Vanessa, who had been basking in the afterglow of their social triumph, turned pale as she caught the words. “What do you mean it’s been pulled? That’s impossible!” she exclaimed, her voice rising in panic.

The crowd, sensing the shift in atmosphere, began to hush, turning their attention to the unfolding drama. Richard’s face morphed from confusion to disbelief and then to rage.

“This is some kind of mistake,” Richard growled, snatching the tablet from the CFO’s trembling hands. His eyes scanned the screen, each line of code and error message confirming the nightmare that had descended upon them.

Vanessa tried to latch onto any shred of hope. “Call them back! Fix it, Richard! We can’t lose this deal!”