"I'd rather be stabbed repeatedly with a rusty spork than write another business case," Emma Carter declared, spinning around in her office chair until centrifugal force nearly sent her crashing into the wall of the small conference room they'd commandeered two floors above Tom's basement command center.
Sophia Chen looked up from her laptop, arching one perfectly shaped eyebrow. "I believe that's verbatim dialogue from Deadpool 2. The scene where he's complaining about franchise paperwork."
Emma stopped spinning and grinned. "Close enough. I'm adapting it for corporate use." She stretched her arms overhead in a perfect ballerina position, her body instinctively remembering the form from her weekend classes. "But seriously, has anyone in the history of business ever read an entire business case? Or do they just skip to the financials, make a gut decision, and then pretend they carefully considered all forty-seven pages?"
"Forty-seven is oddly specific," Sophia noted, tapping her pen against the legal pad where she'd been scribbling notes. The page was already filled with arrows, circles, and phrases like "ROI TIMELINE???" and "FIND BETTER METAPHOR THAN PLUMBING."
"It's the exact number of pages in the last business case I wrote," Emma said. "For that client billing portal that got shelved because Richard said it would 'upset the natural order of our client relationships.'" She made exaggerated air quotes. "It took me three weekends to write that thing. THREE WEEKENDS!"
"Well, this one can't get shelved," Sophia said grimly. "We've got twenty-four days until Hamilton Holdings walks, and Sarah needs to present our business case to the board on Friday."
"That's forty-eight hours from now," Emma groaned, spinning her chair again. "It's impossible. There's no way—"
"And that," said a deep voice from the doorway, "is why I brought reinforcements."
Both women turned to see Tom Bennett standing there, holding a bakery box in one hand and a thick folder in the other. Behind him stood Oliver Grant from HR, carrying what appeared to be an antique slide projector.
"Is that a bundt cake?" Sophia asked, zeroing in on the bakery box with laser-like focus.
"It is," Tom confirmed, setting it on the conference table. "Lemon with poppy seeds. I was informed by Lisa that it's your favorite, and that you refuse to bake or eat cakes in any other shape."
"That's accurate information," Sophia said, already reaching for the box. "The bundt is the perfect cake delivery system. Maximum crust-to-interior ratio, optimal icing distribution potential, and a structural integrity that other cake forms can only dream of achieving."
Emma rolled her eyes. "She once gave a thirty-minute presentation to the marketing department on bundt cake superiority. There were slides. And a taste test. The pound cake people still haven't forgiven her."
"I stand by my research," Sophia said, carefully cutting a slice. "Methodology was sound, conclusions were valid."
Tom set the folder on the table. "I've been collecting business case examples from successful data integration projects across various industries. Some succeeded, some failed. The commonalities might be useful."
Oliver stepped forward. "And I've brought some insights on partner psychology that might help tailor your messaging."
Emma glanced at the ancient slide projector. "Are we going retro for this presentation? Because I'm not sure the boardroom has a screen for that dinosaur anymore."
Oliver patted the projector affectionately. "This isn't for your presentation. This is a visual metaphor I use when helping people understand resistance to change. Works better than PowerPoint."
"We've got two days to create a compelling business case that will convince a room full of senior partners—most of whom think 'the cloud' is still something that makes rain—to invest significant resources into a data integration project that will fundamentally change how they work," Sophia summarized, licking icing from her finger. "While also convincing them it can be done in time to save our largest client. No pressure."
"Deadpool would just show them what happens if they don't do it," Emma muttered. "Quick, graphic, effective."
"Unfortunately, dismemberment is frowned upon in business presentations," Tom noted dryly.
Emma narrowed her eyes at him. "Was that... a joke, Tom Bennett? Did you just make a joke?"
Tom's expression remained impassive. "I have a wide range of communication tools at my disposal. Humor is occasionally one of them."
Sophia burst out laughing. "Oh, I'm using that line in the business case. 'A wide range of communication tools at our disposal.' Classic consultant speak."
Tom, ignoring her, unfolded a piece of paper from his pocket. "Sarah needs the business case by Thursday evening. The board meets Friday at 10 AM. Oliver and I will help where we can, but we're also needed on the technical side. Jake and Lisa have made progress on the architecture, but we need to ensure it can be implemented within our timeline."
