ONE MONTH LATER

Lena sat in her office, staring at the framed award on her desk. The golden plaque gleamed under the soft light, reflecting the name she had worked so hard to build, Carter’s Enterprises: Most Influential Company of the Year.

She traced her fingers over the engraved letters, still in disbelief. A few months ago, she had only hoped to make it to the Top 100 companies in the country. Now, Carter’s Enterprises was in the Top 20. It felt unreal, but the numbers didn’t lie. Their sales had skyrocketed, their influence had spread, and investors were eager to work with them.

They had made it.

The collaboration...