Chapter 3: Sink or Swim
299 Words
Elena barely had time to catch her breath after surviving her first challenge before another storm hit.
Sara appeared at her desk, arms crossed. "Montgomery wants you in the boardroom. Now."
Elena’s pulse spiked. "What for?"
Rachel smirked. "You’ll see."
Elena stepped into the massive glass-walled boardroom, where Adrian sat at the head of a long, sleek table. Several executives were already seated, their eyes sharp and unreadable.
Adrian barely glanced at her. "Sit."
She did.
He slid a folder toward her. "This is the Camden Tech acquisition report. You have five minutes to review it. Then you’ll present the key points."
Elena's breath caught. Present? In front of all these people?
She opened the folder—pages of dense reports, financial breakdowns, risk assessments.
The room was silent, all eyes on her.
She had no choice.
Sink or swim.
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Five minutes later.
Elena stood, her hands slightly clammy but steady.
"Camden Tech is a rising player in AI development, with projected revenue growth of 35% over the next fiscal year," she began.
She kept her voice calm, even as her mind raced through the numbers. She pointed out key risks, potential advantages, and strategic opportunities—all without fumbling.
When she finished, the room was dead silent.
Adrian leaned back in his chair, tapping his pen against the table.
One of the executives, a stern-looking man, nodded slowly. "Impressive."
Another smirked. "Sharp. You didn’t even hesitate."
Elena exhaled discreetly.
Adrian’s gaze lingered on her for a beat longer than necessary. Then, with a slight nod, he dismissed the meeting.
As the executives filed out, Sara whispered in her ear, "Not bad, newbie. You might just last longer than a week."
Elena had won this round.
But she could tell—Adrian was far from done testing her.
- Writer