Emma groaned again. "So it's just me and Sophia trying to translate techno-nerd-speak into partner-friendly business jargon?"
"Think of it as an exercise in code-switching," Oliver suggested. "You're translating between two different languages—technical and financial."
"I'd rather pirouette my way through broken glass," Emma declared, executing a perfect spin in her office chair for emphasis.
Tom consulted his watch. "I have meetings for the next three hours, but I'll check in afterward. Oliver will stay to help you get started."
After Tom left, Oliver began setting up his ancient projector. "Before we dive into the actual business case, I think it might be helpful to understand what we're really up against."
"Partners who think Excel is cutting-edge technology?" Sophia suggested, cutting another slice of cake.
"Sixty years of accumulated organizational scar tissue," Oliver corrected, threading the film reel into the projector. "Every business case you've ever seen fail has created a layer of defensive reasoning in the partners' minds."
He flicked a switch, and a beam of light shot onto the blank wall. The first slide showed a simple diagram: a circle labeled "Current State" with arrows pointing to a square labeled "Desired State."
"This is how most business cases present change," Oliver explained. "A nice, clean, linear progression from what is to what could be."
He advanced to the next slide, which showed the same diagram but with a tangled mess of lines and obstacles between the circle and square.
"This is reality," he said. "The path between current state and desired state is filled with psychological barriers, hidden agendas, past failures, ego protection, and fear."
"That's cheerful," Emma muttered.
"But accurate," Sophia said thoughtfully. "Edward Pembroke isn't just evaluating a data integration project. He's wrestling with thirty years of IT promises that didn't deliver, terrified of being the partner who backed a multi-million-pound failure."
Oliver nodded, advancing to the next slide, which showed a complex diagram of interconnected circles. "Each partner carries their own mental model of how the firm works. When you present a business case, you're not just presenting numbers and logistics—you're challenging deeply held beliefs about how things should work."
"So we need to create a business case that somehow addresses decades of accumulated psychological trauma?" Emma asked incredulously. "I'm a business analyst, not a therapist!"
"Actually," Oliver said with a smile, "you're both. Every good business case is part analysis, part therapy. You're not just proposing a solution—you're helping the decision-makers work through their anxieties about change."
Emma and Sophia exchanged glances.
"Well," Sophia said, brushing cake crumbs from her fingers, "we're definitely screwed."
Three hours later, their conference room looked like a crime scene. Sticky notes covered every inch of the wall. Flipchart paper was taped to the windows, covered in scribbles and diagrams. Six empty coffee cups sat on the table alongside the demolished remains of the bundt cake.
Emma stood in the middle of the chaos, arms crossed, staring at the wall of stickies. She'd pulled her hair into a messy bun secured with two pencils, a sure sign she was deep in concentration mode.
"Okay, let's review what we know," she said, pacing in front of the wall. "The technical team has created a brilliant architectural solution that will solve our data silo problems without requiring anyone to completely abandon their existing systems."
"Correct," Sophia confirmed, adding another sticky note to the wall. "It's the data embassy approach. Each department keeps their own database but contributes to and benefits from a central client data service."
"And this can be built in phases, with the first phase delivering immediate value within twenty-four days?"
"In theory, yes," Sophia said, chewing on the end of her pen. "The first phase would focus specifically on client profitability data, which is what Hamilton Holdings cares about most."
"But—and this is the big but—we need significant resources allocated immediately, and we need cooperation from every department, including the ones who traditionally hoard their data like dragons on a gold pile," Emma added.
"Richard," they both said simultaneously.
"The problem," Emma continued, resuming her pacing, "is that the partners won't understand the technical architecture. They won't care about message buses or adapters or data lineage. They care about numbers." She spun around suddenly, nearly knocking over a chair. "Wait, did you say Hamilton Holdings cares most about client profitability data?"
Sophia nodded. "According to Sarah's briefing, yes. They switched to TaxWise because their system gives them real-time insights into which services are most profitable for each client."
Emma's face lit up. "That's it! That's our angle!" She grabbed a marker and began drawing frantically on a blank flipchart. "We don't need to explain the whole architecture. We just need to explain how the first phase will deliver what Hamilton Holdings wants."
