move forward

TRISTIN'S POV

"Those are good suggestions, Aaron," I said, keeping my tone neutral. "But we should also consider our budget and ensure we’re not spreading ourselves too thin. We need a balanced approach."

"Of course, Tristin," Aaron replied smoothly, not missing a beat. "I’m confident we can make it work within our budget. We just need to be strategic about it."

Sophie glanced at me, sensing my annoyance. "Tristin, Aaron’s ideas could really boost our launch. Maybe we can discuss this in more detail back at the office?"

I nodded, trying to hide my irritation. "Sure, that sounds good."

The rest of the lunch continued in a similar vein, with Aaron effortlessly charming his way through the conversation. Every time he praised Sophie or Eva, I felt a twinge of jealousy. It didn’t help that they seemed to genuinely appreciate his input.

As we wrapped up and headed back to the office, Aaron walked ahead with Sophie and Eva, leaving me trailing slightly behind. I took a deep breath, trying to