I take the head of the table, placing my laptop in front of me and connecting it to the screen. Jasper drops into the chair on my right. Jasmine sits beside him, already pulling out her tablet and stylus. Kayden chooses the seat on the left. The presentation appears on the screen.

“Let’s begin,” I begin. “As you’ve read, the report outlines our current position with allied companies. We are seeking additional capital injections for the next two quarters to expand our portfolio into mid scale tech and sustainable infrastructure.” I click to the next slide.

“Equinox Financial specializes in corporate investment structuring, risk assessment, and long term capital growth strategies. Our allies trust us to generate stable returns with controlled exposure. The issue is that our last two campaigns underperformed projections by three percent.”

Jasper leans forward, elbows on the table. Jasmine taps something on her tablet.

“The underperformance is largely due to conservative positioning,” I continue. “We prioritized stability over aggressive scaling.”

Jasper raises a hand casually. “To translate for my silent partner here,” he gestures toward Jasmine. “The data shows our audience engagement with sustainable tech is high, but our conversion rate from interest to committed capital is low. People like the idea. They hesitate at the numbers.” Jasmine nods once.

I turn to Kayden. “Thoughts?”

He doesn’t hesitate. “Your projections assume a uniform risk tolerance across all allied companies. That is inefficient.”

Jasper’s eyebrows lift. Kayden continues. “Instead of presenting one standardized investment package, you could segment your allies into tiers. High risk tolerance firms get access to early stage tech ventures with higher potential yield. Conservative firms receive structured bonds or blended portfolios tied to infrastructure. Same campaign theme. Different financial vehicles.”

Jasper slowly turns toward Jasmine. “That,” he says softly. “is actually good.” Jasmine writes on her tablet and rotates it toward me. Projected ROI increases by 6 to 9 percent if segmented.

I look back at Kayden. “And how would you address the trust gap? Our allies hesitate because the last quarter didn’t meet expectations.”

“Transparency,” he replies straight away. “Highlight the underperformance yourself. Frame it as strategic restraint during volatile market cycles. Then present this new tiered model as an adaptive response, not a correction. Investors prefer evolution over apology.”

I fold my hands on the table. “What about capital flow timing?”

Kayden’s eyes become perceptive, like he is enjoying this. “Stagger the investment windows. Instead of requesting full commitments upfront, allow phased entry. It reduces perceived risk while maintaining long term lock in.”

“Implementation?” I press.

“We adjust the presentation narrative,” he says. “Rebrand it as Strategic Adaptive Growth Initiative. Emphasize responsiveness to market conditions. Provide comparative charts showing potential returns under segmented models.” He pauses, then adds. “And I would recommend scheduling one on one follow up calls with top tier allies rather than a mass briefing. Personalized persuasion increases commitment probability.”

Jasper leans back in his chair and whistles. “Boss, I think the new recruit just increased our funding chances.” Jasmine gives a nod.

I allow myself a smile. “It appears so.”

Kayden meets my gaze and if I am reading it right…He isn’t trying to impress neither Jasper nor Jasmine. He is trying to impress me.

The discussion continues for another hour. We refine the tier system. Jasmine calculates projected yield differences under three market volatility scenarios while Jasper translates the numbers into digestible talking points for future presentations. Kayden suggests minor adjustments to liquidity buffers and proposes adding a comparative case study from a competitor firm to strengthen our persuasion angle. By the end of it, the original report looks almost outdated. I close my laptop.

“Good work,” I say, standing. “We will revise the strategy deck and restructure the proposal outline. Jasper, adjust the campaign narrative to align with the segmented model. Jasmine, rerun projections with phased capital entry included.” They both nod. Kayden gathers his notes.

As we step out of the conference room, Jasper and Jasmine trail behind us, already arguing among themselves about headline phrasing versus numerical emphasis. Jasmine…she hardly talks except for when she is with her brother and sometimes with me.

I slow my pace slightly so that Kayden walks beside me. “You did well,” I tell him.

He looks at me, surprised for a second. “Thank you.”

“Not many new recruits challenge structural assumptions on their first day.”

He gives a modest shrug. “It seemed inefficient not to.”

A faint smile tugs at my lips. “Add the points you mentioned to the main report. Expand on the tier segmentation, phased entry strategy, and the transparency framing. I want it documented properly.”

He nods. “Understood.”

“I will forward it to Alvin when you are finished with it,” I continue, “He should see how helpful you have been.”

“That would be appreciated,” he says.

I reach into my pocket for my phone. “Give me your number. I will send you the working draft.” My finger wraps around nothing. My pocket is empty. A familiar sigh escapes me as I turn around.

Jasper is a few steps behind, holding my phone high above his head like a trophy. “Looking for this?” he asks cheerfully.

“Jasper.”

“What? Need to check who you have been talking to” He winks. Jasmine nudges him, but he only grins wider. Before I can demand it back, Kayden pulls out his own phone and unlocks it.

“You can use mine,” he says, offering it to me.

I enter my number and call it. A second later, my ringtone echoes from my phone, Jasper quickly cuts it and walks right through me and Kayden.

“Give it back,” I say flatly.

“Nuh-uh! So you are finally talking with someone on Luvo, huh?” Jasper pivots and walks backward toward Jasmine. He cups her cheeks with both hands. “Oh my dear sister, I am so proud of our Mikey! He is finally taking baby steps and trying to find…” He forms a heart with his fingers and exaggerates each letter. “L-O-V-E.”

Jasmine swats his hands away and plucks my phone from his grip before he can scroll further. She hands it back to me without a word. My screen is still open to the message I sent last night.

He still hasn’t replied, must have thought of going down the stranger route. Good for me, I don’t have time for him.

I close the app, save Kayden’s number, and forward him the link of the report. “There,” I say. “Send me the revised section by tonight.”

He doesn’t reply. When I look at him, his eyes are strained on my phone, hardly moving but before I can ask what’s wrong, Jasper cuts in, “So. The person you are talking to is a guy, huh? What was his name again?” He pauses as if thinking hard, “Optimo, wasn’t it? Sounds mysterious, wouldn’t you say, Jaz?” She rolls her eyes. “What do you feel about that, Mikey?” Jasper presses.

I barely register what Jasper is saying. My attention drifts to Kayden instead. He has been quiet since the teasing started. His hands rest at his sides, fingers loosely curled, and his gaze lingers on my phone before shifting away. Is he uncomfortable?

“Am I supposed to feel anything?” I ask blandly.

“Of course,” Jasper insists. “Like your heartbeat racing. Pulse quickening. Fantasies. Something.”

“Well, I am getting a headache if that counts.”

Jasper groans. “Come on, Mikey. I have heard enough stories about you being confessed to by guys in high school. This is no different.”

“Have you read the messages sent between us?” I counter.

He gasps as if I have asked for a vital organ. “That is a crime and I am not a nosy person.”

Jasmine and I look at him in unison. He shrugs. I step forward and gently nudge Kayden’s arm. “Hey. You alright?”

“Yeah. Fine.” He looks up at me with a smile which is unlike every smile he has given me today. He moves ahead to join Jasper and Jasmine, who are now debating lunch options and arguing over whether to order in or go out. I slow my steps. My gaze drops to my phone again.

12:30 PM.

And no message from him.