"But to do that properly, we'd need to know exactly how much revenue and profit we generate from Hamilton Holdings," Sophia pointed out. "And that information is—"
"Trapped in seventeen different systems that don't talk to each other," Emma finished, her enthusiasm deflating. "Which is exactly the problem we're trying to solve."
The door opened, and Lisa poked her head in. "You two look like you're planning a bank heist or having simultaneous hot flashes."
"Both, actually," Emma replied without missing a beat. "The bank heist is against Richard's data fortress, and the hot flashes are courtesy of trying to explain technical architecture to men who still print their emails."
"I'm only twenty-eight, but this project has accelerated me straight into menopause," Emma added dramatically. "I think I saw three gray hairs this morning."
Lisa stepped fully into the room, followed by Jake, who was carrying what appeared to be printouts of database schemas.
"We thought you might need some technical details for your business case," Jake explained, his energy somehow even more palpable than usual. "So we brought the complete architecture diagrams, data flow mappings, and a mock-up of what the client profitability dashboard could look like!"
Emma and Sophia exchanged looks of horror.
"Jake," Sophia said gently, "the partners do not want to see database schemas."
"But they're so elegant!" Jake protested. "Look at how we've normalized the—"
"No," all three women said in unison.
Jake's face fell slightly, but he rallied quickly. "Okay, fair point. But what about the dashboard mock-ups? Those are very businessy."
"Actually," Emma said, taking the dashboard printouts, "these might be useful. We could simplify them even further, but showing what the partners could actually see and use is smart."
Lisa nodded approvingly. "That's why we brought them. We figured you'd need something tangible."
Sophia studied the mock-ups. "These are good, but we need to pair them with actual financial projections. How much revenue is at risk if Hamilton Holdings leaves? How much would it cost to build this? What's the ROI timeline?"
"That's where we're stuck," Emma admitted. "To make a compelling financial case, we need data that's currently spread across multiple departments and systems. It's a catch-22. We need the integrated data to make the case for... integrating the data."
Lisa and Jake exchanged glances.
"What if," Jake said slowly, his eyes lighting up with the familiar spark of an idea forming, "we created a limited proof-of-concept just for the business case? We could manually extract the Hamilton Holdings data from the key systems, just enough to show the financial impact."
"That would take days," Lisa pointed out. "We'd need cooperation from at least five departments."
"Not necessarily," Emma said, a mischievous smile spreading across her face. "We don't need all the data. We just need enough to make a compelling estimate."
"What are you suggesting?" Sophia asked, recognizing the gleam in Emma's eye.
"A heist," Emma declared. "A data heist."
By seven that evening, Operation Data Heist was in full swing. Tom had reluctantly approved their unorthodox approach, on the condition that they limited their "acquisition of insights" to what was absolutely necessary for the business case.
They had taken over a larger conference room and set up three laptops. Jake had written scripts to extract client billing data from the financial systems he had access to. Lisa was working with the limited exports she could get from the CRM system. Emma, who had admin rights to several reporting systems due to her analyst role, was pulling together service history data.
Sophia, meanwhile, was on the phone, using her considerable charm to extract information from department heads without revealing exactly why she needed it.
"Yes, Bernard, I completely understand how busy you are," she cooed into her phone. "I just need a ballpark figure for how much Tax Advisory billed to Hamilton Holdings last quarter. This is for a potential marketing case study... Oh, you think it was around £600,000? That's incredibly helpful. And did they use any special services or...? I see, the transfer pricing consultation was a big one. Wonderful. You're an absolute treasure, Bernard."
She hung up and made a note on her spreadsheet. "Bernard from Tax just gave me their Hamilton Holdings numbers. Add that to what we got from Audit and Consulting, and we're starting to get a picture."
Emma looked up from her laptop. "According to the service records I've found, Hamilton Holdings uses six of our service lines, but three of them account for ninety percent of the revenue."
Jake, who had been typing furiously for the past hour, suddenly pumped his fist in the air. "Got it! I managed to extract the billing records from the last three years. Hamilton Holdings' total annual spend with us is approximately £4.2 million, with an estimated profit margin of... hold on... calculating..."
"Twenty-eight percent," came a voice from the doorway.
They all turned to see Edward Pembroke III himself standing there, looking both amused and concerned.
