VEINS OF SILENCE

VEINS OF SILENCE > Part 6

Continuation...

The next morning, the Reception and Lobbies Department was called into the conference room for their presentation. Bianca, Vanessa, Claire, Ms. Alcaraz, and her assistant walked in together.

Inside, the CEO’s executive assistant greeted them politely.

“Please wait a moment. The CEO is returning from a business meeting.”

While Ms. Alcaraz and her assistant busied themselves with documents, the three girls huddled together at the side, whispering.

Claire fidgeted with her pen. “Are we really going to go through with this?”

Bianca leaned back in her chair, unfazed, casually applying her makeup.

Vanessa’s eyes widened. “What are you doing? Yesterday, you were trembling so much you could barely breathe—now you’re acting like nothing’s happening!”

Bianca smirked at her reflection. “Relax, guys. Don’t stress about it.”

“Relax? Are you okay?” Vanessa hissed, clearly panicking.

“Chill. Someone’s helping us, you know,” Bianca replied smoothly, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

Vanessa blinked. “Wait, what? And you didn’t tell us earlier? I even skipped breakfast for this!”

Claire leaned in, whispering urgently. “Seriously, who’s helping us?”

Bianca lowered her voice, smiling with pride. “Well… my dad.”

Claire frowned. “Your dad? What does he have to do with this?”

Vanessa gasped. “Oh my God… don’t tell me your dad works here?”

“Of course,” Bianca said smugly. “I told you from the start—chill.”

Claire’s shoulders dropped in relief. “So… we’re safe today.”

“Exactly,” Bianca said, winking.

Vanessa leaned closer. “Wait—who’s your dad?”

Bianca flipped her hair and grinned. “No one else but the Vice Chairman himself.”

Claire and Vanessa’s jaws dropped. “Really? Oh my God… no wonder we never noticed—you’ve got the same last name!”

“Just wait,” Bianca said confidently. “But since he’s not here yet, I’ll give him a quick call.”

She pulled out her phone and dialed.

“Dad, where are you? The presentation’s about to start as soon as the CEO arrives.”

On the other end, Mr. Cruz’s voice sounded stern. “I’ve got a problem.”

Bianca froze. “What? Didn’t you say you’d handle everything?”

“I did,” her father replied. “I reviewed your presentation… and it’s nowhere near the depth of Strategic Marketing’s report. The concept is too profound and layered—I don’t even know how to present it myself.”

Bianca clenched her fists. “Are you serious, Dad? I already sent you the documents—you said you’d take care of it!”

“That’s what I tried to do,” Mr. Cruz said firmly. “But the CEO gave strict orders: no one else is allowed in that conference room. He wants to hear directly from you.”

“This is insane! Just tell the Chairman, Dad—do something!” Bianca’s voice cracked in desperation.

But the line went dead. He had hung up.

Bianca’s hands trembled. Her calm façade shattered, replaced by panic and fury.

The door opened. The CEO entered, flanked by Julian. Everyone stood respectfully as Caspian Villanueva walked in with his usual unreadable expression.

“Shall we begin?” the executive assistant asked politely.

Ms. Alcaraz nodded. “Yes. Bianca, Vanessa, Claire—please start.”

The three girls stood at the front, their knees weak. Their voices quivered as they began the presentation, sentences stumbling, words tangled. Fear clung to them like shadows.

From his seat, Caspian leaned back, expressionless. His eyes narrowed as he listened. His jaw tightened, and eventually, his lids dropped shut, as though bored or irritated. He tapped his fingers on the table, patience thinning by the second.

Finally, he raised his hand. “Enough.”

The room fell silent instantly.

“I’ve already read the information in your presentation,” Caspian said coldly. “Every word, every statistic—it’s all in the folder I reviewed. So why are you wasting everyone’s time repeating what’s already written?”

The three froze. Bianca’s lips parted, but no sound came out. Vanessa’s hands shook. Claire looked at her teammates, thinking bitterly, we’re screwed.

Ms. Alcaraz cleared her throat nervously. “Sir, they’re just… nervous. Please understand—they’re not used to—”

Caspian’s piercing gaze silenced her.

Julian, sensing the tension, leaned forward and addressed the girls in a gentler tone. “Come on. What Mr. Villanueva is looking for is your summary—your own perspective and supporting ideas based on this report. That’s the point of a presentation.”

Vanessa swallowed hard. “I… I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t even review this properly.”

Ms. Alcaraz tried to salvage the moment. “Sir, they’re just anxious. Please give them a chance—”

But Caspian exhaled sharply, eyes narrowing. “No. Based on what I’ve seen… it doesn’t even look like this is your work.”

Claire gasped softly. “E-excuse me?” she whispered, darting a panicked glance at Bianca.

Even Julian stiffened at Caspian’s bluntness. “Sir, maybe they’re just overwhelmed. They’re interns, after all—this is new to them.”

Caspian’s voice cut through the room like a blade. “New or not, when a team produces work, they understand its essence. They know its point and outcome. So tell me—what exactly is the purpose of this presentation?”

Bianca forced a smile. “To win the competition, sir… and to make Horizon Company stand out.”

The room went deathly quiet.

Caspian’s gaze darkened. “Wrong.”

