The doors of the conference room opened one after another.
Representatives.
Directors.
Vice presidents.
National companies.
Foreign companies.
For nearly two hours, proposals for the Valmont Group's new industrial project had been presented before the board.
Every presentation followed the same pattern.
Figures.
Projections.
Promises.
Risks carefully hidden behind elegant words.
Adrian listened in silence.
He did not interrupt.
He did not ask unnecessary questions.
He simply took notes.
To his right, the financial director reviewed the numbers.
To his left, the legal officer analyzed contracts.
Behind them, several analysts compared real-time data.
Everything operated with machine-like precision.
Then the secretary looked at the next folder.
—Roche Group.
Several people raised their eyes.
It was not just another company.
The Roche name still carried weight in the city.
Although those who truly understood the market knew that weight was no longer as solid as it once had been.
The door opened.
Astrid entered.
Dark suit.
Hair tied back.
A folder under her arm.
She did not look like a student.
She did not look like an heiress waiting for approval.
She looked like an executive.
Behind her walked Leonhardt Roche.
Her father.
But this time, he was not the one presenting.
She was.
She had insisted.
"It's your project," he had told her. "You should defend it."
And Astrid understood.
If she wanted to build something of her own someday, she could not hide behind her family name.
For forty minutes, she explained every detail.
Target market.
Production capacity.
Initial costs.
Risks.
Timeline.
Expected profitability.
She did not leave a single number unjustified.
She did not improvise.
She did not try to impress.
She presented a proposal.
When she finished, the room fell silent.
Adrian picked up the report.
He reviewed it page by page.
Astrid watched his expression.
Nothing.
As always.
It was impossible to know what he was thinking.
Finally, he closed the folder.
—Good work.
For a brief moment, Astrid felt relieved.
Only for a moment.
Because Adrian continued:
—But we cannot accept it.
Silence fell over the table.
Leonhardt frowned slightly.
—May I ask why?
Adrian placed the document in front of him.
—Three reasons.
He raised one finger.
—First. Roche's current logistical capacity does not allow the project to be executed within the established deadline.
A second finger.
—Second. Your cash flow cannot support the initial investment without compromising other areas of the company.
A third finger.
—Third. Your dependence on external suppliers is too high.
He looked at the report again.
—The proposal is good.
A pause.
—The company is not ready for it yet.
Astrid remained motionless.
There was no contempt.
No arrogance.
No intention to humiliate.
Only an evaluation.
And that was harder to accept.
Because it meant he was right.
For weeks, she had worked to prove that Roche could compete.
But a good idea was not enough.
A company did not grow simply because it wanted to.
It needed structure.
Capital.
Experience.
She knew that.
And that was exactly why it hurt.
Adrian closed the folder.
—The meeting is over.
The representatives began gathering their documents.
Leonhardt slowly exhaled.
The last opportunity.
Now he would have to sell shares of his company...
and perhaps something more.
—Thank you for receiving us, Mr. Valmont.
He began putting away the papers.
Astrid, however, remained seated.
Watching Adrian.
He had already moved on to the next document.
Pretending to be completely focused on reading, avoiding looking at Astrid.
Only his ears, still slightly red, betrayed him.
As if the conversation had already ended.
Astrid watched him for a few seconds.
Then she remembered the balcony.
The way he had stepped back.
The expression of absolute panic over something as simple as having her close.
A small smile appeared on her lips.
It couldn't be.
Was it really that easy?
—Father.
Leonhardt looked at her.
—Wait outside for me.
He hesitated.
But eventually nodded.
When the room was almost empty, Astrid picked up her folder and walked to the other side of the table.
Adrian looked up.
—Yes?
—I haven't finished my presentation yet.
Adrian looked around.
The remaining executives pretended to focus on their documents.
No one looked up.
Everyone was listening.
Everyone remembered.
For years, the young master had never hidden the preferential treatment given to the Roche family.
And everyone knew why.
—The decision has already been made.
Astrid smiled slightly.
—No.
She placed the folder on the table.
—The evaluation has been made.
Adrian slightly frowned.
—Is there a difference?
—A big one.
She opened the report.
—You evaluated whether Roche can execute the project exactly as it is proposed.
Adrian did not answer.
Because it was true.
Astrid continued.
—But you did not evaluate whether Roche can become the company capable of executing it.
The analysts raised their heads.
Adrian remained silent.
She had noticed the difference.
Interesting.
—Explain.
Astrid smiled.
She had managed to make him listen.
Now came the difficult part.
—The original proposal depends too much on third parties.