"Hamilton Holdings' blended profit margin is twenty-eight percent, making them our third most profitable client overall," he continued, stepping into the room. "Though if you factored in partner time that never gets billed, it's closer to twenty-four percent."
The room fell silent as everyone tried to process the fact that the chairman of the firm had just caught them in the act of their data heist.
Edward surveyed the room—the laptops, the spreadsheets, the wall of sticky notes—and then did something unexpected. He smiled.
"Sarah told me you were working on a business case for Friday's board meeting," he said. "I didn't realize it would involve quite so much... creative data acquisition."
"Mr. Pembroke," Sophia began, her crisis management skills kicking in, "we were just trying to—"
"Get accurate data to make your case," he finished for her. "Yes, I can see that. The irony isn't lost on me that you need to perform heroics just to figure out how valuable a single client is to our firm." He picked up one of the dashboard mock-ups from the table. "Is this what you're proposing? Real-time client profitability insights?"
"It's part of it," Emma said cautiously. "The full vision is a bit more comprehensive."
Edward studied the mock-up for a moment, then set it down. "Do you know why I'm here at eight o'clock on a Wednesday evening?"
The team exchanged nervous glances.
"Because I had dinner with Charles Hamilton tonight," Edward continued. "The founder and CEO of Hamilton Holdings."
The tension in the room ratcheted up several notches.
"We've been friends for thirty years," Edward said, pulling out a chair and sitting down, a move so unexpected that no one quite knew how to react. "We started our careers together. His manufacturing business and our firm grew up alongside each other. He's the godfather to my youngest daughter."
He loosened his tie slightly—another unexpected gesture from the normally formal chairman.
"Charles told me tonight that he doesn't want to leave Pembroke Paton. He values our history, our knowledge of his business. But his CFO and COO are insistent. They need the real-time insights that TaxWise is offering. In today's market, they can't afford to make decisions based on quarterly reports that are already outdated by the time they receive them."
Edward looked around the room at their stunned faces.
"So," he continued, "I promised Charles that we would demonstrate, within the next three weeks, that we're capable of providing the same level of insight. I staked my personal reputation on it."
He turned his attention to Emma. "Now, Ms. Carter, I believe you've been with us for seven years?"
Emma nodded, still too shocked to speak.
"And in that time, I imagine you've witnessed dozens of attempts to fix our data problems, all of which have failed to some degree?"
"Yes, sir," Emma managed.
"What makes this one different?" Edward asked, his tone genuinely curious rather than challenging.
Emma glanced at her colleagues, then back to Edward. "Everything," she said simply. "Previous attempts tried to replace existing systems or force everyone to change how they work. This approach meets people where they are. It doesn't require departments to give up their systems or their control. It just connects what we already have in a way that benefits everyone."
Edward nodded thoughtfully. "And you believe it can be done in three weeks?"
"The first phase, yes," Jake interjected, unable to contain himself. "We've designed an architecture that allows us to deliver value incrementally. The first phase focuses specifically on client profitability data, which is exactly what Hamilton Holdings needs."
Edward was silent for a moment, considering this. "I've approved many technology initiatives over the years," he said finally. "Most have delivered less than promised, cost more than budgeted, and taken longer than planned. Why should I believe this will be different?"
It was Sophia who answered. "Because for the first time, we're not trying to solve a technology problem. We're trying to solve a business problem. And we're doing it by changing how information flows, not by changing the systems themselves."
"A subtle but important distinction," Edward noted. He stood up, straightening his tie. "I won't keep you any longer. You clearly have work to do. But I would like to see your business case before the board meeting. Say, tomorrow at 3 PM?"
With that bombshell, he turned to leave, but paused at the door. "Oh, and Ms. Carter?"
"Yes, sir?" Emma replied.
"Your Deadpool coffee mug," he said, pointing to her desk. "My grandson has the same one. Excellent taste."
And then he was gone, leaving behind four stunned people and a new, impossible deadline.
"Did that just happen?" Lisa asked after a full minute of silence.
"Edward Pembroke knows who Deadpool is," Emma said, still staring at the door. "The world no longer makes sense."
"Forget that," Sophia said, already grabbing her laptop. "We now have less than twenty-four hours to create a business case for Edward Pembroke personally, before we present to the full board on Friday."
