Breathe
by;michimichiro
Chapter 26
The hall was bustling with the dull roar of hundreds of voices engaged in networking and small talk as the business conference drew to a close. I stepped out into the corridor, finding a momentary respite from the cacophony. As an executive at my real estate empire, these types of events were just part of the job, but they never ceased to drain me.
I leant back against the wall, pulling out my phone to scroll through my emails with a weary sigh. My heels had been pinching my feet all day, and I longed to kick them off. That's when I noticed a figure approach me out of the corner of my eye.
"Excuse me, Ms. Parker?"
I glanced up to see a young woman looking at me with unmistakable awe. She was impeccably dressed in a navy blue skirt suit, her dark hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail. Everything about her screamed old money affluence.
"Yes?" I replied, putting on my best polished professional demeanour.
"I'm Sarah Brielle," she said, extending a perfectly manicured hand. "From the Brielle Industry Group here in Zurich. It's such an honour to meet you."
I shook her hand out of courtesy, though I had no idea who this Brielle woman was. Perhaps a lesser-known subsidiary? "Likewise, Ms. Brielle."
"Oh, please, call me Sarah," she said with a warm smile that crinkled the corners of her eyes. "I'm a huge fan of your work. The Parker Towers project you spearheaded in Dubai is iconic."
A fan? Of my real estate development work? This was new territory for me.
I couldn't help but let a small smirk twitch at the corner of my mouth. "You're too kind. Though I can't take all the credit, it was very much a team effort."
"Ever so modest!" Sarah laughed in a bright, tinkling way. Her eyes laughed too, sparkling with unbridled enthusiasm. "I made it a point to attend this conference when I saw you were on the speakers list. I simply had to meet the person behind the Parker Towers."
She knew her stuff; I'd give her that. The Parker was the crowning jewel in the Parker portfolio, an ultra-luxury residential building in Mumbai that catered to billionaires. I felt a slight flush creep up my neck at her admiration.
Before I could respond, Sarah continued, "You're something of an inspiration to me, you know. As a young woman trying to make it in the cutthroat world of industry..." She gave a self-deprecating chuckle and waved a hand through the air. "Well, let's just say female role models like yourself are few and far between."
For some reason, her slight awkwardness only made her seem more endearing to me. There was an authenticity there, a lack of pretense. She wasn't just some wide-eyed sycophant; she genuinely looked up to me. It was...flattering. Unexpected, but flattering.
I found myself reverting to my signature professionalism as a reflex. Tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear, I said, "Thank you, Sarah. And I certainly know how challenging it can be for women in this industry. We have to work twice as hard to get half the respect, don't we?"
She nodded adamantly. "Precisely! But you, Ms. Parker—sorry, Eli—you make it look effortless."
The sound of my first name coming from her lips with such casual ease caught me off guard. We hardly knew each other, and yet she made me feel as if we were old friends.
"Please, call me Eli," I heard myself saying before I could think better of it. I never allowed business associates to address me so informally. What was it about this woman that had me dropping my decorum?
