Elodie only gave a faint smile, neither confirming nor denying.

Louisa quickly let out a light laugh. “Forgive me for being nosy. In our line of work, we keep the personal information of top engineers confidential. But I promise, I’m not fishing for secrets or trying to poach anyone.”

She was refreshingly candid.

Elodie smiled warmly. “No worries, we understand.”

Louisa genuinely liked Elodie—a young woman, calm and methodical under pressure, whose insightful analysis had surprised her more than once.

“What do you think, President Barnes?” Watts, who had stayed quiet until now, raised an eyebrow and looked at Louisa.

Louisa glanced at him. “If we ever have the chance to work more closely together, I believe VistaLink Technologies and Eldrion Global share a very similar vision.”

Elodie understood the implication behind Eldrion Global’s words. No one wanted to be the first to break the pleasantries.

The meal went on in a pleasant, easy atmosphere. When it ended, Louisa-ever the busy executive-excused herself to rush off to her next engagement.

Watts lingered for a moment, turning back to Elodie and holding out his hand. “Ms. Thorne, I hope this is just the beginning. May we have many opportunities to work together in the future.”

Elodie nodded and shook his hand lightly. “I’m sure we will.”

Only then did Watts turn to Esmeralda, offering a polite nod before heading out.

Watching him leave, Esmeralda couldn’t help but smirk. “You know, men really are at their best when they’re young.”

Elodie gave her a look. “…”

Esmeralda was clearly enjoying herself. “Did you notice? Mr. Aldridge is pretty considerate for a young guy, knows just how far to go. He must be serious about this-he even brought President Barnes into the mix.”

Elodie agreed. “Getting a meeting with President Barnes isn’t exactly easy.”

Esmeralda let out a low whistle. “Mr. Aldridge must have some serious pull. President Barnes has seen it all-no matter how well VistaLink Technologies is doing lately, I doubt he’d be impressed. Unless…”

She waggled her eyebrows at Elodie. “You don’t suppose Mr. Aldridge is President Barnes’s… special little protégé?”

But she hadn’t heard any rumors about President Barnes being married, or anything like that!

Elodie groaned. “Put a lid on your gossip, and get back to the office.”

Esmeralda just laughed it off; she hadn’t been serious anyway.

Back at VistaLink Technologies, Elodie took some time to review Eldrion Global’s background. As a major player in the defense industry, they certainly weren’t lacking in similar technology. But the gap between military and civilian applications meant there were still significant barriers between companies.

Having a good relationship with Eldrion Global could only be a positive. If they began collaborating frequently, both sides would benefit.

Late in the afternoon, as the workday was winding down, Elodie got a call from Charlie. “Tomorrow is Aerospace Day. The research institute will be open-why don’t you and Alexander come by and check out our latest projects?”

Elodie’s excitement was hard to contain. It had been ages since she’d set foot in a place every researcher dreamed of visiting.

After agreeing, she messaged Alexander and Esmeralda in their group chat to let them know.

Every year, on Aerospace Day, the institute opened its doors to the public for a single day. Industry insiders flocked in to tour the facilities and exchange ideas. Still, most of the institute remained off-limits; only a select few areas were accessible.

Since Esmeralda wasn’t exactly a techie, she opted to hold down the fort at the office.

When Elodie and Alexander arrived at the institute, Elodie immediately spotted a familiar figure in the distance.