He left the flower resting quietly on the tabletop, undisturbed.

As for Jarrod and Sylvie, seated a few tables away, neither of them paid any further attention to the whole scene.

After a while, Jarrod finished up a transatlantic work call at their table, left a tip, and stood to go.

Sylvie gathered her things, needing to get back and organize her notes from the conference.

She picked up her flower and walked out with Jarrod. As they passed the table where Elodie and her group had just been sitting, Jarrod noticed the abandoned flower, still lying there exactly where it had been left. He glanced at it for a brief moment, then looked away, heading for the exit.

Sylvie noticed as well, but only in the periphery of her vision; she dismissed it without a second thought. In her mind, Elodie’s behavior was just a last-ditch effort to preserve a shred of dignity-meaningless, really.

Back in her room, Elodie and Alexander joined a video call with Esmeralda back home. Even though it was the middle of the night there, Esmeralda-ever the night owl-was wide awake and in high spirits, excitedly asking Elodie to pick up some handbags and clothes for her before coming back.

Elodie hadn’t quite adjusted to the time difference yet, and woke up the next morning with a mild headache.

The conference started at ten. She chose a well-fitted, cream-colored trench coat -safe and appropriate. Their hotel wasn’t far from the venue, and a car had been arranged; the ride took less than twenty minutes.

On the way, Alexander filled her in on the scope of the conference. This was a gathering of the best in the field-renowned academics from around the world, heavyweights from leading companies, and standout students from top universities. The first group were all invited directly; even the brightest students from elite schools had to apply on their own to attend.

The opportunities here would be enormous: exchanging ideas with some of the world’s sharpest minds.

They entered the vast conference hall with their invitation. The main auditorium could easily seat over a thousand, and every seat had been pre-assigned by the organizers.

As soon as they walked in,

Alexander was recognized by

several attendees. People came over to greet him-his reputation on the international stage was undeniable. What caught their attention, though, was the unfamiliar face beside him: Elodie.

Smiling, Alexander made the introduction. “This is Elodie, our company’s chief engineer and the lead developer of the flight control system you’ve all heard about.”

A ripple of surprise went through the group of international tech experts-she was so young!

Elodie, unfazed, engaged in conversation with calm confidence.

Soon, the organizers sent someone to the entrance to welcome new arrivals. As Elodie glanced that way, she spotted Jarrod and Sylvie entering through a side door.

Jarrod noticed Elodie and Alexander, gave a polite nod, and led Sylvie toward the other side of the hall.

Apparently, Jarrod was a special guest; a staff member guided him personally, and even Sylvie, standing at his side, gained an air of

importance by association. She kept a pleasant smile throughout and drew quite a bit of interest from the crowd.

Jarrod brought Sylvie up to the front row, introducing her to several prominent figures who were regulars on the international circuit. With Jarrod’s

recommendation, they gave Sylvie more time and attention.

She offered Jarrod a gentle, grateful smile before turning to introduce herself.

Alexander led Elodie toward their

seats near the front. Inevitably, their gaze fell on Jarrod and Sylvie mingling with the VIPS. Alexander leaned down and murmured to Elodie, “Sylvie’s really learned how to play the game. Without Jarrod, she probably wouldn’t have made it into this conference hall even ten years from now.”

It was clear that being here, shaking hands with world leaders in the field, was a huge leap for Sylvie-a brush with a different world.

Elodie and Alexander were seated in the second row. The first row was reserved

for long-established veterans and senior representatives from major companies—

some at the level of fellows or national academicians.

After Elodie took her seat, someone arrived and settled in next to her.

She turned to look-it was Sylvie.