Carman looked at Noreen, his eyes filled with gratitude and another emotion that


    he struggled to contain. He took a deep breath, forcing his voice to remain steady. "Noreen, if InnoCore''s IPO is a sess... would you reconsider what I said before?"


    He was referring to his confession of his feelings for her.


    Noreen was still reviewing the video she''d recorded. "What was that?" she asked, distracted.


    "Nothing," Carman said, his courage failing him. Maybe it wasn''t the right time. He could ask again after the IPO was official. He didn''t want her to think he was distracted. Right now, InnoCore was the only thing that mattered.


    Noreen''s focus was entirely on theunch as well, leaving no room for anything else. Just as she was confirming the final details, at ten o''clock the night before the roadshow, she received an urgent call. There was a problem with the venue. Therge auditorium they had booked had been rented out to someone else. Only the smaller adjacent hall was avable.


    Sophia was furious. "What do you mean it''s been rented out? We confirmed this two weeks ago! Why didn''t they say anything then? The event is tomorrow, and now you''re telling us it''s gone? How is that even possible?"


    The contact person on the other end was dismissive. "There was a mimunication. These things happen."


    "These things happen'' is your solution? Do you have any idea how many invitations we''ve already sent out?"


    "Look, the problem is what it is. Our solution is to offer you the smaller hall for free. It''s right next door. Just let your guests know."


    "You-"


    Before Sophia could unleash her fury, the person hung up.


    "What''s wrong?" Noreen asked, though she''d already pieced together the situation from the one-sided conversation. After Sophia ryed the details, Noreen stood up decisively. "I''m going over there. You two start working on a backup n."


    "It''s almost eleven at night! Where are you going?" Sophia cried, anxiety etched on her face.


    Without turning back, Noreen left Winrich and had Colby drive her straight to Rivercrest University. She had chosen the campus for the roadshow because college students were the perfect audience to promote Al. It was a prime location to attract top talent, and theirrge presence or social media would help generate buzz and targeted publicity. They were a captive audience with a strong desire to share, making them ideal for organic marketing and brand proliferation. It was the perfect venue, and she wasn''t going to give it up without a fight.


    By the time she arrived, it was nearly midnight. Using her temporary pass, she hurried toward Hall A. When she got there, she saw the custom-made signs for Winrich tossed in a trash can.


    In their ce were signs for PerseTech''s roadshow.


    Noreen froze, her eyes fixed on the name.


    "Watch it, miss."


    A group of movers was hauling equipment past her. Colby gently pulled her aside


    to keep her from being hit.


    The movers were grumbling as they worked.


    "They call us out here in the middle of the night to work overtime, then treat us like dirt. It was their


    els


    "Hey, it''s a tough way to make a living," another one sighed.


    Colby approached one of the men and offered him a cigarette. "Hey, man. You guys weren''t originally booked for this hall?"


    "Nah, we were supposed to be at a five-star hotel. Got the call tonight to move everything here. Sucks, right?"


    "Yeah, that''s rough," Colby agreed sympathetically.


    Noreen had heard enough. She knew exactly what had happened. Bianca was at


    it again.