Chapter 251 The Next Phase
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Alfred shook his head, not buying into Arabella’s modest take. “Don’t sell yourself short. You’ve gotten really good–honestly.”
At the very least, she was already performing solidly for someone at her stage in the training program.
Arabella glanced at him, a hint of curiosity in her eyes. “You sound like you know what you’re talking about, Alfred.”
At first she’d thought he was just being supportive, but now it seemed like he actually knew what to look for.
“Well…” Alfred hesitated briefly, then said, “Let’s just say I’ve picked up a thing or two watching and practicing alongside you these past few days.”
“But seriously,” Arabella remarked, “you seem like a natural at this. How did you improve so fast?”
Alfred kept his expression neutral. It wasn’t natural talent–it was experience. But of course, he couldn’t tell her that. If she found out he was already a licensed pilot, she might not want him tagging along anymore, and he didn’t like the idea of her going to Lucas‘ place alone.
As they talked, the two pulled up to Lucas‘ house in a quiet suburban neighborhood.
“Hey, you made it,” Lucas greeted them at the door, his tone upbeat.
“Yeah,” Arabella replied, getting straight to the point. “Ready when you are.”
She wanted to wrap up the session efficiently–she still had that proposal to review back home.
“All right, come on in,” Lucas said, leading them down the hall to his home office.
Once Arabella took her seat, Lucas moved to sit beside her, but Alfred stepped in. “Why don’t you sit here next to me? I’ve got a couple questions from last time.”
Though visibly reluctant, Lucas agreed. “Sure, that works.”
He shot a quick, slightly disappointed look toward Arabella before settling into the chair beside Alfred.
“Let’s get started,” Lucas said, shifting into instructor mode. “If anything’s unclear during the drill, just ask.”
“Got it,” Arabella said, already focusing on the flight simulator in front of her.
Alfred followed suit, maintaining the pretense of a trainee. He had to keep up appearances if he wanted to stay included.
“Good, yes–right there. Nice adjustment,” Lucas commented as he watched Arabella’s screen.
Hearing the praise, Alfred chimed in, “So she’s doing pretty well now, huh?”
“Definitely,” Lucas admitted. “Arabella’s one of the quickest learners I’ve trained.”
“Does that mean she can move on to the next module?” Alfred pressed.
Lucas‘ expression tightened slightly. The next module…
“Why, is she not ready?” Alfred asked, catching his hesitation.
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Chapter 251 The Next Phase
From what he could tell, Arabella was more than prepared to advance.
“No, she is,” Lucas conceded, though it clearly pained him. “Her skills meet the criteria for the next phase.”
“Really?” Arabella sounded pleasantly surprised. She’d thought she’d need more time.
“But,” Lucas continued, “to advance, you’ll have to complete the remaining training at the flight school.”
That meant she wouldn’t be coming to his house anymore. The thought left a dull, empty feeling in his chest.
“I see,” Arabella said after a moment’s thought. “Then I’ll go back to the school for the next part.”
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Running into Naomi and Ruby wasn’t ideal, but graduating and earning her pilot’s license mattered more than avoiding them.
“Also,” Lucas added, “before moving forward, you’ll need to pass the simulator assessment for this stage.”
“What’s involved in that?” Arabella asked.
Lucas gestured toward the simulator console. “A formal evaluation on this equipment. Pass it, and you’re cleared for the next
module.”
Arabella nodded. “If it’s just like what we’ve been doing, I should be fine.”
“Your performance has been consistently strong,” Lucas agreed.
“In that case, could you schedule the assessment for me?” she asked.
“I’ll set it up through the school,” Lucas promised.
“Thanks,” Arabella said.
“Part of the job,” he replied. “I’ll let you know once it’s booked. Until then, try to come in daily to practice–helps ensure you pass on the first try.”
“Will do,” Arabella agreed.
With that settled, she turned her attention back to the simulator, diving into practice for the upcoming assessment.
Over the following days, Arabella split her time between practice sessions at Lucas‘ place and fine–tuning her proposal at home.
Finally, the proposal was ready.
“Ethan, here’s the revised version,” Arabella said, handing over the updated document.
After reading through it, Ethan was impressed. “This is excellent. The updates add a lot of depth, and they really streamline the timeline for getting the production facility up and running.”
“With Matthew’s investment, we can bypass a lot of the early–stage hurdles,” she explained That’s why she’d felt confident drafting a more accelerated plan.
Ethan nodded. “Exactly. This approach maximizes the facility’s potential from day one.”
“Since you approve, I’ll take it to Matthew for his review. If he’s on board, we can move forward with the investment agreement,” Arabella said.
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Chapter 251 The Next Phase
“Sounds good,” Ethan replied, then paused. “Want me to come with you?”
“No need. You’ve got plenty to handle at the facility. I can manage this meeting,” she assured him with a smile.
“All right,” Ethan said. “I’ll head over to the site then. Call me if anything comes up.”
“Will do.”
They left the house in Cloudrise Manor and went their separate ways.
Proposal in hand, Arabella made her way toward Horizon Corp.
Walking up to the front desk in the sleek downtown lobby, she said, “Hi, I’m here to see Mr. Stewart.”
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