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Victoria gave her a knowing look.

Claire exhaled. “Maybe slightly.”

“You’re not in trouble.”

“Good.”

Victoria slid a folder across the desk. The Common Ground logo was printed across the front. The coffee shop rebrand Claire had helped develop during her first couple months at the agency.

“The owners are expanding,” Victoria said. “They’ve secured three additional locations for next year, and they want a complete launch campaign.”

Claire opened the folder. Inside were early projections, proposed neighborhoods, and notes from the client.

“That’s huge.”

“It could be.” Victoria folded her hands on the desk. “The original campaign performed well enough that they want us to handle the expansion. They’ve asked us to pitch the next phase.”

Claire looked up. “Okay.”

“I want you to lead it.”

For a second, Claire thought she had misunderstood. “The campaign?”

“The campaign and the presentation.”

“Me?”

Victoria smiled. “You developed the original brand strategy. You understand the client better than anyone on the team, and you’ve been doing the work for months. It’s time they saw that.”

Claire looked back at the folder. Her mind immediately began organizing ideas.

Local storytelling. Neighborhood-specific launches. A campaign that preserved the warmth of the original brand while allowing it to grow.

She could already picture the presentation.

Strangely, she did not think about how many nights she would have to stay late. She did not wonder whether Victoria had chosen the wrong person. She thought, I’m ready.

“When is the pitch?” Claire asked.

“Three weeks.”

She nodded. “I can do it.”

“I know.”

Victoria’s confidence settled something inside her.

She stood with the folder against her chest. When she stepped back into the main office, Avery was waiting beside her desk with an expression of exaggerated concern.

“Well?”

She set the folder down. “I’m leading the Common Ground expansion pitch.”

Avery’s face lit up. “Claire!”

Several people nearby looked over.

Claire laughed. “Quiet.”