"And he just gave us the most valuable piece of information we could have asked for," Jake added excitedly. "Hamilton Holdings doesn't want to leave. They just need us to prove we can deliver what TaxWise is offering."
Emma snapped back to reality. "Okay, new plan. Forget the comprehensive business case. We focus entirely on Phase One: real-time client profitability insights for Hamilton Holdings. We show exactly what we can deliver in three weeks, how it will work, and what it will enable them to do."
"What about the financials?" Lisa asked. "They'll still want to see costs, ROI, etc."
"We're in luck," Jake said, scanning through the data on his screen. "Based on what we've gathered, I can estimate that if we lose Hamilton Holdings, we lose approximately £1.2 million in annual profit. The cost to implement Phase One is roughly £200,000 in terms of resources and potential software licenses. That's a six-to-one return in the first year alone."
"And that doesn't even account for the potential to expand this to other key clients," Sophia added, her marketing instincts kicking in. "This could be a competitive differentiator across our entire client base."
Emma was already sketching a new outline on a fresh sheet of flip chart paper. "Here's what we do. We create a business case that's focused entirely on saving and growing the Hamilton Holdings relationship. We position Phase One as a pilot that will both solve the immediate need and demonstrate the potential for broader application."
"And we emphasize that this isn't just another IT project," Lisa added. "It's a strategic business initiative that changes how we deliver value to clients."
"Edward gave us the hook we needed," Sophia said, typing rapidly. "We're not just saving a client—we're honoring a thirty-year relationship between two industry leaders. That's a narrative the partners will respond to."
"We still need to explain the technical approach in a way that doesn't make their eyes glaze over," Emma pointed out.
Jake's face lit up. "I've got it! We use the embassy metaphor! Countries have embassies to facilitate communication and cooperation while respecting sovereignty. That's exactly what our data architecture does!"
The room fell silent as everyone considered this.
"That's... actually brilliant," Lisa admitted. "It's a metaphor that partners will understand immediately."
"The Data Embassy," Sophia said thoughtfully. "I like it. It's dignified, it conveys the respect for departmental autonomy, and it emphasizes cooperation rather than consolidation."
Emma was already adding it to her outline. "Perfect. Now we just need to pull an all-nighter to get this done by 3 PM tomorrow."
"I'll get more coffee," Lisa offered, standing up.
"I'll order food," Sophia added, reaching for her phone.
"I'll refine the financial models," Jake said, turning back to his laptop.
"And I," Emma declared, executing a perfect pirouette despite her exhaustion, "will write the business case of the century."
By 2:45 PM the next day, they were assembled in the small conference room adjacent to Edward's office. Emma was putting the finishing touches on the presentation while Sophia arranged printouts on the table. Jake and Lisa had joined them to provide technical backup if needed.
"How are you so calm?" Jake asked Emma, who was humming softly to herself as she adjusted slide transitions.
"Ballet," she replied without looking up. "Fifteen years of performing under pressure. Once you've danced Swan Lake with a sprained ankle in front of 2,000 people, presenting to one partner is nothing."
"I bake," Sophia added, precisely aligning the edges of the handouts. "When I'm stressed, I make bundt cakes. I made three last night after we finished the draft. My neighbors love when I have deadlines."
Jake laughed. "You two are so weird. I love it."
"Says the man who color-coded his sock drawer by wavelength," Lisa remarked dryly.
"It's a perfectly logical system!" Jake protested. "Visible light spectrum is a natural organizing principle!"
The door opened, and Edward Pembroke entered, followed by Sarah Patel and, to everyone's surprise, Tom Bennett.
"Good afternoon," Edward said, settling at the head of the table. "I understand you've been working through the night on this."
"We have," Emma confirmed, standing up straight in what Sarah recognized as her 'presentation posture'—a subtle shift that transformed her from tired analyst to confident expert in seconds.
"Then let's not waste time," Edward said. "Show me what you've got."
Emma nodded to Sophia, who distributed the handouts—elegant, bound documents titled "The Data Embassy: Transforming Client Insights at Pembroke Paton."
"Mr. Pembroke," Emma began, "we've approached this business case differently than you might expect. Rather than presenting a comprehensive multi-year transformation roadmap, we've focused on a specific, immediate opportunity: delivering real-time client profitability insights for Hamilton Holdings within three weeks."
