Sophia's POV
The silence was deafening.
Fifteen pairs of eyes bore into me. The error message glowed mockingly on the screen behind me. Maria's smile gleamed in the front row like a blade catching light.
Think. Think. THINK.
And then, like a spark in darkness, it came to me.
Alfonso.
I took a deep breath and stepped away from the useless laptop. When I spoke, my voice was steadier than I expected.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to tell you a story."
Mr. Whitmore's eyebrows rose. "A story? Mrs. Romano, we came here for a presentation on pharmaceutical data, not—"
I held up my hand. "Give me five minutes. If you're not interested after that, I'll step aside."
He exchanged glances with the other investors, then shrugged. "Five minutes."
I walked to the center of the room, away fro
