By Friday, the conference room looked as though a storm had passed through it.
Architectural drawings covered nearly every available surface. Some were rolled into tubes and placed against the wall, while others had been marked with notes, measurements and revisions.
Aurora stood in the middle of the room, staring at the newest concept.
The fourth design.
She had spent most of Thursday evening working on it. There had been several moments when she considered leaving it until morning, but being Aurora, she hadn't.
Instead, she had stayed until the office became almost completely silent.
Now, with the morning light spilling through the tall windows, she could finally see what had been bothering her.
Something was missing.
Aurora picked up a pencil and walked towards the drawing.
"No."
She drew a small line across the plan.
"That won't work."
One of the architects looked over. "What about moving the extension?"
Aurora considered it.
"If we move it there, we'll create a problem with the lighting."
"Then what if we reduce the size?"
She looked at the design again. "Hmm, that might work." So, she marked the section.
"Try it."
The architect nodded and moved towards his laptop.
Aurora stepped back.
This was exactly why she had built her company the way she had. She didn't expect people to simply follow instructions.
She wanted ideas, valid arguments and the best solutions.
She looked around the room at her team.
"Give me another option."
Another architect pointed towards the lower section. "We could adjust the layout here."
Aurora walked over. "Show me."
He pulled the drawing closer and explained his idea while Aurora listened without interrupting.
When he finished, she studied the plan for several seconds. "That's better."
The architect smiled.
"But it will change the flow."
"I know."
Aurora reached for a pencil. "Then we'll fix that too."
...
By midday, the fourth design had finally taken shape.
Aurora returned to her office with the latest version in her hands. She placed it on her desk and slumped into her chair.
For a few seconds, she simply stared at it.
Then her eyes moved across the design again.
It had the visual strength of the first, the efficiency of the second, and the balance of the third.
A small smile touched her lips. "Not bad."
Right then, her phone buzzed, an email from Mr. Voss coming through.
Mr. Voss: I hope the fourth design will be on my desk before 5 p.m.
Aurora stared at the message for a long second before replying.
Aurora: Of course.
She leaned back and let out a slow breath.
"Why am I not surprised?"
...
Later that afternoon, Aurora received a phone call, and just seeing the name of the caller immediately brightened her mood.
It was Felix, and she gladly answered.
"Hello?"
"Rora." His voice was a low, gentle rumble which immediately settled comfortably in her heart.
"Hi."
"You sound exhausted..." he said, the words catching slightly in his throat as if he were genuinely worried.
Aurora glanced at the pile of drawings beside her. "I've been resting."
"I can tell you barely."
"You can't tell anything."
"I know you, Aurora."
She smiled. "That doesn't count."
Felix laughed, the sound warm and familiar.
"How's the project going?"
Aurora leaned back in her chair. "Complicated."
"Still dealing with Mr Voss?"
She sighed. "Yes."
"What did he do this time?"
"He asked for another design."
There was a brief silence. "Another?"
"Another."
"I thought you already gave him three."
"We did."
"And he still wanted another?" His voice rose slightly.
Aurora looked towards the fourth design. "Apparently."
Felix laughed.
"Well, I trust you'll do great."
"I will," she assured him.
"Good, that's my Rora." His voice was thick with warmth.
Aurora shook her head, even though he couldn't see her. "You're ridiculous."
"And yet you answered my call."
"Unfortunately."
"Liar."
She laughed.
For a few minutes, the conversation moved away from work. Felix told her about training, and Aurora listened while making a few notes on the fourth design.
Eventually, Felix said, "You truly should rest."
Aurora looked at the clock. "I'll try."
"You always say that."
"And you always call anyway."
"Fair point."
They ended the call a few minutes later.
Aurora placed her phone beside the laptop.
The smile that had bloomed on her face when he called lingered for a moment longer before her attention returned to the drawings.
She picked up the fourth concept.
"Alright." She studied it carefully. "Let's see what you think, Mr. Voss."
...
That evening, Mr Voss sat alone in his office.
The fourth concept had arrived on his desk.
He opened the file, and the first thing he noticed was the difference.
Aurora hadn't simply combined the three previous designs; she had improved them.
His eyes moved slowly across the architectural plans, taking in the altered structure and revised use of space.
He turned another page.
Then another.
A quiet smile appeared. She had understood the challenge. More importantly, she had refused to simply follow it.
Mr. Voss closed the file and leaned back.
For the first time since the project had begun, he found himself looking forward to the next meeting.
He picked up his phone.
"Move Monday's schedule."
His assistant's voice came through the line.
"Which meeting?"
"Ms King."
A brief pause filled the line.
"To what time?"
"Ten."
He ended the call.
To Lucian, the fourth design had answered one question.
But it had created another.
Just how far could Aurora King really go?