Chapter 10 - Alive!
3456 Words
By the time the workday finally came to an end, Elsie had learned three important things.
First, corporate documents were capable of containing an unreasonable number of words.
Second, meetings were much longer than they had any right to be.
And third—
Everyone at Westbridge International had apparently decided that terrifying her about Veyr Group was a team-building exercise.
Elsie closed the thick project folder and leaned back in her chair.
She stared at it.
The folder stared back.
“You're not going to win.”
Nora, who was packing her things beside her, glanced over.
“Are you talking to the folder?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“It's intimidating me.”
Nora looked at the folder.
“It is paper.”
“Exactly. Very suspicious paper.”
Nora laughed.
Across the room, Daniel looked up from his computer.
“Are you ready for tomorrow?”
Elsie slowly turned toward him.
“No.”
Daniel nodded solemnly.
“Good.”
“I've been studying the project for three hours.”
“And?”
“I understand most of it.”
Daniel raised an eyebrow.
“Most?”
Elsie pointed toward the folder.
“There are sections that appear to have been written specifically to punish human beings.”
Clara laughed from her desk.
“Welcome to corporate life.”
Elsie sighed and began arranging the documents.
“I have to admit something.”
“What?” Nora asked.
“I thought my first day would be boring.”
Daniel looked at her.
“And now?”
“Now I miss my grandmother.”
“That bad?”
“No.”
Elsie smiled.
“I just know she would make this better.”
Daniel nodded seriously.
“Your grandmother sounds terrifying.”
“She is.”
Elsie checked her phone.
Two messages were waiting.
Did you eat?
Four minutes later:
Elsie?
She smiled.
“She has radar.”
Nora laughed.
Elsie typed a reply.
Yes, Grandma.
Her phone immediately began ringing.
Elsie stared at the screen.
“Never mind.”
Daniel chuckled.
“She knows you're lying.”
“I am not lying.”
He glanced toward the untouched sandwich beside her computer.
Elsie followed his gaze.
She lowered her voice.
“Technically, I have eaten today.”
“When?”
“This morning.”
“That doesn't count.”
“It absolutely counts.”
Her phone continued ringing.
Elsie sighed and answered.
“Hi, Grandma.”
“Elsie.”
The tone alone told her she was in trouble.
“Yes?”
“Did you eat?”
Elsie looked around.
Nora was trying not to laugh.
Daniel had turned his chair toward her.
Clara was openly listening.
“Yes.”
“What did you eat?”
Elsie looked at the sandwich.
“Food.”
Silence.
Elsie immediately regretted her answer.
“Elsie.”
“Yes?”
“Food is not an answer.”
“It was technically correct.”
“What did you eat?”
Elsie looked down.
“A sandwich.”
“Good.”
She relaxed.
“And?”
“And?”
“Did you finish it?”
Elsie glanced at the sandwich again.
“No.”
Her grandmother sighed.
“I knew it.”
Elsie leaned back.
“I was busy.”
“You were busy yesterday too.”
“I had to unpack.”
“You called me while sitting on the floor eating pizza.”
Elsie blinked.
“You remember that?”
“I remember everything.”
Daniel mouthed,
Terrifying.
Elsie covered the phone.
“She's terrifying.”
Her grandmother's voice immediately came through the speaker.
“I heard that.”
Elsie's eyes widened.
“How?”
“Grandmother's instinct.”
“You're my grandmother.”
“Same thing.”
Nora covered her mouth.
Elsie smiled.
“I'll eat when I get home.”
“Promise?”
“Yes.”
“And sleep.”
“Yes.”
“And don't stay up all night studying.”
Elsie hesitated.
Her grandmother immediately noticed.
“Elsie.”
“I'll try.”
“No. Promise.”
Elsie sighed.
“Fine. I promise.”
“And tomorrow?”
“What about tomorrow?”
“Your first meeting.”
Elsie's expression changed slightly.
“Oh.”
“Are you nervous?”
“A little.”
“You'll be fine.”
Elsie smiled.
“You sound very confident.”
“Because I know you.”
Her grandmother's voice softened.
“You're clever, sweetheart. Don't let anyone make you feel otherwise.”
Elsie's smile became gentler.
“Thanks, Grandma.”
“And Elsie?”
“Yes?”
“Don't forget to breathe.”
Elsie laughed.
“I'll remember.”
“Good. Now go home.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
“And eat.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
“And—”
“Grandma.”
“What?”
“You're doing the thing again.”
“What thing?”
“The entire schedule.”
Her grandmother laughed.
“Goodnight, sweetheart.”
“Goodnight.”
The call ended.
Elsie stared at her phone for a moment.
Then smiled.
Nora looked at her.
“She really loves you.”
Elsie nodded.
“I know.”
Daniel stood and picked up his coat.
