Narri clicked into the shared doc, posture pristine, her low bun still smooth even after three hours of back-to-back numbers.
“Based on our current pipeline and adjusted metrics from DevOps, we should meet our user cap by the end of May, assuming QA hits their sprint targets on time. That gives us a two-week cushion ahead of the launch.” She tapped her stylus against her tablet. “Retention is our next battleground.”
“Conversion rate’s solid,” Malik chimed in. “But we’re still losing them in that second week lull.”
“That’s where Aderra Academy comes in,” Harlan added from Sabine’s right. “Tutorials, walkthroughs, first-week livesupport. They sign on because it’s innovative. They stay if we teach them how to make it indispensable.”
Everyone nodded. Sabine stole a glance across the table. Harlan didn’t just speak with authority, he spoke with care. Like everything tied back to people, not just profit and lately, it was hard not to notice how often he looked at her after he made a point. Like he wanted her reaction before anyone else's.
Narri clocked it too. She didn’t say anything, not out loud. Just lifted one brow in that knowing way of hers and bit the inside of her cheek like she was fighting a grin.
Harlan tapped his pen lightly, drawing her back. “If we get marketing those beta test testimonials by Friday, the campaign can pivot in real time with the launch.”
“Already on it,” Malik confirmed. “But I need a final call on rollout tiers. One platform first, or simultaneous push across mobile and web?”
Sabine glanced around the room. The team was locked in. Tired, yes but this was the good kind. The kind of tired that came with building something that could actually last. That mattered.
“Web and mobile together,” she said. “We’ve kept our test subjects in the loop this whole time. We don’t start staggering now. We go bold.”
That earned a few quiet “mmm’s” and nods. Even Harlan gave a low approving hum. Sabine sat back for a moment, watching the flow of the room.
Aderra wasn’t a dream anymore—it was a whole damn movement. She saw it in Narri’s sparkle that came back with every day she showed up for work, Malik’s tapped-in brilliance, the young engineer across the table bouncing his leg in excitement. She saw it in herself too. The woman she was now. Not just Adair’s ex or Ade’s mom or the dependable team lead.
She was building something.
Something hers.
Malik shuffled some notes, then glanced between her and Harlan again. “Y’all make a good team,” he said casually, but the skepticism behind his eyes was anything but light. “This rollout’s gonna be smooth with both of you leading.”
Sabine looked up slowly. Harlan didn’t say anything, just leaned back in his chair, hands folded, giving her space to respond. “Thanks,” she said, tone even. “We’re aligned on the vision.”
Narri blinked slowly, then smirked behind her water bottle.
“Alright, let’s wrap this up for the day,” Sabine announced. She let the meeting fade into chatter as people began to gather their things and unplug their laptops but her eyes stayed on Malik for a second longer because what he said wasn’t just about teamwork.
He saw it too—Harlan’sobviousadmiration for her.
As everyone started gathering their tablets and empty cups, Narri leaned over and whispered, “You want me to wait for you?”
Sabine shook her head gently, already distracted by the five Slack notifications lighting up her screen. “No, that’s okay, I’m good. Go ahead. I’ll be a while.”
“You sure?” Narri asked, giving her a subtle look that read like code. The one that asked, you need backup?
“I’m sure,” Sabine said with a small smile. “Thanks though.”
Narri gave a little nod and headed out with the rest of the team. Sabine waited until the room cleared, then stood and walked slowly back to her office, the hallway quieter now that the day was winding down. She shut the door behind her, breathing out.
The meeting had been productive, but the quiet now was much appreciated. She barely had time to sit before there was a knock and then the door opened anyway. Malik stepped inside and closed it behind him.
“You need something?” she asked, and he didn’t answer at first. Just stood there, hands in his pockets, expression unreadable.
“So, how was your date?”
“What date? What are you talking about?”
Malik arched a brow, too smug for her taste. “People talk, Sabine. I know you went out with Harlan.”
“Then you should also know that’s my business and none of yours.”