100 Ideas Bloom in Istion
<b>“</b><b>Of </b>course, darling,” Vivienne replied, squeezing the little girl’s fingers.
Her phone buzzed with an iing call from Julian.
ra checked her appearance in the mirror. Her hair was slightly disheveled from running her hands through it while working, but otherwise, she looked presentable in her casual blue sweater and jeans. She doubted she’d run into anyone significant- Damien and his group would likely be upied with whatever exclusive activity they’d nned for the afternoon.
On impulse, she grabbed her phone and room key, deciding a walk would be the perfect break. The hotel had beautiful grounds, and she remembered seeing an orchard nearby. Maybe she could bring back some apples for Julian and the team—a small gesture of appreciation for their enthusiasm.
“Wait,” Julian interrupted. “This sounds major. Can you share your screen? I need to see this.”
After the call ended, Julian remained on the line.
Four hourster, her eyes were burning from staring at the screen. She stretched, hearing her spine crack in protest. A nce at her watch showed it was nearly four in the afternoon. She’d worked through lunch and beyond.
“ra, this is… this is brilliant,” he finally said, shaking his head in wonder. “Do you realize what you’ve done? This could revolutionize our entire approach.”
“How’s the mountain air treating you?” Julian asked when she answered.
ra smiled genuinely for the first time that day. “It’s been surprisingly productive. I’ve had a breakthrough on the adaptive learning algorithm.”
She felt a warm flush of pride. “It still needs testing, but the theory is sound.”
ra switched to video call and shared her work. For the next twenty minutes, she
walked Julian through her innovations, watching his expression shift from interest to
astonishment.
ra winced slightly. “Julian…”
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(2*** 100 Ideas <b>Bloom </b>in Istion
Damien watched the interaction with quiet approval before leading them to their reserved table.
With renewed energy, she stepped out of her room, her first venture outside since retreating there after breakfast. The hallway was quiet, most guests out enjoying the day’s activities. She felt a strange lightness as she walked toward the stairs, her mind still buzzing with ideas despite her physical fatigue.
ra smiled and closed herptop. She stood up, stretching again, and walked to the window. The mountain view was spectacr, with sunlight glinting off distant peaks. She suddenly craved fresh air and movement.
For the first time in years, ra’s istion didn’t feel like punishment or rejection. Instead, it had be a fertile ground where her long–dormant talents could finally bloom again.
“Don’t burn yourself out,” Julian cautioned. “Take breaks.”
A subtle smile curved Vivienne’s lips. “Well, that’s perfectly fine. She’s probably busy with… whatever it is she’s working on.”
“So,” he said casually, “how’s the family weekend going?”
The team’s excitement was infectious. They spent another hour discussing implementation details and potential applications. ra felt energized in a way she hadn’t in years. Here, her ideas weren’t just tolerated–they were celebrated.
Cora shook her head quickly. “No, she already has lunch in her room. She said thank you, but she’ll stay there.”
“That’s my girl.” Julian grinned. “Silver linings and all that.”
“Can I sit next to you, Vivi?” Cora asked, reaching for Vivienne’s hand.
“I’m sorry,” he quickly backtracked. “That was insensitive. But seriously, ra, this is genius–level work. I’m setting up a call with the team right now. Yandel needs to see this immediately.”
“Really?” Julian’s voice perked up. “Tell me everything.”
Meanwhile, upstairs in suite 307, ra sat alone at the desk, her half–eaten lunch pushed aside. Her fingers flew across the keyboard, mind racing with newfound rity. The istion had provided unexpected focus. Without the strain of pretending
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100 Ideas Bloom in Istion
to befortable around Damien and Vivienne, her creativity flowed freely.
“Theory? The math checks out perfectly.” Julian’s eyes were wide with excitement. “God, I’ve missed your brain. We lost seven years of this brilliance to that sham marriage”
“It’s fine,” she replied automatically. “This is better, anyway. I’ve aplished more in three hours than I would have in three days of pretending everything’s normal.”
Within minutes, ra found herself in a video conference with five eager faces from YodaVision Co., all leaning toward their screens in fascination as she exined her
concept.
Julian’s expression softened. “I’m sorry, El. That’s rough.”
After hanging up, ra threw herself back into her work. The hours flew by as she refined her algorithm, expanding its applications and addressing potential weak points. Each line of code felt like another step away from the woman who had spent years seeking Damien’s approval.
“Let me guess–Damien’s token gesture of inclusion?”
Lucas chuckled beside her. “Seems she’s finally learned her ce.”
“Precisely.” She rubbed her temples. “Probably trying to cate Eleanor. Cora looked relieved when I said no.”
“I’ve figured out how to reduce the processing time by nearly forty percent while maintaining uracy,” ra exined, her voice growing animated. “The key was in restructuring the data pipeline—”
ra sighed, her momentary joy dimming. “About as expected. I just declined a lunch
invitation.”
Beck shifted ufortably but remained silent as they headed toward the restaurant.
Damien Thorne was about to lead his group towards the hotel’s restaurant when Cora came bounding down the stairs, her face bright with excitement.
“Nearly finished with the secondary functions,” she typed back. “But I need a break.”
“This changes everything,” Yandel Sanchez dered after she finished. His normally reserved demeanor had given way to unbridled enthusiasm. “I can start implementing
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100 Ideas Bloom in Istion
test scenarios tonight.”
“TAKE ONE,” came his immediate response. “Two–hour minimum. Doctor’s orders.”
“Do you think I care what day it is when you drop something like this in myp?” Yandelughed, “I won’t sleep until I see this running.”
“I will,” she promised. “Call you in a few hours with updates?”
“Is your mother joining us?” Damien asked, his tone neutral.
“Absolutely. The team and I will be ready.”
“It’s Saturday,” ra pointed out.
Her phone buzzed with a text from Julian: “Progress update?”
ra smiled back, grateful for his unwavering support. “I should get back to work. I want to flesh out the secondary functions before dinner.”
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