Then Raymond held her even more closer, his voice soft against her ear. "Just calm down… everything's going to be fine."
His warmth, his steadiness—it was enough to quiet the storm inside her. Slowly, Valentina exhaled, closing her eyes and resting her forehead against his shoulder.
"Okay," she whispered. "I'll do my best."
"Good!"
Raymond said quietly.
**
For the next few days, Valentina locked herself into full focus mode. She worked from morning till late at night—researching, planning, writing, adjusting. She wanted the proposal for the GSK contract to be perfect. No room for weakness. No room for doubt.
On the fifth morning, her eyes were tired and her body heavy, but her heart was steady. She stepped out of the house, dressed in a soft beige coat, clutching her laptop bag. Her next stop before heading into work was her favorite coffee shop down the street of Sterling design.
She needed that warm cup of energy.