“Well, tomorrow you're meeting Veyr Group.”
Elsie groaned.
“Please don't remind me.”
“Just remember what I told you.”
“What?”
“Don't make eye contact with anyone.”
Elsie frowned.
“That seems professionally terrible.”
“Fine. Make eye contact.”
“Thank you.”
“But don't smile.”
“Why?”
“They'll think you're weak.”
Clara looked at him.
“Daniel.”
“What?”
“You're giving her terrible advice.”
“I know.”
Elsie shook her head.
“You're both ridiculous.”
She picked up her bag.
“See you tomorrow.”
Nora smiled.
“Good luck.”
Clara raised a hand.
“Survive.”
Daniel added solemnly,
“Return alive.”
Elsie stared at them.
“You're making this worse.”
She walked away.
Behind her, Daniel called,
“And remember—”
Elsie turned.
“What?”
“Definitely not zombies.”
Elsie laughed.
“I'll keep that in mind.”
The next morning began far too early.
Elsie stood outside her apartment building holding a cup of coffee in one hand and her handbag in the other.
She looked up at the sky.
Then at the coffee.
Then at the sky again.
“I am not emotionally prepared for this.”
Livia stood beside her.
“You'll survive.”
“You said that yesterday.”
“And you did.”
“Barely.”
Livia smiled.
“Your car is here.”
Elsie took one last sip.
“Wish me luck.”
“Good luck.”
Elsie started toward the car.
Then stopped.
“Livia?”
“Yes?”
“Did you remember to tell me not to fall in love with my boss?”
Livia burst out laughing.
“I knew you'd remember!”
Elsie pointed at her.
“This is serious.”
“I know.”
“Good.”
Livia grinned.
“Don't worry.”
Elsie narrowed her eyes.
“You're not going to say something ridiculous, are you?”
“No.”
A beat.
“You'll probably be too busy trying not to fall over.”
Elsie sighed.
“That isn't supportive.”
“It's realistic.”
Elsie got into the car.
Veyr Group's headquarters appeared through the windshield several minutes later.
Elsie's conversation stopped.
She stared.
The building rose above Newhaven like something designed to intimidate the entire city.
Glass.
Steel.
Dark stone.
Sharp architectural lines.
Cold perfection.
There was nothing warm about it.
Even from outside, the building seemed to say:
You are not welcome here unless you belong.
Elsie swallowed.
“Oh.”
Livia glanced at her.
“First impression?”
Elsie stared at the tower.
“It looks like a villain's headquarters.”
Livia laughed.
“I thought you weren't supposed to be afraid.”
“I'm not afraid.”
“You look afraid.”
“I am respectfully concerned.”
Livia shook her head.
Elsie opened the car door.
“Wish me luck again.”
“You've got this.”
Elsie stepped onto the pavement.
She adjusted her blazer.
Straightened her blouse.
Checked her handbag.
Took a deep breath.
Then looked up at the enormous building.
“Okay.”
She nodded firmly.
“It's just a company.”
She started walking.
Three steps later, her heel caught slightly against the pavement.
She stumbled.
Recovered.
Looked around.
Nobody appeared to have noticed.
Elsie straightened proudly.
“Excellent.”
She continued toward the entrance.
The moment Elsie stepped inside Veyr Group, she understood why everyone at Westbridge had been acting strangely.
The atmosphere was oppressive.
The lobby was enormous.
Black marble stretched beneath her feet, reflecting the cold white lighting above.
Security personnel stood at carefully positioned checkpoints.
Employees moved through the space with measured steps, speaking quietly and keeping their attention fixed on whatever task was in front of them.
Nobody lingered.
Nobody laughed.
Nobody appeared relaxed.
Everything was controlled.
Precise.
Silent.
Elsie stopped just inside the entrance.
She looked around.
Then whispered,
“Wow.”
A security officer glanced at her.
Elsie immediately straightened.
She walked forward.
Her footsteps echoed against the marble.
She became increasingly aware that everyone around her looked as though they had somewhere important to be.
She looked down at herself.
Cream blouse.
Black trousers.
Fitted blazer.
Pearl earrings.
Professional.
Except for the tiny piece of paper stuck to the bottom of her shoe.
Elsie didn't notice.
Several people did.
Their eyes briefly dropped toward it before returning immediately to their work.
Elsie continued toward reception.
The receptionist looked up.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning.”
“How may I help you?”
“My name is Elsie Ashford. I'm here from Westbridge International for the cooperation meeting.”
The receptionist checked the system.
“Yes, Miss Ashford.”
Elsie smiled.
“I'm expected.”
“You are.”
The receptionist gave her directions.
“Executive elevators are to your left.”
“Oh.”
Elsie turned.
She took two steps.
Stopped.
Looked back.
“Excuse me?”
