After Divorcing my Captain Husband (Chloe and Michael)

"You're not leaving yet?" Ariana asked, a bit taken aback by Chloe's calm demeanor.

Ariana had expected Chloe to either scramble to recover her lost proposal or throw in the towel completely.

But instead, Chloe sat down with an air of indifference, as if the loss didn't faze her at all.

Chloe glanced over at Ariana. "Mr. Portman hasn't arrived yet. Why should I leave?"

She was confident that even without her USB, she could still present her draft.

Ariana studied Chloe for a moment before taking her seat next to her assistant.

Within three minutes, Jeremy walked in. Seeing both women already seated, he greeted them with a smile, saying, "Everyone's here? Great. Let's get straight to it. Let's hear your proposals!" Ariana grinned, pulling out her proposal. "I'll go first. I'm sure Ms. Nelson won't mind, will you?"

"Not at all," Chloe replied.

As Ariana began to explain her proposal to Jeremy, Chloe sat back, arms crossed, and focused on her phone screen.

Only when Ariana finished did Chloe finally put her phone down.

"Ms. Carey's proposal is quite comprehensive and well thought out. I really like it!"

Jeremy's praise could have been genuine or merely polite, but Chloe maintained a neutral expression, not offering any further commentary.

"Ms. Nelson, what about your proposal?" Jeremy asked.

Ariana and her assistant were almost eager to see Chloe's embarrassment. So, she responded, "Mr. Portman, Ms. Nelson's USB was infected with a virus, and it seems her proposal might be lost." Jeremy's smile faltered.

As a businessman, he valued time above all, and he didn't have the luxury to wait while Chloe scrambled to redo her proposal.

"Ms. Nelson, will you be able to provide the proposal?" He asked.

Chloe tapped on her phone and promptly sent a file to Jeremy's device. "Of course. I have a backup."

Ariana and her assistant were momentarily stunned. They had been so sure of Chloe's downfall that they found it hard to believe she had a backup plan.

Chloe met Ariana's gaze and said softly, "Ms. Carey, you seem surprised. Isn't it standard practice to keep a backup of your work?"

Ariana's face darkened. She shot a reproachful look at her assistant, blaming him for the failed strategy.

When Chloe finished presenting her proposal, Jeremy clapped his hands enthusiastically. "Ms. Nelson's ideas are indeed innovative, completely different from the conventional approaches. If it weren't for your proposal, I wouldn't have thought of this new direction." Ariana glared at Chloe, and her eyes filled with venom. She wished she could tear Chloe apart.

She said, "While the concept is impressive, it still needs to be practical. Mr. Portman, some ideas sound great in theory, but whether they can be executed is another matter."

She thought, "After all, anyone can dream up grand ideas. Could Chloe really deliver such an advanced system?"

Jeremy hesitated, considering her point.

But Chloe's confidence soon reassured him. She said, "Rest assured, if I'm confident enough to present this proposal, I'm equally confident in its execution. What you see in the proposal is exactly what the final system will be." Jeremy's smile returned, now with an added touch of surprise.

"With Ms. Nelson's assurance, I'm much more at ease."

The meeting concluded, and Jeremy quickly left to attend another engagement.

As soon as Chloe and Jeremy had left the conference room, Ariana and her assistant were the only ones left.Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.

"Ariana, I..."

The assistant began to speak, but before he could finish, Ariana whirled around and slapped him hard across the face.