She turned a page.
—That is why I changed it.
Another document appeared.
—Initial scale reduction.
—Production divided into phases.
—Temporary contracts instead of permanent acquisitions.
—And a strategic partnership with Valmont during the first stage.
Adrian looked at the documents.
They were not the same.
She had modified the proposal.
Quickly.
Too quickly.
—When did you make these changes?
Astrid tilted her head slightly.
—While you were explaining the problems.
Adrian remained silent.
That was...
annoyingly efficient.
She had not come asking for an opportunity.
She had come prepared to create one.
—The new structure reduces the risk —Astrid said—. I am not asking you to trust a company that is not ready yet.
She leaned slightly forward.
—I am offering you a way to help it become ready.
For a second, Adrian's brain stopped working.
Not because of the proposal.
The proposal was good.
The problem was the distance.
Astrid was too close.
Not obviously.
Not enough for anyone to say anything.
But close enough.
Too close.
His mind immediately began issuing warnings.
Stay calm.
This is a meeting.
Talk about business.
Do not think about the balcony.
Do not think about the kiss.
Do not think.
Astrid watched his expression.
There it was again.
That small crack.
The man capable of analyzing millions of pieces of data seemed incapable of handling a conversation when she reduced the distance between them by a few centimeters.
It was almost amusing.
—Mr. Valmont.
Adrian blinked.
—Yes?
—Are you listening?
The question hit him.
Because the honest answer was complicated.
—Yes.
Too quickly.
Astrid had to suppress a smile.
It was incredible.
Before, she had thought he was someone impossible to reach.
Now she discovered that all she needed was to find the right angle.
—Then review the last page.
Adrian lowered his gaze.
The final clause.
A modification of participation.
A performance guarantee.
A legal exit clause for both parties.
He read it.
Then read it again.
It was good.
Very good.
—This requires board approval.
—Of course.
—And legal review.
Adrian looked up.
She was smiling.
Almost unconsciously, Adrian picked up the pen.
And signed.
The sound of the pen moving across the paper was far too final.
Astrid took the document.
—Thank you.
Adrian blinked.
—Thank you?
She smiled.
—It will be a pleasure working with you.
Silence.
Adrian looked at the contract.
Then the signature.
Then Astrid.
His expression slowly changed.
—Wait.
Astrid tilted her head.
—Yes?
She blinked.
—Nothing.
Adrian looked at the document again.
An uncomfortable feeling appeared in his mind.
He placed a hand against his forehead.
—What did I do?
Astrid had to suppress a smile.
Because the scene was too absurd.
The heir of the Valmont Group.
The man who could decide the fate of entire companies.
Looking at a contract he had personally signed as if he had just discovered he had made the greatest mistake in history.
—Work with me —she answered.
Adrian looked at her.
He had not fallen into a trap.
He had chosen to enter.
Li Shen arrived in the city at dawn.
The air smelled of fuel, metal, and something else... artificial.
It was not the purity of the mountains, but it was not unpleasant either.
He adjusted the leather bag over his shoulder and carefully touched its contents: an old contract, yellowed by time, with his master's red seal still intact.
A promise.
He stopped at a crowded intersection and looked around.
—Excuse me —he said to a passerby—. Could you tell me where the Roche family's mansion is?
The man looked him up and down.
—The... Roche mansion?
He repeated the words.
—Which one?
Li Shen frowned.
—The main residence.
The man laughed softly.
—Friend, that is no longer used. They operate from the financial district now. Roche Building, North Tower.
Li Shen nodded gratefully, although the idea seemed strange to him.
Mansions that moved...
The world had changed more than he expected.
Astrid Roche's father was not expecting a spiritual visitor that morning.
Only a few months earlier, the family had been on the verge of bankruptcy.
Creditors had been pressuring him.
Contracts had disappeared.
And it seemed the empire he had spent decades building was about to collapse.
But after the university semester closing ceremony where his daughter studied, something changed.
New contracts arrived.
Creditors restructured their demands.
They gave him more time than he ever expected.
When only months before they seemed ready to tear him apart.
He was reviewing financial statements when his assistant suddenly entered.
—Mr. Leonhardt Roche, there is a young man insisting on seeing you. He says... he comes because of a promise.
The man raised his eyes from the screen, surprised.
—A... what?
Minutes later, Li Shen stood before him.
Straight posture.
Calm expression.
The serenity of someone standing before an elder worthy of respect, not a man exhausted by years of pressure.
His expensive clothes seemed almost out of place with the company's current financial situation.
