The weather was beautiful today. Sunlight had streamed in since early morning, but not even a hint of its warmth reached Amelia. She felt stifled—almost suffocated by her own frustration.
She hadn’t expected Greenovation to be a subsidiary of the Campbell Group.
The principal tugged her sleeve gently. “Why are you just standing there? Come on.”
Beaming with pride, the principal led Amelia forward.
Four sleek cars pulled up in a neat row at the entrance to the research facility. As the door of the lead car swung open, a pair of long legs stepped out. Daniel emerged, tall and commanding, his presence so magnetic that everyone else seemed to fade into the background.
The principal strode over eagerly to shake his hand. “Welcome, Mr. Campbell, and welcome to the entire SEG technology team!”
Daniel returned the handshake with practiced poise—every inch the unflappable business elite.
After a brief exchange of greetings, Daniel’s gaze drifted lazily over the group, finally settling on Amelia. “You look familiar. Have we met before…?”
The principal jumped in quickly, “Last time you visited our university, she was the one who welcomed you. Surely you remember her, Mr. Campbell?”
Daniel offered Amelia a courteous smile. “Of course I remember. Turner, right? Amelia? Seems fate keeps bringing us together.”
“…”
Amelia couldn’t help thinking that acting must run in the Campbell family’s veins; from the oldest to the youngest, they all seemed born for the stage.
Still, Daniel pretending not to know her made things easier. She played along. “Mr. Campbell, you have an impressive memory.”
Daniel grinned. “Mainly because you’re so memorable, Amelia.”
The principal’s smile grew a little stiff, worried that the conversation might veer toward last time’s awkward incident. He hurried to steer the topic elsewhere.
The group moved into the facility, where security officers checked and logged every visitor one by one.
All eyes turned toward her. Under the scrutiny, Amelia resisted the urge to dump the tea in Daniel’s lap and quietly took the seat.
The main purpose of today’s meeting was to exchange ideas. The principal started by playing a PowerPoint Amelia had finished the night before—an overview of Silkwood Institute’s history and achievements.
Daniel watched intently. As the final slide appeared, he spotted a familiar name and signaled for a pause. “Amelia made this?”
Amelia always signed her name on the last slide. The principal confirmed, “Yes, Amelia put it together.”
Daniel turned to her, his tone openly appreciative. “Impressive work, Amelia.”
She returned a polite, empty smile. “You flatter me, Mr. Campbell.”
“With a presentation like that, it’s not flattery.” Daniel’s gaze lingered on her. “But I have to admit, I missed a lot of the details. Amelia, would you mind walking us through it again?”
Really? For a ten-slide, template presentation? The CEO of the Campbell Group, who could scan documents at lightning speed, was claiming he hadn’t caught it all?
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