Elodie''s voice was always calm and gentle-so gentle, in fact, that listening to her felt almost soothing. Yet beneath that softness was an undeniable strength; her words slipped easily past people''s defenses, cutting straight to the heart.


    Even the most casual remark from her couldnd with surprising force.


    Everyone knew Elodie was Mr. Sterling''s protégé, but most of them had no clue about the details-certainly not her exam scores.


    So when Elodie finally mentioned the numbers, the room seemed to freeze. Several people audibly sucked in a breath.


    There were plenty of engineers present. Who among them didn''t know how much those scores meant?


    They stared at Elodie, their expressions shifting to awe and disbelief.


    Even Sylvie''s eyes flickered. Her hand, resting on her knee, unconsciously clenched into a fist. She hadn''t expected Elodie to bring that up-certainly not here, not now.


    And she couldn''t argue back.


    Was there any point in mentioning it? To Sylvie, it must have seemed like Elodie was showing off, in and simple.


    "Seriously?" Naylor blurted out, looking stunned. He hadn''t known the specifics, only bits and pieces, but now, hearing it spelled out, he was floored. "That''s practically a record, isn''t it?"


    What else didn''t he know about her?


    Alexander shot him azy nce, smirking. "Mr. Whitaker, you''re pretty sharp today."


    Naylor just scowled.


    Elodie turned her calm gaze on Sylvie. "Ms. Fielding, you can speak up if you like. I''m just stating the facts-is that what you call an ''attack''? Or is it that you''re so used to being ttered, you can''t ept that others might have stronger qualifications? That it''s uneptable for anyone to disagree with your expertise? A bit of advice, Ms. Fielding: if your confidence so fragile that you can only stand to hear praise, you might as well hire a few people at a local bar. For the right price, they''llpliment your ''soulful inner qualities'' all night, and never repeat themselves."


    Sylvie had chosen to question her abilities in front of everyone, but Elodie had no qualms about responding with the very achievements Sylvie valued most.


    Her words, effortlessly delivered and razor-sharp, made Sylvie''s face harden with barely contained anger.


    “Ms. Thorne, aren''t you being a little dramatic?" Sylvie''s perfectlyposed face lost its warmth.


    Elodie remained unfazed. "If you think I''m showing off, feel free to ignore me. It''s your prerogative."


    Sylvie felt a tightness in her chest, as if a handful of sand had lodged itself there. Alexander nearly burst outughing.


    That was Elodie for you-she could choose to ignore people, but if pushed, she''d always have a line ready to make you wish you''d kept your mouth shut.


    What else would you expect from someone with three years'' experience in public rtions? She''d mastered the art of reading people and situations, and expressing herself with surgical precision. It was also, in its own way, a healthy outlet for her emotions.


    Naylor stared at Elodie''s cool, unruffled face for a long moment, utterly speechless. He realized that,pared to this, the time she''d chewed him out before was practically merciful.


    Sylvie took a deep breath and


    decided not to waste any more


    energy arguing. She turned to Harper, who was seated at the head of the table. "Sorry for taking up everyone''s time. Whether this works or not will be determined by the uing tests. Let''s keep moving forward."


    Elodie had no interest in continuing the argument. As long as Sylvie didn''t deliberately pick a fight, she couldn''t care less.


    She had to admit, though, Sylvie''s sess wasn''t just luck. The woman was quick on her feet and didn''t fall apart under pressure-she could steady herself even in an ufortable situation.


    Harper, for his part, didn''t seem


    concerned by the exchange. Heated technical debates were normal in their field. Still, there was an odd tension between the two women that he couldn''t quite put his finger on.  shovel


    Today''s meeting was meant to be a straightforward briefing on the military''s needs —a simple two-hour discussion. Next, everyone would present their concrete proposals for evaluation.


    The cars were parked outside the building.


    Naylor lingered behind to discuss materials with Harper.


    When Elodie and Alexander stepped outside, they happened to nce across the


    street-just in time to see a Bentley pull up.