Unmuted

d promised never to let the world hear again. But Ava's voice was gone. And Bryan had begged her "Just this once. For the company. For us." Her fingers wrapped around the headset. The instrumen

it in the mutters. "Slut." "She only got here because Bryan's sweet on her." "So what if she's good? She doesn't have to act like she owns the place." Leona swallowed hard as she walked toward the escalator. She ignored the greetings, the smirks, the judgment. "Something wrong, mi amor?" Bryan's voice was low beside her. She glanced at him. Was he judging her too? "No... just nervous," she lied. "Nervous? You've been doing this for years. No need to fret." She forced a nod. ***** In the conference room, two suited men and KaneWave's rising star, Ava Monroe, were already seated. "Sorry to keep you waiting, gentlemen," Leona began. "You know women, it takes time to look that good," Bryan joked. The older man in the black suit chuckled. "We understand." "Let's get straight to business," Leona said, taking her seat. "TechGroove has been our sponsor for years. We'd love your support for Ava's upcoming project," she continued. The younger man raised an eyebrow. "We noticed something odd in the proposal." "What is it?" Leona asked. "You didn't specify the duration of the client's contract, which you usually do. It feels... suspicious." She turned to Bryan. He looked restless, avoiding her eyes. "It seemed like your five-year investment was trying to dodge scrutiny." Leona's voice was icy. "That's just an omission. Nothing more. Ava has potential, and KaneWave plans to work with her long-term. We've had a solid partnership with TechGroove for years, surely that counts for something." The older man leaned back. "The meeting was to clarify just that. You don't typically make silly mistakes." Bryan jumped in. "We're sorry. It was a one-time oversight. Please, overlook it." Both men stood. "We will, this once. The CEO expects a revised proposal by week's end. Let's hope... for your sake... he approves it." Leona stood, face unreadable. She extended a handshake. "We hope so too." Bryan sprinted after her. "Leona! Leona!" She didn't slow down, making her way to her office with razor focus. Bryan offered awkward smiles to the passersby who raised their brows at the scene. He slid in before she shut the door. "Leona," he panted. "I'm sorry." Her eyes didn't leave her tablet. "That could've cost us the deal." "But it didn't. I handled it." She looked up. "Handled it? The CEO isn't stupid. Of course, he noticed. My reputation handled it." "Okay, okay. I'm sorry." He raised his hands in surrender. "It'