The next day,the day of the conference meeting arrived whether some wanted it or not.
The project team had been summoned early, and now the entire group was crammed into the sleek lobby, their stiff suits and shallow smiles unable to hide the nervous energy buzzing in the air.
Clusters of colleagues huddled together, whispering in low voices—half gossip, half speculation. Some other employees, not part of the project, lingered nearby, their expressions full of envy. After all, being involved in a collaboration with Soveir was a career booster. But the ones who had heard the inside story, the whispers of a mistake, looked on with a certain smug satisfaction, waiting to see blood spill.
Melisa, true to herself, stood a little apart, leaning against a polished wall with her arms loose at her sides. Outcast? Fine by her. Silence suited her better than pointless chatter.
The elevator dinged.
