The following morning, Lilah went to the factory. The manager, upon hearing that the supply issues were sorted, couldn't contain his excitement. Still, Lilah had one crucial stipulation. "Let's keep this between us for now," she insisted.

The manager, though taken aback, nodded in agreement.

Fast forward, and it was the eve of the exhibition. Anxiety clung to the air at the Phillips Group headquarters like a stubborn fog.

Nowhere was it denser than in the design department, where the pressure was tangible. The absence of a supplier left their showcase barren, the clock merciless as it ticked toward their deadline.

During the morning meeting, Howard and Alice stepped up, their patience fraying. Alice cut through Lilah's update with a pointed remark, "This isn't about the distant future. It's about whether Phillips Jewelry survives the present. You promised a solution to our supply problem, yet here we are, with the exhibition looming and nothing to show."

Howard piled on, his concern thinly veiling a challenge. “If the situation's beyond you, Miss Phillips, let's collaborate. There's no shame in admitting we need a united front."

Doubt cast shadows over the executives’ faces. They had reservations about Lilah's capacity to steer the ship, skepticism about her youth and her gender feeding their fears. Murmurs began to surface-was their exhibition doomed to be an industry punchline?

But Lilah stood firm, her voice a beacon cutting through the haze of uncertainty. “I've given my word, and I intend to keep it. The exhibition tomorrow will unfold without a hitch," she declared with a conviction that left little room for argument.

The conference room's atmosphere thickened with tension as Howard tried to mask his amusement with concern. “We're stranded without supplies, and the jewelry pieces? They're non-existent. How exactly is the exhibition supposed to be a success? Let's stick to reality here. Lance threw us a lifeline, and if we start production now, by tomorrow, we'll have something to show for it."

Heads bobbed in agreement around the room. “Right, the top priority is a successful design exhibition," they echoed, their voices blending into a unified chorus. “Miss Phillips, we understand your reluctance to deal with Lance, but currently, we have no other option."

Alice pitched in with a whisper sharp enough to cut the heavy air, “Nobody wanted this mess. But some folks, once they get power, it's all talk and no show."

Emma frowned, witnessing the barely veiled scorn directed at the CEQ.

It seemed open season for mockery.

Lilah countered the rising panic, her voice cool as steel. "Why the rush to judgment before the curtain's even raised? Are you all so keen to bow down to Lance? Or perhaps, some of you are already dancing to his tune?"

Her gaze swept across Howard and Alice, who felt a shiver of unease.

Howard forced a smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. “Miss Phillips, we're merely worried about the company's future. Without collaboration with Lance, we need alternatives!"

Alice, less tactful, snapped back, “Lance's help was our hard-earned solution. If you dismiss it, so be it. But casting aspersions on us is unfair."

Lilah's reply cut through the tension like a knife. "Enough. The subject of Lance is closed for discussion."

Her command silenced the room, but the meeting ended with an acrid aftertaste.

As the executives dispersed, whispers snaked through the staff of the company, spreading a narrative that Lilah's pride was the sole barrier to the company's success. Alice watched the rumors take hold, a smug sense of victory settling in her heart. She was certain that by the following day, Lilah's days as CEO would be numbered.

While she was looking forward to Lilah's failure, a call from Howard broke the silence.

"Something's off, don't you think?" Howard's voice carried a mix of suspicion and intrigue. "Lilah seems too calm, considering the design exhibition is her top priority."

Alice paused, turning the thought over in her mind. “She's got no inventory to showcase. What's she going to do, cancel the whole thing?"

“We'd know by now if she was going to cancel. She can't just pull the plug this late in the day. I have a hunch she's found a supplier.