The room was tense as Velvet looked at Gabriella before turning to Ortega and speaking, "I heard about what happened and how you had to be rushed to the clinic because you were... under attack."
Ortega swallowed hard, unsure of what to expect. He knew he had messed up by not disclosing his 'medical condition' earlier, but he felt relieved that the worst was over.
He waited for Velvet to continue, his heart racing.
"To be honest, I am not happy with how things went down," Velvet said firmly, looking at Ortega with a stern expression on her face.
"Ortega, you lied to us, but I assume you had your reasons for keeping this to yourself, and I respect that. However, my only concern is whether you will be able to work properly with your current situation."
Ortega felt a wave of gratitude wash over him. It seemed that he wasn't going to lose his job after all. He was glad that Dr. Sylvia hadn't reported him, but he couldn't help but wonder why.
Wasn't she angry at him? If she was cunning enough, she could have even twisted the story in her favor, further implicating him.
Ortega felt a slight sting on his cheek from the corrective slap he received from her minutes ago, but he decided not to dwell on it. After all, it was just a misunderstanding.
"Yes, I am able," Ortega replied firmly, his gaze determined.
He needed his job, and he was willing to do whatever it took to keep it.
"My situation has never come in the way of my job, and that is what I'll keep on striving to maintain."
Velvet only gave a curt nod in acknowledgment, and Gabriella's lips curved as she looked at Ortega, wearing a rare smile.
Both women were impressed by his willingness to remain in the game.
"Alright then, we move on to business," Velvet cleared her throat and placed a file on the table.
"Gabriella tells me you came up with this," she said, gesturing to the stack of papers. "I think your ideas are great. I just want you to explain to me what you have in mind."
Ortega took a deep breath, feeling a sense of excitement bubbling up inside him. This was his chance to prove himself, to show that he was more than just a liability.
He began, "It's a ten-step procedure on a promotion strategy I developed for our new makeup brand—BeautyShine."
And so Ortega launched into his pitch, sharing his vision with his superiors and capturing their attention with each step. He felt a sense of pride as he watched them nod along, impressed by his ideas.
For the first time in a long while, he felt like he was on top of the world.
"...Number nine is crucial, we share tips and tricks about how to use the product, which provides value to our customers. Finally, we create Instagram Story highlights specifically for the makeup kit, organizing all related content in one place for easy access by followers." Ortega concluded with a smile and relaxed, awaiting feedback from his superiors.
Velvet and Gabriella could only gaze in wonderment at Ortega's fluid presentation, and for the first time, Ortega saw Velvet's stern features melt into a pleased expression. He celebrated in his mind the development.
Things were finally starting to look up for him today.
It took a lot of self-restraint to stop himself from summoning his status window and checking on his progress. He didn't want to ruin the moment by being distracted, so he decided to hear what Velvet and Gabriella had to say about his ideas first.
"This is exactly what our company needs, brilliant minds like yours." Velvet's lips curved as she spoke, her eyes crinkling. "Well done, Ortega. I approve of your plans and hereby task the implementation to the marketing department, that includes you. Of course, your marketing manager will be there to guide you every step of the way, and I wish you good luck as you partake in this endeavor."
"Thank you, I—we won't let you down." Ortega smiled, giving a respectful bow as he stood up from his seat. Gabriella smiled too, proud to be Ortega's mentor.
Although she still held a grudge against him for being clumsy, she couldn't deny the fact that Ortega was truly exceptional. Velvet was someone extremely difficult to please, and Gabriella could still remember the look of surprise on the young CEO's face when she arrived at her office to show her the ideas Ortega had drafted.
It was instrumental in how much change Ortega was bringing to their company even as a mere intern. Gabriella didn't know what the future held, but she knew that things were about to get interesting very soon, and she smiled at the prospect.
"You have a timeframe of twenty-eight working days to fully execute these plans, and I want to see our sales skyrocket by the end of this period," Velvet said, her tone serious and business-minded.
"Necessary funds will be allocated to your team, and I expect big things from both of you. So give it your all and do not disappoint. Ortega," She gazed at him intently, "take this as a learning opportunity. That is all I have to say, you're both dismissed."
Gabriella and Ortega gave a slight bow before turning on their heels and exiting the room. Closing the door behind them, the duo engaged in small talk as they walked across the carpeted hallway.
"Why did you show my list to Velvet? I thought you didn't like me," Ortega asked, genuinely curious.
"Pfft! Don't like you? Come on! Why would I —"
"You're an easy read. Anyone ever told you that?" Ortega interrupted, raising a brow at Gabriella. Her words seemed to get stuck in her throat as she bit her lip, suddenly unsure of how to respond.