—Years ago —Li Shen said firmly—, my master saved your life.
He paused.
—As a gesture of gratitude, you promised him your daughter's hand for his disciple.
Silence.
Leonhardt blinked.
Once.
Twice.
—My daughter... Astrid?
He whispered.
—Marriage?
Then he remembered.
Vaguely.
A stretcher.
Pain.
Needles.
A promise spoken between fever and fear.
His expression changed.
Uncomfortable.
—Young man... that was a long time ago.
Li Shen took out the contract and extended it with both hands.
The red seal shone intact, as if time itself had not passed.
Leonhardt swallowed.
—My daughter is... busy.
He finally said.
—She is negotiating a very important collaboration for the family.
—Then I will wait —Li Shen replied calmly.
—Matters of destiny should not be rushed.
Leonhardt forced a smile.
For the first time in weeks, he was sweating because of something other than money.
Leonhardt Roche recovered himself, straightening his shoulders after several seconds of silence that felt much longer than it actually was.
—I will see what can be done —he finally said, with a firmness he did not truly feel.
—But you must understand... my daughter is a busy woman. Her decisions are not governed by promises made years ago.
Li Shen remained calm.
Serenity was his armor.
—I understand.
He nodded.
—I will simply wait for the right moment.
Leonhardt nodded, unable to break the certainty in the young man's eyes.
That gaze contained something beyond respect.
It contained absolute confidence.
—She is negotiating a very delicate collaboration with a European company —Roche continued with a sigh—. It is a strategic agreement that will determine part of the family's future.
Li Shen slightly lowered his head.
—Then I will wait.
—There is no need to hurry.
Leonhardt breathed deeply, feeling the discomfort of the situation.
This visit was not merely a memory from the past.
It was a demand from the present.
For the first time in years, his control over his family felt incomplete.
The door of the executive office closed slowly behind him.
Adrian remained motionless for several seconds.
He had not received punishment.
Nor suspension.
Not even a particularly harsh reprimand.
Henri Valmont never raised his voice.
He did not need to.
—You are still young.
That was what he had said.
—But a Valmont cannot afford to make decisions while losing control of his judgment.
Nothing else.
Not a word about the project.
Not about the numbers.
Not about the technical mistake.
Only that sentence.
And above all...
that look.
A mixture of disappointment and concern.
As if he had discovered his son was still far from being ready.
Adrian slowly exhaled.
—It hurts more than I expected...
He murmured to himself.
He had endured much harsher criticism in his previous life.
Bosses.
Clients.
Professors.
None of that mattered.
But Henri...
Henri did not speak like a chairman.
He spoke like a father.
And that made it much harder to ignore.
Adrian began walking through the main building corridor.
Secretaries.
Executives.
Assistants.
Everyone greeted him with respect.
He answered out of habit.
But his mind was somewhere else.
"I lost focus during a meeting..."
It was absurd.
Ridiculous.
He had analyzed corporate mergers far more complex than this.
And all it took was Astrid Roche stepping a few centimeters into his personal space for him to forget the name of the entire project.
Nothing like that had ever happened to him.
"I need to fix this..."
He turned the corner.
Then stopped.
At the end of the corridor, beside the windows overlooking the city, someone was waiting.
A white suit.
Golden hair falling over her shoulders.
A folder pressed against her chest.
The afternoon light passed through the glass, creating an almost unreal silhouette.
For a moment...
Adrian forgot to breathe.
Astrid looked up.
Their eyes met.
And then she smiled.
Not a wide smile.
A small one.
Subtle.
As if she had just discovered something amusing.
Adrian felt a chill.
"No..."
"Not again..."
Astrid walked toward him naturally.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Each step seemed perfectly calm.
She stopped in front of him.
—Good afternoon, Deputy Director.
Her tone was completely professional.
She extended the folder.
—I brought the latest adjustments to the project. They told me I had to deliver them personally.
Adrian accepted the folder.
Their fingers brushed for barely a moment.
"Focus."
"It's a report."
"Just a report."
Astrid watched his expression.
There was something different.
The man who had rejected her during the presentation was still the same person.
But now...
he seemed excessively careful.
As if even receiving a folder from her was a high-risk operation.
The corner of her lips curved again.
"Confirmed..."
"It wasn't a coincidence."
—Can we review it in your office? —she asked naturally.
Adrian took two seconds longer than normal to answer.
—...Yes.
Astrid slightly tilted her head.
—Perfect.
She began walking beside him.
For the first time since they had met...
neither of them was thinking about the project.