This was her second chance. Her opportunity to present her work in front of her classmates, her professor, and the executives who had specially come to evaluate her. The same executives who had seen Krystal present. The same executives who had been lied to.
Now they were here for her.
She had prepared for weeks. She had refined her slides, practiced her delivery, memorized her key points. She knew this topic inside and out. She had lived it, breathed it, dreamed about it.
But knowing and doing were different.
Her stomach churned. Her palms were damp.
The professor glanced at her watch. "Ms. Moretti, whenever you're ready."
Bella nodded.
She walked to the front of the room, her heels clicking against the floor, her laptop bag swinging at her side. She set her bag on the desk, pulled out her laptop, and connected it to the projector. Her fingers moved quickly, familiar with every cable, every port, every setting.
The screen turned on.