He straightened, tone sharp but resonant. “I admired the report’s content—it carried logic and an extraordinary concept. But the point was never about winning or recognition. The message was about shaping the future of this company. About bringing lessons other companies could follow. This isn’t a competition. It is our own company’s pride.”

The weight of his words crushed the room. Bianca’s confidence shattered. Vanessa and Claire lowered their heads in shame.

Caspian pushed his chair back and stood. His voice final:

“Please stop this nonsense. Ms. Alcaraz, bring me the true author of this report.”

With that, Caspian stormed out, expression thunderous, leaving the entire room in shocked silence.

Ms. Alcaraz rubbed her forehead, pacing as the interns stood frozen. Her voice came out sharp.

“What happened back there?” she demanded, looking straight at Bianca.

Vanessa’s voice trembled. “Ma’am… we’re very sorry. We were just… too nervous.”

Beside her, Bianca and Claire sat in silence, hands trembling under the table.

Ms. Alcaraz’s expression darkened. “Why did your presentation turn out like that? You looked like you didn’t even understand your own work! This isn’t some school project—this is Horizon we’re talking about! If we present nothing decent, the whole company will be humiliated.”

The girls stayed silent, staring at the floor, until Claire’s composure finally cracked.

Her voice barely above a whisper: “…It was Celeste’s report.”

Bianca and Vanessa’s heads snapped toward her, eyes wide with fury. Both tried to silence her with sharp looks.

Ms. Alcaraz narrowed her eyes. “What did you just say?”

Claire swallowed hard, hands trembling. “I… I’m sorry, ma’am. But the file you submitted—the one Mr. Villanueva reviewed—it wasn’t ours. It was Celeste’s work.”

Bianca slammed her hand against the table. “Shut up!” Her voice shook with rage, her body trembling as she glared at Claire.

But the truth was already out.

Ms. Alcaraz’s expression darkened. “What? How did that happen?”

She turned sharply to her assistant. “Contact Celeste and Ivy immediately. This isn’t finished here.”

With that, she stormed out of the conference room with her assistant trailing close behind, leaving the interns in tense silence.

Bianca turned on Claire immediately. “What the hell, Claire!?”

Vanessa was quick to follow, eyes burning. “What’s wrong with you? Do you even have a brain left?!”

Claire backed away from their accusing stares, tears welling in her eyes. “I’m sorry… I just couldn’t take it anymore.”

Her voice cracked, heavy with guilt. Then, before either of them could stop her, she grabbed her things and fled the room.

---

Reception and Lobbies Department

Ms. Alcaraz’s assistant appeared at the doorway, holding a clipboard.

“Celeste, Ivy—Ms. Alcaraz is calling you to her office.”

“Thank you,” Celeste replied politely. She glanced at Ivy, and the two exchanged puzzled looks before making their way down the hall.

Inside the office, Ivy broke the silence with her usual light tone. “Ms. Alcaraz, did you call us?”

Ms. Alcaraz let out a weary sigh. Her eyes, though stern, carried a flicker of guilt. “I’m sorry it has to be like this, but we have a serious issue with the presentation.”

Ivy tilted her head, curious. “A problem, ma’am? What kind of problem?”

“I can’t explain everything in full detail,” Ms. Alcaraz admitted, “but the truth is—we need you two, Celeste and Ivy, to handle the presentation.”

Celeste’s brows drew together. “Ma’am… what exactly happened? Isn’t the presentation already over?”

Ms. Alcaraz leaned forward, tone low but urgent. “It was your report, Celeste—the one you submitted. That’s the one that was passed to top management. And that’s the exact report Mr. Villanueva wants presented.”

Ivy’s eyes widened, half in disbelief, half in excitement. “Wait—seriously, ma’am? But didn’t you originally choose Bianca’s group?”

“There was… a mix-up,” Ms. Alcaraz admitted, searching for words. “I’d like to explain everything clearly, but honestly, I don’t even understand how it happened. What matters right now is that the report must be presented. Mr. Villanueva is waiting.”

Ivy straightened instantly, brimming with confidence. “No worries, ma’am. We’ll take care of it. Right, Celeste?”

Celeste stayed quiet. Though part of her longed for this moment, hesitation weighed heavily on her chest, as if something was holding her back.

Ms. Alcaraz noticed but didn’t press her. Instead, she added, “One more thing—I need to ask you both a favor. Please… don’t let anyone else know about this. Not yet.”

“Of course, ma’am,” Ivy agreed quickly, excitement barely contained.

Ms. Alcaraz nodded, then picked up the phone. Within minutes, instructions were clear—the report would be presented directly in Mr. Villanueva’s office, per the CEO’s orders.

When the call ended, Ms. Alcaraz turned back to them. “I’m truly sorry this is so sudden. I know you don’t have time to prepare, but please—do your best. We need this to succeed.”

Ivy smiled brightly. “We’ll do our best, ma’am.”

She then turned to her friend. “Celeste, why are you so quiet? This was our goal from the start, right? You did almost everything for our report—I only helped a little.”

Celeste forced a smile. “It’s nothing, Ivy. Come on, we’re a team, remember?”

With no more time to lose, Ms. Alcaraz personally escorted Ivy and Celeste toward the CEO’s office. Her steps were quick, her worry evident, while Ivy walked with eagerness. Celeste trailed silently behind, lips pressed into a thin line, her silence louder than any words she could have spoken.

To be Continued...