She clicked to the first slide, showing a simple diagram of the proposed Data Embassy.
"Our technical team has designed an approach we're calling the Data Embassy. Just as countries establish embassies to facilitate communication while respecting sovereignty, our Data Embassy will connect our various departmental systems without requiring anyone to give up their existing databases or workflows."
Edward studied the diagram. "Interesting analogy. Continue."
"Phase One focuses specifically on client profitability data," Emma explained, advancing to the next slide, which showed the current state of client data flow contrasted with the proposed state. "Currently, calculating client profitability requires manual data collection from seventeen different systems, taking approximately twenty-three business days to complete. This means the data is already a month old by the time it reaches decision-makers."
"With the Data Embassy approach," Sophia continued seamlessly, "we'll create connections to the key systems that contain profitability data—billing, time tracking, expense allocation, service delivery, and client relationship management. Phase One won't fully integrate all these systems, but it will establish the foundation that allows us to extract, transform, and present the most critical data elements."
"The result," Emma said, clicking to a slide showing the mock-up dashboard, "is a real-time client profitability dashboard that shows revenue, costs, and profitability by service line, allowing both our partners and clients like Hamilton Holdings to make informed decisions about resource allocation and service optimization."
Edward leaned forward, studying the dashboard. "And you're certain this can be delivered in three weeks?"
"Yes," Tom said, speaking for the first time. "The technical approach is sound, and we've identified the specific resources needed to execute Phase One within the timeline."
"The financials are compelling," Sophia added, directing Edward's attention to that section of the handout. "The cost to implement Phase One is approximately £200,000. The annual profit from Hamilton Holdings is approximately £1.2 million. Even if we only consider the immediate risk mitigation, that's a six-to-one return in the first year."
"But the real value goes beyond Hamilton Holdings," Emma continued. "Once the Data Embassy foundation is established, we can expand to other key clients and other data domains. Phase Two would extend these same insights to our top ten clients, representing approximately forty percent of our total revenue."
Edward was silent for a moment, flipping through the handout methodically. "This is... surprisingly straightforward," he said finally. "I expected something more complex."
"That's actually the point, sir," Emma replied. "Previous attempts to solve our data problems have been too complex, trying to boil the ocean rather than focusing on delivering immediate value. This approach allows us to start small, prove the concept with our most critical client, and then expand based on success."
"And the risks?" Edward asked. "There are always risks."
"The primary risk is time," Tom answered. "While the technical approach is sound, the three-week timeline leaves little room for unexpected challenges. We've mitigated this by limiting the scope of Phase One to only what's needed for client profitability insights."
"There's also the human factor," Sophia added. "We'll need cooperation from multiple departments to access their data. We've included a communication and engagement plan in Section 3 of the handout."
Edward turned to that section, reviewing it thoughtfully. "I see you've anticipated resistance from certain quarters," he noted, his eyes lingering on a section labeled 'Stakeholder Engagement Strategy: Tax Department.'
"We've tried to be realistic about the organizational challenges," Emma acknowledged. "The technical solution is only part of the equation. Changing how people think about and share data is equally important."
Edward closed the handout and looked at each of them in turn. "I've been at this firm for forty years," he said. "I've seen countless technology initiatives come and go. Most promised transformation but delivered only incremental improvements at best."
The room tensed as they waited for his verdict.
"This," he continued, tapping the handout, "is different. It's focused. It addresses an immediate business need rather than a theoretical technical ideal. And most importantly, it doesn't require us to throw away decades of investment in existing systems."
He turned to Sarah. "I'm inclined to support this approach. What's your view?"
Sarah, who had been quietly observing the presentation, nodded. "I agree. It's practical, achievable, and directly aligned with our most pressing business need. The technical team has done excellent work designing an architecture that can deliver immediate value while setting the stage for broader transformation."
Edward stood up. "Very well. You have my support for this business case. Present it to the board tomorrow as planned. I'll make sure they understand the stakes."
Relief washed over the room, but Edward wasn't finished.
"However," he added, "I want to be absolutely clear. This isn't just about saving one client relationship, important as that is. This is about fundamentally changing how we operate as a firm. If Phase One is successful, I expect us to move quickly to Phases Two and Three. The days of partners making decisions based on outdated, fragmented data need to end."
