“It’s perfectly okay, Mija.” Mia stepped forward with fearless confidence, undaunted by the roomful of powerful adults. She looked directly up at Alexander. “You look really grumpy and stressed today, Mr. Voss. Are you having a bad day? Maybe you need a hug.”
Several board members chuckled nervously. Alexander’s legendary reputation for ice-cold professionalism made the moment both terrifying and amusing.
“Mia, come back here right now,” Elena reached desperately for her daughter.
But Mia had already wandered closer to the holographic displays. “Wow, these pictures are actually floating in the air. Is this presentation about the Korean business deal? Because I happen to speak Korean fluently, along with Spanish, English, French, and Italian. Five languages total, and I’m working on Mandarin Chinese.”
The boardroom erupted in polite but condescending laughter. Board member Thomas Wellington slapped the mahogany table. “Five languages? That’s adorable. I can barely manage basic English on Monday mornings.”
Alexander forced a smile, though irritation flickered across his features. “That’s very creative, Mia. But the adults have important work to do.”