned, rubbing his forehead. "You really think it’s going to get any better?"
"Relax," Liam replied, amusement edging his tone. "I hate to admit it, but you were right to give them a chance. They know their business."
His wariness about a small competitor lingered, especially when Ella had appeared the previous week looking more like a timid librarian than a fierce contender. Yet, her challenge during the presentation was enough to rattle him—like a red flag thrust before a charging bull.
Declan had planned to send their assistant, Todd, down with the proposal package, but Liam saw an opportunity. The flash of sass Ella had thrown at him in the elevator had left his palms itching for a rematch.
"We always planned in-person check-ins for those moving forward," Liam explained, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. "HCR's lack of a physical office complicated things. We needed to ensure their resilience under pressure and confirm their infrastructure could handle our projects."
Emilio, Trenton’s in-house private eye, had pulled Ella’s address in under ten minutes, a testament to his network. Liam trusted Emilio’s instincts—and Emilio’s assessment of Ella was unequivocal.
"Worth your time," Emilio had said, his voice echoing in Liam's mind.
After witnessing McQueen’s pitiful attempt, Liam was relieved Declan had insisted on giving HCR a shot. Judging by Declan’s furrowed brow, it was clear McQueen had sabotaged their own chances.
"Hell, even a trained monkey could have impressed us after that," Declan grumbled.
Their exchange was interrupted by Todd, who paged the conference room. "Your next presentation is here," his voice crackled softly over the intercom.
"Send them in," Declan replied, finishing his drink with a determined gulp.
Liam cleared the projected slides while Declan sulked in his chair, a child forced to endure detention. The door swung open, and two women entered.
The first was tall and curvy, her caramel skin glowing beneath the soft office lights. Dark curly hair pulled halfway back framed her mocha eyes, which immediately captured Declan’s attention. He froze, lips parted, openly admiring her with a distracted smile.
Liam groaned silently, nudging Declan’s ankle to snap him out of his reverie before he embarrassed himself further.
"Ms. Hernandez, I presume?" Liam said, extending his hand with professional composure.
"You presume correctly, but Sophia is more than fine," she laughed warmly. "And you met Ella Carter last week." She stepped aside, gesturing toward Ella, who now stood transformed.
The timid librarian image was gone, replaced by a poised, sophisticated woman whose outfit, though not flashy like Sophia’s, was tailored to perfection—subtle yet undeniably alluring.
Liam’s gaze lingered, tracing the lines of her figure with reluctant admiration. She was a puzzle he was no closer to solving, a challenge that beckoned him further.
"I apologize for missing last week," Sophia began, her smile genuine. "Ella handled everything admirably in my absence."
"She certainly did," Declan answered, still stealing glances at Ella. "Please excuse Liam—he’s still recovering from our last encounter."
A soft laugh escaped Ella, her hand gracefully covering her mouth as she fought amusement.
Liam found himself caught in her dark chocolate eyes, a magnetic draw he hadn’t expected. This wasn’t the calculated executive he usually was; this was something new—disarming and captivating.
"So impressive, huh?" Sophia teased, her smirk deepening. "If McQueen flustered you this much, I suggest you buckle up." She winked pointedly at Declan, a private joke hanging between them.
"If you could give us a moment," Sophia added, "we’ll set up and run through our presentation quickly. We won’t keep you long."
Declan nodded, still wide-eyed, while Liam straightened his jacket, preparing himself for the next round—and perhaps, for a game he hadn’t anticipated playing.