Her presentation went off without a hitch. Each part of her team executed their part flawlessly, and through it all, Evan Reese sat back with a very satisfied expression on his face. By the time she was done, she was as convinced as everyone else that Timothy would sign with Golden Gates promotions. He’d be a fool not to. The lights went back up after her last video clip.

“This concludes our presentation,” she said to Timothy. “I hope we’ve convinced you of our commitment to you and your company.”

He took his time responding. For a moment he studied her, his hands stretched out in front of him. Then...