Stan stepped out of his apartment with loose, unhurried ease. He was hungry, but he simply wanted to eat, then spend an hour walking before the evening fully settled.
He had barely cleared the lobby when his phone buzzed in his pocket.
He pulled it out.
[Maya: I've sent you everything. Prospectus, financial projections, sourcing breakdown, manufacturing partner shortlist, the works. Take your time. Let me know what you think.]
He opened the files where he stood, leaning against one of the lobby's exterior columns as he scrolled through them.
The level of detail surpassed even his expectations.
Maya had clearly been working on this for weeks, possibly months, without telling anyone. Every projection was conservative. Every assumption was carefully footnoted. Every manufacturing partner came with supporting case studies, competitive analysis, and a well-reasoned explanation for why they had made the shortlist.
