I'm The King of Business & Technology in the Modern World-Chapter 159: Monday Morning Briefing

Sentinel BioTech HQ, Manila

Monday – 08:30 AM

The morning sun cast a golden hue over the sprawling skyline of Bonifacio Global City, illuminating the polished glass facade of Sentinel BioTech's headquarters. Inside, the atmosphere was already humming with purpose—keycards beeped, elevator doors hissed open and shut, and the soft thrum of shoes against marble floors echoed down the corridors.

Matthew Borja entered through the private executive entrance with a calm stride, coffee in hand, a pair of thin-framed glasses resting on the bridge of his nose—an uncommon sight that gave him a slightly more professorial look than usual. He was dressed sharp as always, but there was a lightness to his expression, a kind of quiet contentment that hadn't been there for weeks.

Angel was already waiting at the end of the hallway near the conference room, tablet in hand and her usual composed, elegant self—though her smile, as always, came a half-second early whenever she saw him.

"Morning, sir," she greeted, walking in step beside him as he approached. "You're ten minutes early. I take it sleep wasn't a problem?"

Matthew chuckled. "I actually slept better than I expected. Not bad for someone who just got peer-pressured into a high-society matchmaking attempt."

Angel suppressed a grin, biting her lip briefly before answering. "You're lucky I didn't get a photo. You should've seen your face when Isabella asked if you were 'spiritually open to a relationship with substance.'"

Matthew gave her a sidelong glance. "If you had captured that moment, I would've revoked your raise."

She beamed. "Totally worth it."

They turned into the executive meeting room, where the heads of Sentinel's core divisions were already filing in, taking their places around the long glass table. Large screens on the wall displayed scrolling project statuses, engineering schematics, and real-time global news feeds. A sleek AI assistant unit softly announced, "Meeting will begin in five minutes."

Angel moved to her designated spot beside Matthew's chair and handed him a single-page summary, neatly bullet-pointed in her familiar style—brief, efficient, and always color-coded for priorities.

"We've got three main things today," she said, speaking just above a whisper so only he could hear. "DARPA sent their final revision for the neural feedback chip integration—they want a test run with the Marines next month. Tokyo reached out again; they want to license a lightweight recon variant of the Titan for their domestic security units. And the Philippine Defense Secretary's office wants a formal briefing by Friday on your proposed local production arm."

Matthew nodded slowly as he scanned the page. "Sounds like a productive week."

"More productive than a blind date with a billionaire heiress?" she teased under her breath.

He leaned back slightly in his chair, voice dry. "That depends. Do you think Defense Secretary Vargas is also going to ask me about my emotional availability?"

Angel pressed her lips together, suppressing laughter. "You never know. He is a very forward thinker."

The room quieted as the last few team members settled into place. Matthew sat up, folded the briefing page neatly in half, and placed it on the table in front of him. He looked around the room with calm command, nodding once.

"Alright, everyone. Let's begin."

The meeting ran like clockwork.

Dr. Cruz from R&D presented updates on the Mk-II's internal cooling systems. The heat dispersion algorithms were operating at 93% efficiency—an unexpected breakthrough that could shave nearly two kilos off the suit's weight. Matthew listened carefully, asking pointed but encouraging questions, praising the team's work while making quiet notes in the margin of his notepad.

Updat𝓮d from freewēbnoveℓ.com.

After an hour, the discussion shifted to logistics and global demand. The European Union had sent back a draft framework for a joint civilian-military Titan deployment program. Canada and Germany were already in exploratory talks for customized variants. Every continent was knocking at the door.

By the time the meeting ended, the atmosphere in the room buzzed with quiet optimism. People lingered slightly longer, chatting in small clusters as they filed out—engineers talking shop, strategists exchanging timelines. Angel stood near the window, taking a phone call on her earpiece, nodding slowly as she glanced back at Matthew.

When he finally stepped out of the room, she followed.

"That was Vargas' office," she said, slipping her phone into her blazer pocket. "They've cleared Friday afternoon for the private meeting. It'll be held at Camp Aguinaldo, secure wing."

Matthew nodded. "Send over a draft briefing document for review. Keep it tight. No sales pitch—just facts and options."

"Got it."

They walked together through the hallway toward the private elevator. Employees greeted them as they passed, but most kept a respectful distance. Sentinel's employees had grown used to their CEO's calm intensity and Angel's efficient grace. Everyone knew that if Angel was walking with him, you didn't interrupt.

As the elevator doors closed behind them, Angel let out a small sigh of satisfaction. "Not bad for a Monday."

Matthew smiled faintly, rolling his shoulders slightly. "One of the smoother ones."

Angel leaned back against the railing. "You know, I was half-expecting you to be tired after all the talking you did Saturday night."

"Talking wasn't the tiring part," Matthew said, smirking. "It was dodging Terence Sy's subtle matchmaking that took the real energy."

Angel laughed, louder than she meant to. "He was so obvious. I think at one point he even winked at you while holding her arm."

Matthew raised an eyebrow. "I saw that. It felt like being auctioned."

She grinned. "You did look like a very expensive painting at that moment. All that was missing was a placard that said 'Owned by no one. Yet.'"

He gave her a mock look of betrayal. "You're enjoying this far too much."

"Of course I am. It's not every day I get to see Matthew Borja, king of composure, squirm slightly."

The elevator dinged as it arrived on the executive floor.

As they stepped out, Matthew glanced at her with a wry smile. "For someone who's never dated a billionaire, you seem to have a great time mocking one."

Angel smirked. "Maybe that's the secret. I'm immune to the aura."

He paused, tilting his head. "Good. I need at least one person around here who'll call me out before I turn into a complete egomaniac."

She laughed, walking a step ahead of him. "Too late. That happened around the second billion, I think."

He chuckled, following her toward his office. "Keep teasing like this, and I might just assign you as my permanent party buffer."

She stopped at his door, holding it open for him with a playful smile. "You mean I'm not already?"

Matthew gave her a fond glance. "Touché."

Inside his office, Matthew finally sat down, stretching slightly as he rolled back to his desk. The large Manila skyline lay before him, glowing softly behind the glass windows. Angel walked over to his side table, setting down a fresh coffee without being asked.

"Here," she said. "For surviving matchmaking, political maneuvering, and a Monday morning meeting."

He took the cup with a smile. "You really are the best."

She winked as she turned to leave. "Just doing my job, sir."

As the door closed behind her, Matthew leaned back in his chair, sipping slowly. Despite the pressure, despite the global attention, despite the expectations—he felt calm.

Steady.

And very glad Angel was by his side.