My Coldhearted Husband'S Regret novel Chapter 37

37 An Explosive Welcome

37 An Explosive Welcome

Julian Croft stood at the front of the conference room, surveying the gathered employees with a confident smile. His hand rested lightly on Elara’s shoulder as he prepared to make the introduction. O

“Everyone, I’d like you to meet Elara Vance. She’s joining us as our new Head of AI Development,” Julian announced, his voice carrying clearly across the room.

Elara smiled politely as curious gazes settled on her. Some faces showed genuine interest, others skepticism, and a few displayed outright hostility.

“Elara was actually one of YodaVision’s original founders,” Julian continued. “She’s returning to lead our most ambitious project to date.”

Before Julian could elaborate further, a sharp voice cut through the murmurs.

“Did I hear correctly?” Quentin Yallop strode into the conference room, his expression thunderous. “Vivienne Dubois was fired for her?”

The room fell silent. All eyes darted between Quentin, Julian, and Elara.

Julian’s smile tightened. “Quentin, this isn’t the appropriate time—”

“When is the appropriate time to discuss nepotism, Julian?” Quentin’s voice dripped with disdain. He turned to address the room. “Vivienne Dubois has a doctorate from MIT. She graduated top of her class at Stanford before that. She’s published in every major tech journal.”

He gestured dismissively toward Elara. “And what are your credentials, Ms. Vance? Besides being Julian’s good friend, of course.”

The air in the conference room grew heavy with tension. Several employees shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

Julian stepped forward, his patience visibly fraying. “Quentin, that’s enough. Elara’s qualifications are exceptional. I won’t have you-”

“I saw you two hugging in the lobby,” Quentin interrupted, his voice rising. “Very

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professional. Tell me, did you even interview anyone else for this position?”

Elara remained surprisingly calm, her posture straight as she faced Quentin directly. “Mr. Yallop, I understand your concerns-”

“Do you have a doctorate, Ms. Vance?” Quentin demanded, cutting her off.

A brief hesitation. “I haven’t passed my doctoral examination yet.”

Quentin let out a derisive laugh. “Of course not. You look barely old enough to have finished undergraduate studies. Let me guess-you’re what, twenty-five? Twenty-six?”

“I’m thirty-two,” Elara replied evenly.

“Quentin!” Julian’s voice hardened. “That’s completely inappropriate.”

“What’s inappropriate is hiring someone based on their looks or personal connections rather than their qualifications,” Quentin shot back. He turned to address the room again. “Is this what YodaVision has come to? Passing over genuine talent like Vivienne Dubois for-”

“That’s enough!” Julian’s voice cracked like a whip. “Elara Vance helped create the algorithms that form the backbone of our entire operation. She’s forgotten more about Al development than most people in this industry will ever know.”

Quentin scoffed. “Pretty words for a pretty face. Tell me, Julian, is she warming your bed too? Is that why-”

“Quentin!” The HR director finally intervened, her face pale with shock. “This is grounds for immediate disciplinary action.”

Quentin ignored her, his eyes locked on Elara. “You won’t last a week here. People like you-trading on connections rather than competence-never do.”

Elara finally spoke, her voice quiet but steady. “You seem to have a very high opinion of Vivienne Dubois, Mr. Yallop.”

“Because she earned it,” he snapped. “Unlike some people, she doesn’t need to rely on personal favors.”

Julian stepped between them, “Quentin, I’m warning you-”

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37 An Explosive Welcome

“No, I’m warning you,” Quentin retorted. “YodaVision deserves better leadership than this.” He yanked his employee badge from his jacket pocket and slammed it onto the conference table. “I quit. I refuse to work for a company with such poor judgment.””

Gasps echoed around the room. The HR director moved forward, her hand outstretched. “Quentin, please, let’s discuss this in private-”

“There’s nothing to discuss.” Quentin straightened his tie and looked directly at Julian. “Your personal feelings have clouded your professional judgment, Julian. Good luck explaining to the board why you chose personal loyalty over actual talent.”

With those parting words, Quentin turned and strode toward the door. Julian called after him, “Quentin, don’t do this. Your career-”

“My career will be fine,” Quentin replied without turning around. “I wonder if you’ll be able to say the same after this mistake becomes apparent.”

The door slammed behind him, leaving the conference room in stunned silence. Every pair of eyes turned to Elara, who stood rigid beside Julian, her face a careful mask that revealed nothing of the turmoil she must be feeling.

Julian cleared his throat, attempting to regain control of the situation. “Well… that was unfortunate. But let’s not allow one person’s unprofessional behavior to derail our meeting.”

Elara touched Julian’s arm gently. “Perhaps I should say something.”

Julian hesitated, then nodded, stepping back to give her the floor.

Elara faced the room, her gaze steady as she took in the mixture of shocked, curious, and skeptical expressions before her.

“I understand Mr. Yallop’s concerns,” she began, her voice clear and measured. “It’s natural to question a new hire’s qualifications, especially when someone you respected was passed over.”

She paused, allowing her words to sink in.

“I won’t stand here and list my achievements or try to convince you of my worth. That would only validate the suggestion that I don’t belong here.” Elara straightened her

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37 An Explosive Welcome

shoulders. “Instead, I’ll let my work speak for itself. Judge me by what I accomplish, not by rumors or assumptions.”

A few heads nodded around the room. One brave soul even offered a small smile of

encouragement.

“I know what it’s like to be underestimated,” Elara continued. “To have people look at you and see only what they expect to see. I promise you this-I will never

underestimate any of you. I will listen to your ideas, respect your expertise, and work alongside you, not above you.”

The tension in the room noticeably eased. Several employees exchanged glances, reassessing their initial impressions.

Julian stepped forward again, relief evident in his expression. “Thank you, Elara. Now, if we could return to our agenda-”

But before he could continue, the conference room door burst open again. A young intern stood there, breathless and wide-eyed.

“Mr. Croft, I’m sorry to interrupt, but… Quentin Yallop is in the lobby, talking to reporters from Tech Insider. He’s making some serious allegations about company hiring practices and… and he mentioned Ms. Vance specifically.”

The momentary calm evaporated. Julian’s face darkened with anger. “What did he=”

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