Chapter 144

Madison

The room fell silent. I could feel the weight of their stares, a mixture of curiosity and what seemed like disbelief.

“Ms. Harper,” Victor continued, his tone neutral but with an undercurrent, I couldn’t quite place, “perhaps you’d like to share your background in real estate development with the team?”

I took a deep breath. “Thank you, Mr. Harmon. While my direct experience in real estate development is limited, I bring strong organizational skills and a fresh perspective to the table. I have worked closely with Mr. Knight on various projects.”

“Organizational skills?” Lucas Garcia interrupted, not bothering to hide his skepticism. “Ms. Harper, with all due respect, this is a huge development project in one of the most competitive real estate markets in the world. We need more than organizational skills at the helm.”

The room tensed. I felt heat rise to my cheeks, but I forced myself to maintain eye contact with him.

“Mr. Garcia,”