“Would I be fortunate enough to join the team as well? I spent years furthering my studies in Verdania and could offer VistaLink Technologies some technical support.”

Sylvie put herself forward without hesitation.

But starting a new project was never that simple.

It required smooth, multi-faceted collaboration.

Financing was crucial, but the real core was having the right partners at the helm, steering the team with precision.

Only now did Elodie glance over at her, expression cool and composed.

A good partner was always welcome, of course.

But there was no shortage of talented professionals back home.

She certainly wasn’t desperate enough to need Sylvie’s help.

Alexander clearly understood what Elodie was thinking. He shot her a quick look; when she didn’t respond, he finally said, “We’re still in the early planning stages. If we find ourselves short on technical expertise, Ms. Fielding will definitely be considered.”

It was the kind of polite brush-off everyone recognized.

Sylvie didn’t seem discouraged. Instead, she smiled with perfect confidence, “Of course. I just wanted to express my sincerity to Mr. Sterling. Please give it some thought.”

Her response was poised and graceful.

Naylor found himself admiring that self-assured air Sylvie carried-she had every reason to be confident.

But still…

He frowned, just slightly.

He was sure he hadn’t imagined it: Alexander’s glance at Elodie a moment ago. Was he really seeking her opinion?

He was surprised to realize that Alexander, of all people, was letting his personal life cloud a business decision.

Turning down Ms. Fielding just because a certain assistant had a personal grudge? That was disappointing.

This Elodie-she clearly knew how to play her cards with men.

Sensing someone’s gaze, Elodie looked over calmly.

She met Naylor’s scrutiny. He lounged back in his chair, a lazy smile tugging at his lips.

Elodie turned away, expression frosty, not bothering to guess what he meant.

She simply ignored him.

Naylor caught that chilly look.

His hand paused over his teacup, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

No wonder Alexander was so taken-Elodie had certainly mastered the art of playing hard to get.

She probably understood exactly how to provoke a man’s desire to conquer.

Elodie had no idea what Naylor was thinking. As she dropped her gaze, she caught Jarrod watching her too, his expression unreadable.

She could only guess-was he annoyed that Alexander hadn’t agreed to Sylvie’s offer on the spot?

Not that it mattered to her.

Elodie calmly looked away.

Just then, Felicity approached from the side. After greeting everyone, she said, “We’ve gathered such distinguished guests from every field today to set an example for the students and offer them some professional advice. There’s still one slot open for a short talk. Is anyone interested?”

Alexander raised an eyebrow.

Leaning in, he asked Elodie in a low voice, “Want to go up and speak?”

When it came to professional expertise, Elodie was second to none-she could break things down for the kids in a way they’d actually understand.

“Me?” Elodie arched a brow, about to decline.

But before she could, Grady piped up, “Ms. Fielding is obviously the best choice. She holds a PhD from Pinecrest Institute of Technology-her academic background speaks for itself.”

“I agree, I think Ms. Fielding is the perfect fit,” Naylor added.

Sylvie had completed both her master’s and doctorate, and her field-astronautics —was closely linked to national research. She was exactly the sort of role model students looked up to.

Sylvie looked around in mild surprise, then smiled, “So everyone’s picking me?”

“Who else would we choose?” Grady encouraged her with another grin. “The rest of us studied finance. Mr. Sterling will talk about the company’s products, and the others…well, a plain old college degree isn’t exactly impressive. It has to be you.” Everyone knew perfectly well who “the others” were.

Alexander’s expression darkened.

Clearly, this wasn’t supposed to be a foregone conclusion-they could have discussed it first.

Elodie didn’t care about such trivialities. With Alexander giving the keynote for VistaLink Technologies, it didn’t matter who else took the stage.

“Alright,” Sylvie agreed with practiced poise, then turned to Jarrod. “Jarrod, what do you think?”

Felicity glanced at the two of them, her eyes lighting up with mischief. “Why don’t Mr. Silverstein and Ms. Fielding go up together? A dynamic duo-brains and beauty. It’d be quite the sight.”