“Yes?”
“Which one goes to the executive floor?”
The receptionist pointed.
“The one directly in front of you.”
Elsie looked at the three elevators.
“Oh.”
She smiled.
“Of course.”
She walked toward them.
Behind the reception desk, the receptionist exchanged a brief glance with the security officer.
Neither said anything.
Elsie entered the elevator.
The elevator doors closed.
Elsie exhaled.
She looked at her reflection.
“You are professional.”
She adjusted her hair.
“You are confident.”
She straightened her blazer.
“You belong here.”
The elevator continued upward.
Elsie looked at herself again.
“And you definitely did not walk into the wrong elevator.”
The doors opened.
Elsie stepped out.
She immediately realized she had no idea where to go.
She looked left.
Then right.
A senior employee passing by glanced at her.
Elsie smiled.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning.”
He continued walking.
Elsie waited until he disappeared.
Then whispered,
“Excellent. Nobody suspects anything.”
“Miss Ashford?”
Elsie jumped.
A senior executive stood several feet away.
“Yes?”
“I'm here to escort you to the meeting.”
“Oh.”
Elsie smiled.
“Thank you.”
She followed him.
The meeting room was severe in its simplicity.
A long black conference table dominated the room.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked Newhaven.
Several senior Veyr Group executives were already seated.
Documents were arranged in perfect alignment.
No one spoke unnecessarily.
Elsie quietly took her seat.
For a moment, the intimidating atmosphere returned.
Then she remembered her grandmother's voice.
You're clever, sweetheart.
Elsie breathed in.
And smiled.
The meeting began.
The first part consisted of routine introductions and clarification of Westbridge's position.
Then the discussion moved into the technical structure of the cooperation.
A senior executive opened the project schedule.
“Westbridge has proposed a phased implementation model. Are you prepared to support the current timeline?”
Elsie glanced at the document.
“Yes, with some modifications.”
Several eyes lifted.
“Which modifications?”
Elsie turned the document toward herself.
“The current schedule assumes sequential completion of three dependent stages, but the proposed intervals don't account for regulatory clearance between jurisdictions.”
She pointed toward the timeline.
“Stage Two cannot realistically begin immediately after Stage One. The clearance process creates a variable lead time.”
One executive leaned forward.
“How significant is the variance?”
“That depends on jurisdiction.”
Elsie opened another section.
“If we use a fixed interval, we're building the entire project around the fastest possible processing scenario.”
She looked up.
“That creates schedule risk.”
Silence.
The executive nodded.
“Continue.”
Elsie turned another page.
“I would recommend replacing the fixed transition period with a risk-adjusted buffer based on regional clearance times.”
She paused.
“Not an arbitrary buffer. A weighted one.”
One of the executives narrowed his eyes slightly.
“Explain.”
Elsie remained calm.
“Assign each jurisdiction a historical processing coefficient. Then calculate the expected clearance duration against the probability of delay. The project schedule can then use a weighted average rather than assuming identical processing times.”
She pointed toward the schedule.
“That gives us a more realistic critical path.”
A second executive looked down at the documents.
“What happens to the overall completion date?”
“If the current resource allocation remains unchanged, the final date moves.”
“How far?”
Elsie studied the figures.
“Approximately nine to twelve business days.”
Several expressions changed.
“That's unacceptable.”
Elsie nodded.
“I agree.”
The executive looked at her.
“You agree?”
“Yes.”
She turned another page.
“That's why I wouldn't recommend simply extending the deadline.”
She placed a second document on the table.
“I'd recommend parallelizing the documentation and regulatory-preparation phases.”
The room became quieter.
“If Westbridge begins preparing the jurisdiction-specific documentation while the preceding phase is still underway, we reduce idle time without compromising compliance.”
She traced the proposed sequence.
“That recovers most of the lost time.”
One executive studied the model.
“How much?”
“Approximately seven to eight business days, depending on the jurisdiction.”
“And the remaining gap?”
“Can be absorbed through controlled contingency.”
She looked up.
“Provided the contingency is reserved specifically for regulatory variance and not consumed by operational delays.”
Nobody spoke for several seconds.
Then one executive slowly nodded.
“That is a significantly better model.”
Another executive looked at Elsie's documents.
“You prepared this before today's meeting?”
“No.”
The executive looked surprised.
“You developed it while reviewing the schedule?”
“Yes.”
“How long did you spend reviewing it?”
Elsie thought for a moment.
“About forty minutes.”
Silence.
Daniel's warnings about Veyr Group suddenly seemed very far away.
Elsie continued.
“There are also inconsistencies between the logistical assumptions and the security protocols.”
The executives looked at one another.
One leaned forward.
“Which inconsistencies?”
Elsie opened the security section.
“The schedule assumes unrestricted movement of project personnel during the implementation phase.”
