Boss, Your Ex-Wife is Unreachable Now! novel Chapter 53

Maurice was always eager to compete with Willow, but even he had to admit that, when it came to past achievements, his record simply didn't shine as brightly as hers.

But this time was different. The stealth air-launched drone project was a major breakthrough, and as one of its core tech leads, Maurice was determined to give it everything he had. He was going to outdo Willow—finally take the lead.

While Maurice was still stewing in his competitive thoughts, Willow was already in the thick of conversation with several of the project's top brass.

Of course, "in the thick of conversation" was really just Maurice's own biased interpretation. The first time he'd met Willow, she'd been nothing but distant and reserved—barely spoke, certainly didn't try to make friends. Only after working together for quite some time had she begun to open up, occasionally snapping back at him with quick wit.

In Maurice's mind, "slow to warm up" was practically Willow's middle name.

But now, this same cool, reserved woman was, on her very first meeting with the higher-ups, confidently stepping forward to introduce her own ideas—

Wait. Hold on.

What had Willow just said?

Shaking off his distractions, Maurice forced himself to focus.

"…I've prepared all the relevant materials. If everyone could join me in the conference room, I can walk you through the details," Willow was saying, her tone clear and to the point.

With just a few sentences, she'd managed to capture everyone's attention. The group followed Willow to a conference room outfitted with a computer and a projector.

She pulled out a flash drive, password-protected with a level of security only a true professional would bother with, plugged it into the computer, and connected the projector.

Those extra four years she'd gained in her life—she wasn't about to let them go to waste.

Now, she was about to push forward the launch of this state-of-the-art stealth drone by three and a half years, giving the country's defense one more layer of protection. It was her duty—a mission she couldn't refuse.

Slides flickered across the screen, each one a product of Willow's tireless effort over the past few days. There was only so much she could fit into three days, no matter how sharp her memory; she kept things concise, knowing that once development truly began, she'd guide the team to flesh out the rest.

Dr. Penelope Grant, a distinguished academician, had already witnessed Willow's brilliance firsthand. Even so, she hadn't expected Willow's potential to run this deep—she was an absolute revelation. Holcomb had certainly sent her a hidden gem.

After nearly four hours, Willow wrapped up her presentation. The two senior military consultants each shared their perspectives and future hopes for the project. Willow listened carefully and assured them she would see the mission through.

The meeting had gone smoother than anyone could have hoped—like riding a rocket to success.

Originally, especially in Padgett's mind, this was just supposed to be an introduction: get a feel for the researchers, maybe offer a few pragmatic tips from the field, hopefully give their work a little boost.

He hadn't expected to be handed a complete blueprint—along with a fully integrated operational strategy.

"Dr. Sheffield, the development of the air-launched drone is now in your hands. You and your team will be leading the charge," Padgett announced, making it clear that Willow was the one in command.

Maurice, once a contender for the leadership role, could only concede defeat—and he did so wholeheartedly.