Chapter 105
Chapter 105:
Brinley lifted her gaze and met Colin’s eyes, her tone steady but edged with resolve. “Mr. Palmer, a racing project can’t be judged by budget alone. Every fraction of added safety could mean the difference between life and death in a crisis p>
With a few clicks, she brought a chart up on the screen and continued, “Here are last year’s global racetrack accident statistics. Nearly eighty percent of severe crashes happened in that twenty percent safety gap p>
Grayson leaned forward at once, his voice firm. “Mrs. Moore makes an excellent point. Safety is the line that can never be crossed in racing p>
What followed turned into a sharp exchange between Brinley and Colin. He dismissed her operational model as overly idealistic, and she countered with precise customer-flow projections. She exposed hidden flaws in his drainage design, while he fired back with supplemental test data to defend it.
Austin sat in the rear seats, quietly observing the clash unfolding onstage. His hand tightened around his cup, and a shadow of displeasure lingered across his face.
He caught the way Brinley’s fingers tapped against the table whenever she gathered her thoughts—a small, unconscious rhythm that betrayed her nerves. Colin, meanwhile, couldn’t help flicking his gaze toward her before every rebuttal, his eyes carrying emotions too tangled to decipher.
When the judges moved into the final voting stage, the hall grew so still that the scratch of pens against paper cut through the silence.
𝘞h𝘢𝘁 e𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺o𝗻e і𝗌 𝗋𝘦a𝖽𝗶𝘯𝗴 𝗈ո.с𝗼𝘮
One by one, the seven judges recorded their scores. By the time the staff began tallying them, cold sweat had already traced down Brinley’s back.
Colin leaned slightly toward her, his voice low enough for only her to hear. “I’m confident this project is mine p>
Brinley kept her eyes on the sunlight streaming through the window. “Shut up p>
The host broke the seal on the last envelope, and the room erupted in gasps of surprise.
Brinley’s total came to 92.5—narrowly beating Colin’s 92. It came down to half a point, the thinnest margin possible.
“According to the scoring rules, safety weighed heavier than cost control. By the slimmest of margins, VantagePath Realty takes the win!” the host declared.
The hall burst into thunderous applause, the sound crashing over Brinley like a wave. For a heartbeat, she stood frozen, unable to process it.
Corbin wrapped her in a jubilant hug, practically bouncing with unrestrained joy. Brinley, however, felt as if her strength had drained away, her gaze drifting instinctively toward the judges’ table.
Across the sea of people, Austin’s eyes found hers. He smiled warmly, his expression carrying a tenderness that seemed to spill beyond words.
When she stepped down from the stage, Colin waited at the bottom of the stairs.
His suit was creased, his tie askew, and the polish he always carried had completely unraveled.
“Half a point,” he muttered, tugging at the corner of his lips as though forcing a smile.
“Mr. Palmer,” Brinley said softly, her eyes cool as they met his. “Your proposal was indeed meticulous. Unfortunately p>
“Unfortunately, I don’t really understand racing.” His voice broke as he cut in, the dimness in his eyes betraying quiet defeat. “I thought commercial benefits were what mattered, but I forgot—the heart of this project is the track itself. Now I understand why we broke up. When I thought stability was enough, I lost sight of what truly matters. From the very start, love only survives on sincerity and honesty p>
The words struck Brinley like a sudden blow, and her expression frosted over.
Colin continued, “Brinley, we p>