We weren't told the results when we left the room—no one ever is—but the energy in Gray & Milton's camp was unmistakable. Relief. Quiet confidence. The kind of collective exhale that only comes after months of pressure and twenty minutes of answering for every decision you've made.
But the day didn't stop because we walked out.
Presentations ran back-to-back with twenty minutes in between. Companies rotated in and out like a moving puzzle, suits passing suits, nerves brushing against nerves. By the time we settled into the waiting lounge again, five more teams had already gone in.
Moreau Dynamics was called seventh.
Everyone looked up when their name echoed through the hallway. A quiet shift—a recognition that one of the biggest players was stepping onto the floor.
Their proposal was strong. It should have been unbeatable.
But Lucien had torpedoed that future long before today.
