After days of late nights and endless coffee, the Tianji project was finally done.
Every hour of overtime, every missed meal, every bleary-eyed morning had paid off—the results weren't merely satisfactory; they were exceptional.
Her team was proud. Malik, her manager, was prouder.
"You've outdone yourself again," he'd told her three nights before the meeting. "Star Engineering is going to love this. Once they see what you've built, we'll be their go-to IT partner for the next decade."
Willow had only smiled, tired but composed. "Let's hope so."
They couldn't include client names or technical specifics in Silverline Systems' public portfolio, but she could list achievements in broad strokes. Confidentiality mattered. And success—quiet, verifiable, undeniable—spoke louder than any slide.
Now, the day of the Star Engineering meeting had arrived.