He looked directly at Emma. "Ms. Carter, your presentation to the board tomorrow needs to balance the immediate focus on Hamilton Holdings with this broader vision. Can you do that?"
Emma straightened her shoulders, channeling every ounce of her ballet training into her posture. "Absolutely, sir."
"Good." Edward moved toward the door, then paused. "Oh, and one more thing. I had my assistant pull the actual client profitability numbers for Hamilton Holdings from our various systems. It took her two full days, but she managed to assemble them."
He handed a folder to Emma. "Your estimates were impressively accurate. Well done."
With that, he left, leaving the team in a state of stunned silence.
"Did we just..." Lisa began.
"Get explicit approval from Edward Pembroke to proceed with the Data Embassy?" Sophia finished. "Yes, I believe we did."
"And did he just compliment our data heist results?" Jake added.
"He did," Emma confirmed, opening the folder to compare their estimates with the actual numbers. "We were within three percent on most metrics."
Sarah, who had remained behind, finally spoke. "Don't get too comfortable. Tomorrow you face the entire board, and not all of them will be as forward-thinking as Edward. Some have built their careers on the very data silos you're proposing to connect."
"But we have Edward's support," Sophia pointed out. "Surely that counts for something?"
"It counts for a lot," Sarah acknowledged. "But it doesn't guarantee success. The board operates by consensus, and there are factions that will resist any change to the status quo, regardless of the business imperative."
"So what should we expect tomorrow?" Emma asked.
Sarah sighed. "Expect resistance. Expect detailed questioning about costs, timeline, and technical feasibility. Expect someone to bring up every failed IT project from the past decade as evidence that this one will fail too."
"Sounds fun," Lisa muttered.
"But also expect some allies," Sarah continued. "Vivian Hargrove, our newest board member, has been vocal about the need for better data integration. And Bernard Paton, despite his traditional outlook, is deeply concerned about losing Hamilton Holdings."
"So we need to be thoroughly prepared for the skeptics while leveraging the support of the allies," Emma summarized. "Standard boardroom politics."
"Exactly," Sarah confirmed. "And remember, the goal isn't unanimous approval—that's never going to happen. The goal is sufficient consensus to move forward with Phase One."
"We can do this," Emma said with determination, glancing at the half-empty package of sticky notes on the table. "We've conquered harder challenges than convincing a room full of accountants to make a smart business decision."
"Like what?" Jake asked curiously.
Emma and Sophia exchanged knowing glances.
"Like choreographing an entire ballet recital when the dance studio flooded two days before the performance," Emma said.
"Or like baking seventeen identical bundt cakes for a corporate event when the power went out halfway through," Sophia added.
"I think what they're saying," Tom interjected unexpectedly, "is that they're prepared for contingencies."
"Exactly," Emma confirmed. "And if all else fails, I can distract them with a pirouette while Sophia smacks them with a bundt pan."
For the first time in days, they all laughed—a release of tension that was both needed and cathartic.
"Get some rest tonight," Sarah advised as they began gathering their materials. "Tomorrow is going to be a long day."
As they filed out of the conference room, Emma hung back, staring at the presentation still displayed on the screen.
"Something wrong?" Sophia asked, noticing her hesitation.
"Not wrong," Emma replied thoughtfully. "I just realized something. For the first time in seven years, I've written a business case that I actually believe in. Not just because it makes financial sense, but because it's the right thing to do."
Sophia smiled. "That's worth celebrating. Bundt cake at my place tonight? I have three that need eating."
"Absolutely," Emma agreed. "But first, I need to make a few adjustments to tomorrow's presentation. I want it to be perfect."
"It already is," Sophia assured her.
"Almost," Emma corrected. "But board presentations are like ballet performances—the difference between good and great is in the details."
As she turned back to her laptop, Emma couldn't help but feel a mix of exhaustion and exhilaration. They had created a business case that had earned Edward Pembroke's approval—something few technology initiatives ever achieved. But the real test was still to come.
Tomorrow, they would face the full board, with all its factions, politics, and entrenched interests. Tomorrow, they would find out if their Data Embassy vision had a fighting chance of becoming reality.
And with exactly twenty-three days left until Hamilton Holdings' deadline, the margin for error was nonexistent.