Chloe rushed into my office beaming with happiness.
"Elena, I can't believe it! The Voss Enterprises project is huge! You've struck gold!"
I smiled, but inside, I felt the responsibility growing. "It's a big move Chloe, but it's also a major gamble. If we screw this up, it could destroy everything."
She dismissed my concerns as if I was overreacting. "Come on. Stop focusing on the downside for once! This is your dream job. You should celebrate, not worry!"
I leaned back in my chair gazing at my presentation slides. "I get it, but you've seen what happens when someone messes up with these big-name clients. One slip-up and... well, you're toast."
Chloe shook her head at me. "You need to quit psyching yourself out. You'll nail it. You're one of the top builders in this city! Alexander Voss wouldn't have chosen your firm if he wasn't blown away."
She had a point, but something still bugged me. "Perhaps. But this isn't your run-of-the-mill customer. Voss Enterprises isn't just another company Chloe. It's... unique. One misstep and"
Chloe stopped me mid-sentence. "And you'll crush it! You always do. Quit fretting. Believe in your skills."
I couldn't respond before my phone vibrated on the desk. Marco's name popped up on the screen. I answered, happy to hear from my little brother.
"Hi sis!" Marco sounded pumped. "Just called to say break a leg. You've got this in the bag! Mom and Dad would beam with pride."
I grinned. Marco never failed to find the right words. "Thanks, Marco. I've got butterflies, but I'll give it my all."
"You're going to crush it. Look how far you've come. From drawing up plans for our old treehouse to this... Voss Enterprises? It's unbelievable!" His enthusiasm made me chuckle.
"Yeah, it's pretty crazy," I admitted. "But also scary."
"You've got this, Elena. Just take deep breaths, okay?"
"I will. Thanks, Marco. I needed to hear that."
After ending the call, I felt a bit more at ease. But as I prepared to leave for the meeting, my phone buzzed again. This time, it wasn't Marco. An unknown number appeared, and the message sent my pulse racing.
"Watch out. Voss Enterprises conceals more than it reveals."
I gazed at the display, my heart rate climbing. Who'd send me such a thing? Questions flooded my mind, but I lacked the time to ponder them now.
"What's the matter?" Chloe asked spotting the change in my expression.
I shook my head. "It's nothing. Just... strange."
"Think about the pitch Elena. Don't pay attention to whatever that was."
I nodded, though the message lingered in my thoughts. "Yeah, you're right. Let's go."
The Voss Enterprises building looked scarier up close. Glass, steel, and strength everything about it yelled success. I breathed as I walked in trying to ease my nerves. This was the moment.
When I stepped into the meeting room, I sensed his presence right away. Alexander Voss. He stood at the table's head tall and daunting, with piercing blue eyes that seemed to look right through me. I'd read about him, seen his face in business magazines, but seeing him in person felt different.
"Miss Russo," his voice sounded cool almost uninterested. "I hope you know how much this project matters. We can't afford any mistakes."
I looked straight at him refusing to let his threatening vibe rattle me. "I don't plan on failing either, Mr. Voss."
He lifted an eyebrow showing a bit of interest in my response. "Good. We don't tolerate errors here."
I took my seat and opened my laptop to kick off the presentation. The atmosphere in the room was tight, with other executives sitting waiting for things to start. My hands paused above the keyboard, but I couldn't shake the sense that something wasn't quite right. That text message was still on my mind, but I pushed it aside and tried to concentrate.
As I explained the project to them, Alexander kept his gaze on me the whole time sizing me up. He didn't say much just nodded now and then, and asked a couple of technical questions. His calm composed manner made it tough to figure him out, but I sensed he was the type who left nothing up to chance.
"Your design is daring," he said at last leaning back in his chair. "I'm impressed."
I released a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. "Thank you. We've given this a lot of thought."
"But," he went on, his voice cutting now, "we've got a safety issue at the site. My crew discovered a problem with the foundation."
I stared taken aback. "A safety concern? This is news to us."
He glanced at one of his guys. "I just found out this morning. We need to fix it fast. I trust this won't cause trouble for your team."
My thoughts whirled. Why hadn't anyone clued us in? Was this some sort of test? I sat up straight keeping my tone professional. "No worries. We'll adjust our plans as needed."
Alexander's face remained blank, but I noticed a tiny break in his flawless composure. This topic seemed to trouble him more than he showed.
The meeting ended after more questions, but my phone vibrated again as I gathered my stuff. Another text. My heart dropped when I read it.
"You're digging too deep. Stop before it's too late."
I looked around the room, my gut twisting. Was someone keeping tabs on me? This idea chilled me to the bone.
Chloe saw my white face as we left the building. "What's the matter?"
I stuffed my phone into my bag aiming to seem casual. "It's nothing. We should leave now."
But inside, I felt far from relaxed. I had no clue about the situation I was entering.
As we walked onto the crowded New York City street and houses, the unclear caution played over in my mind. Who sent these texts? And what information were they trying to keep from me?