She tapped the document.
“But the security protocol requires pre-cleared access across several locations.”
She looked around the table.
“If clearance isn't incorporated into the operational timeline, personnel deployment becomes another bottleneck.”
One executive leaned back.
“Your recommendation?”
“Integrate security clearance into the project dependency map.”
Elsie smiled faintly.
“That way, the operational team knows exactly when access becomes available instead of treating it as an external variable.”
The room remained silent.
But this time, the silence was different.
It was no longer skepticism.
It was consideration.
The senior executive closed his folder.
“Miss Ashford.”
Elsie looked up.
“You're new to Westbridge.”
“Yes.”
“And this is your first major assignment?”
“Yes.”
He studied her for a moment.
“Yet you identified three structural weaknesses in our preliminary model.”
Elsie smiled politely.
“I noticed them.”
Another executive glanced toward the others.
“She notices patterns.”
Elsie heard him.
She smiled.
“I tend to.”
The meeting continued for another hour.
Questions became more complex.
Elsie's answers remained measured.
She never rushed.
She never pretended to know something she didn't.
When information required confirmation, she said so.
When she disagreed, she explained why.
When challenged, she remained composed.
By the end of the meeting, the atmosphere had changed completely.
The young woman who had entered the building looking slightly overwhelmed was no longer being treated as an inexperienced representative.
She was being treated as a competent professional.
The senior executive finally closed the final document.
“I believe we can proceed with your revised framework.”
Elsie nodded.
“Thank you.”
“We'll require Westbridge's confirmation before implementation.”
“I'll have it prepared.”
He looked at her.
“Good.”
Elsie gathered her documents.
She stood.
Her handbag caught briefly on the arm of the chair.
She stopped.
Everyone looked at her.
Elsie calmly freed it.
“Minor technical issue.”
One executive's mouth twitched.
Elsie smiled.
Then walked out.
The change in perception followed her through the building without a single word being spoken.
Employees who had seen her arrive with uncertain steps now watched her leave the executive floor with a completely different expression.
Some looked curious.
Some looked impressed.
Others simply looked thoughtful.
No one approached her.
No one dared interrupt the quiet rhythm of Veyr Group.
But the atmosphere had shifted.
Elsie Ashford was no longer merely the young Westbridge representative who had volunteered because everyone else refused.
She had demonstrated that she belonged in the room.
And that was enough.
By late morning, Elsie stood in the main lobby with the project folder against her chest.
She checked the time.
“Meeting successful.”
She nodded to herself.
“Didn't die.”
Another nod.
“Excellent.”
She turned toward the exit.
Then stopped.
She remembered something.
Her grandmother had told her to breathe.
Elsie inhaled deeply.
“Still alive.”
She smiled.
Then started walking.
At that exact moment, the main entrance opened.
A small entourage entered the lobby.
Several senior executives walked together in quiet conversation.
Two security personnel moved ahead.
Two more followed at a discreet distance.
And between them walked a man who immediately changed the atmosphere of the entire lobby.
Zavian Veyr.
He was extraordinarily handsome.
Not merely attractive.
Striking.
His tall, powerful frame was dressed in an impeccably tailored black suit that seemed made specifically for him.
Dark hair framed sharp, almost sculpted features.
A strong jaw.
Straight nose.
Perfectly composed expression.
And eyes so cold and intense that people instinctively lowered their voices around him.
He didn't need to command attention.
It followed him.
Employees straightened as he passed.
Conversations stopped.
The lobby seemed to hold its breath.
Elsie, however, had no idea who had just entered.
She was trying to reorganize the papers inside her folder while walking.
One sheet slipped loose.
She caught it.
Another nearly followed.
She caught that one too.
“Stay.”
She whispered to the papers.
Then turned toward the exit.
Her heel caught the edge of the carpet.
She stumbled.
The folder tilted.
Several papers shifted.
Elsie froze for half a second.
Then regained her balance.
She looked down.
Everything was still in her hands.
She sighed with relief.
Then she looked up.
And froze.
The man approaching from the opposite direction was only several feet away.
For one brief moment, Elsie simply stared.
She had never seen anyone quite like him.
The coldness of his expression.
The precision of his appearance.
The absolute stillness in his eyes.
She realized she was standing in his path.
Elsie immediately stepped aside.
Her voice came out softly.
“Excuse me.”
She gave him a small, polite smile.
Then walked past.
The space between them remained untouched.
Their shoulders never brushed.
Their eyes met for only a moment.
But as Elsie disappeared through the glass doors, Zavian Veyr paused.
Just once.
His gaze followed her.
Deep.
Unreadable.
Silent.
For a moment, the lobby remained perfectly still.
Then Zavian continued walking.
And whatever had passed through his mind during those few seconds—
No one knew.
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