Page 11 of Billionaire Wolf Needs a Chef

The conference room was filled with the heads of various departments, marketing, sales, and R&D, all seated aroundthe long glass table. Cameron sat at the head, his expression unreadable as he flipped through the agenda. Brody gave me an encouraging nod from his seat, and I took a deep breath, stepping up to the front of the room.

"Good morning," I began, my voice steady despite the butterflies in my stomach. "I'm here to walk you through the new meal kit concepts we've been developing in the kitchen. These are designed to highlight fresh, bold flavors while maintaining the convenience our customers love."

I launched into my presentation, detailing the inspiration behind each kit, the ingredients we'd chosen, and the feedback we'd received during testing. As I spoke, I could see the team nodding along, their expressions shifting from curiosity to genuine interest.

"The Spicy Thai Nights kit," I said, holding up a sample, "features a coconut curry base with notes of lemongrass, ginger, and chili. It's designed to appeal to adventurous eaters while still being approachable for those new to Thai cuisine."

I handed out samples, watching as the team tasted the dish. The room filled with murmurs of approval, and even Cameron looked intrigued as he took a bite.

"The Tuscan Sunset," I continued, "now includes a white bean soup to accompany the pasta. We've also tweaked the sauce to bring out more depth of flavor, making it a richer, more satisfying option."

Finally, I introduced the Hearty Harvest kit, a vegetarian option featuring roasted vegetables and a tangy balsamic glaze. "This one's perfect for our health-conscious customers or anyone looking for a lighter, plant-based meal," I explained.

When I finished, the room erupted into applause. Brody was beaming, and even the usually stoic head of marketing looked impressed.

"These are fantastic, Ivy," he said, setting down his fork. "I can see these doing really well in the market."

"Agreed," the head of R&D chimed in. "The flavors are bold but balanced, and the additions like the soup really add value from the customer perspective."

I smiled, feeling a swell of pride. "Thank you. I couldn't have done it without the team's support."

My eyes flicked to Cameron, who was watching me with that same unreadable expression. He hadn't said a word since I'd started, and I braced myself for his critique.

"Ms. St. Clair," he began, his voice calm but commanding. The room fell silent, all eyes on him. "These concepts, are they scalable? Can we produce these at the volume we need without compromising quality?"

I nodded, ready for this question. "Absolutely. We've already run test batches with the production team, and they're confident we can meet demand. The ingredients are all readily available as well as interchangeable depending on seasonal availability, and we've streamlined the preparation process to ensure consistency."

Cameron leaned back in his chair, his gaze never leaving mine. "And the cost?"

"It's within the projected budget," I replied, pulling up a slide on the screen behind me. "The ribollita, for example, uses ingredients we already source, so the additional cost is minimal,and by adding a side dish, we can increase the price for the meal kit. The balsamic glaze in the Hearty Harvest kit is a premium item, but we've balanced it with more affordable produce."

For a moment, he said nothing, his sharp eyes scanning the data on the screen. Then, to my surprise, he gave a small nod. "Good. These are solid concepts."

The room seemed to exhale collectively, and I felt a flicker of relief. I had a feeling that this was as close to approval as I was likely to get from Cameron.

"Thank you, Mr. Fitzgerald," I said, trying to keep the triumph out of my voice.

He stood, his presence immediately commanding the room's attention. "We'll move forward with these kits for the conference. Ms. St. Clair, you'll accompany me to FoodieCon to present them."

The room held its breath.

Brody coughed into his fist.

My pulse hammered. "Just us?" I blinked. Despite being given a heads-up from Brody, I was still caught off guard. Surely, there would be an entire entourage going to the conference. It couldn't just be me and Cameron. "Me?"

His eyes darkened. "Problem, Ms. St. Clair?"

Yes. No. God, yes.

I forced a weak smile on my face. "No problem at all."

"Good," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "This is your vision. I want you there to explain it."

There was a murmur of agreement around the table, and I nodded, trying to hide my excitement. "Of course. I'll be ready."

He gave a curt nod before turning to the rest of the team. "Let's make this our best showing yet. Dismissed."

As the room cleared, I lingered for a moment, gathering my notes and trying to process what had just happened. Brody approached, clapping me on the shoulder.

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