Elara's fingers danced across her tablet, making final notes on YodaVision's latest proposal comparisons. The afternoon sunlight streamed through the office windows, casting long shadows across the conference table where she and Julian had been working for hours.
"The Thorne Industries proposal is solid," Julian admitted reluctantly. He tapped the edge of his coffee cup. "Their integration framework would complement our diagnostic algorithms better than most others we've seen."
Elara nodded without looking up. "Damien's team knows what they're doing. That's never been in question."
"Does it bother you?" Julian asked. "Working with his company?"
"No," Elara replied, her voice steady. "This is business. My personal history with Damien doesn't change the fact that his proposal makes technical sense."