STANL

ly fuming in his office, I was taking

The sunlight was bright, and I had to squint. Kendal had insisted on this. With this pa

r coffee shop to wait

some of the tension in my shoulders eased. I found a small table by the w

sh fell ove

, and my br

cked with

. A business meeting, clearly. He hadn't expected

en dismissed me. He looked at me the way one might gl

one, pretending to be busy

my table. His subordinates sto

ondescension. He stood over me, a towering, intimidating pres

able. "I think you're mistaken, Mr. Wate

address made h

s approached, a curious smile on his f

and a cruel, deliberate

through the quiet café. "She's been a little d

air

flush of humiliation creeping up my neck. For three years, he had ignored m

s digging into my palms. Don't c

to stand up and leave, when a

ry to interrupt. Ar

ld-rimmed glasses was standing there. Her ey

r Diane Holden. A titan in the field

anaged to say, c

AI-driven system stability you submitted three years ago. It was brilliant. I was

taring. They clearly never imagined I cou

the distinct flash of anno

aking to me. "I'm working on a related project at the momen

simple, elegan

ed with reverence. "Thank you, Professor

hot me a cold, dark look before turning t

de out of the coffee sh

. For the first time all day, the sun di