After the Fall A Leap into a Stranger's Arms novel Chapter 63

At The James Group, Shirley stood at the head of the conference table, her white suit crisp and perfectly tailored. She commanded the room with an effortless confidence that made it impossible not to watch her.

Around the table, everyone’s eyes were fixed on her, a mix of admiration and envy in their gazes. It was almost hard to believe. The girl everyone was talking about, the mysterious genius who created Resonance AI, was right here, leading this meeting like she was born for it.

In the tech world, Shirley had become something of a celebrity. People who used to ignore her now made a point to say hello. Industry leaders, big names, even competitors—everyone wanted a piece of her attention. She enjoyed the recognition and the sudden wave of respect, but what she wanted most was to catch Waldo’s eye in a new way. Sure, she was the owner of Resonance AI, but Waldo hadn’t shown up at the office for the last two days.

She could guess why. Catherine’s sudden leap from artist to tech prodigy had clearly thrown him. He’d probably never expected her to change so much, so fast. Maybe this was for the best. If Catherine had hurt Waldo deeply enough, maybe he’d finally move on, maybe even start noticing other women.

The tech summit was coming up fast. Shirley’s lips curled into a little smile as she thought about it. This was going to be her big moment, the kind of spotlight she craved. She’d been invited as the keynote speaker three days ago, chosen to share her experience developing Resonance AI. It was the sort of opportunity everyone in the industry dreamed about.

Her phone buzzed on the table, interrupting her thoughts. She glanced at the screen, then picked up. “Hello?”

A respectful voice greeted her. “Shirley, the schedule is set. You’ll be the first to speak after the opening remarks.”

“Great, I’m ready,” she replied, smiling.

“There will be a lot of media coverage, live streams from multiple outlets. Just letting you know.”

“That’s fine,” she answered, sounding as confident as she felt.

Shirley smiled to herself, her eyes glinting with satisfaction. “Catherine, you might have made it into the tech world, but you’re just another face in the crowd. Let’s see how long you last at Nexus Dynamics.”

Everyone knew Nexus Dynamics was obsessed with talent, but they were even more famous for their brutal hiring standards. The founder, who nobody had ever seen in person, was said to be ruthless when it came to picking his team.

If Catherine didn’t measure up, she’d be out before she knew it.

What could a complete newbie really do in this industry, anyway?

A knock on the door pulled Shirley from her thoughts. Her assistant stepped in. “Shirley, Waldo’s here.”