Michael’s POV
Monday came around quickly.
By nine o’clock, every student in my MBA class had taken their seats. Today was the deadline for the assignment I had given them the previous week.
As I entered the lecture theatre, the conversations gradually faded. I acknowledged the class with a brief nod before placing my laptop on the lectern.
Out of habit, my eyes swept across the room and stopped on Emerald Hugo.
She sat in the same seat she always chose, a few rows from the front. Her long black hair was tied neatly into a low ponytail today, exposing a face that carried no trace of makeup.
She wore a cream blouse under a dark charcoal blazer paired with matching trousers. Professional, simple, and practical. Nothing about her appearance sought attention, but somehow, she drew mine.
She had already taken out her notebook, though her assignment remained inside a slim black folder resting beside her.
I looked away before beginning the lecture. "Good morning."
"Good morning, Professor," the class replied almost in unison.
"This morning, we will discuss decision-making when information is incomplete."
The first slide appeared behind me.
"In business, very few decisions are made with perfect information. Waiting for certainty often means missing the opportunity altogether. Acting too quickly, however, can be just as costly."
I allowed the statement to settle before asking, "So, which is more important—speed or accuracy?"
Several hands went up. For the next twenty minutes, I guided the discussion rather than the lecture.
Students debated. They challenged one another’s assumptions. Some defended speed while others argued that accuracy should always take priority. There were no surprising answers.
Most relied on theories they had learned from textbooks or previous employers. Only occasionally did my attention drift towards Emerald. She listened more than she spoke.
While many students hurried to write down every point displayed on the screen, she rarely lowered her eyes to her notebook. Rather, she watched the discussion unfold before making a few brief notes of her own.
She wasn’t just collecting information; she was choosing what was worth remembering. The distinction was subtle, but also uncommon.
As the discussion continued, I posed another question. "If two companies present identical financial projections, what becomes the deciding factor?"
Several answers followed. Leadership. Corporate culture. Market conditions. Execution. Each answer was reasonable but incomplete, so I waited.
Emerald stayed quiet, not because she was avoiding the discussion. I had noticed by now that she rarely answered immediately.
Whenever she spoke in class, it was because she had already considered every obvious answer and was searching for one that others had overlooked.
I found myself wondering whether she had approached the assignment in the same way.
Of all the reports waiting to be submitted this morning, hers interested me the most.
I wasn’t expecting hers to be the best. Grades had never impressed me. Thought process did.
A conclusion could be right for the wrong reasons. The reasoning behind it was what separated a competent executive from an exceptional one.
From the first lecture, Emerald had given me the impression that she thought differently from her classmates. I wanted to see whether that impression was correct.
The lecture ended shortly before half past ten. I closed the presentation and looked around the room.
"Before you leave, please submit your assignments."
Students rose from their seats and formed a short queue near the lectern. One after another, reports were placed on the desk before their owners quietly left for their next classes.
When Emerald reached the front, she removed her assignment from the black folder and placed it on the stack.
"Good morning, Professor."
"Good morning, Miss Hugo."
She offered a polite nod before leaving the lecture theatre.
For a moment, I focused on the report she just submitted, but then more assignments stacked on top of it. Soon, it was buried under the increasing pile.
I looked towards the back of the classroom. "Mr Roth."
Elias looked up immediately. "Yes, Professor?"
"Would you collect the remaining assignments and bring them to my office?"
"Certainly." He gathered the reports with efficient movements before walking over to the lectern. "I’m ready."
"Come with me." I started towards the door, and he followed behind me.
The walk to my office took only a few minutes. We didn’t exchange a word along the way. Once inside, I unlocked the door and gestured towards the desk.
"You can leave them there."
Elias carefully placed the stack of assignments in front of me and straightened.
"Thank you."
He gave a slight nod and turned to leave.
"Mr Roth," I called his attention. He stopped and looked back, so I said, "If you have a few minutes, I would like to ask you something."
"Of course, Professor."
I motioned towards the chair opposite my desk. "Please, have a seat."
Once we were both seated, I picked up a notebook from the corner of my desk. I wasn’t using it for notes; I just wanted the conversation to feel authentic—a lecturer talking with an MBA student.
"I noticed from your application that you’ve already accumulated several years of business experience before pursuing your MBA."
"That’s correct."
"What made you decide that now was the right time to return to university?"
"I reached a point where experience alone wasn’t enough." He answered calmly. "I wanted to strengthen the theoretical foundation behind the decisions I had already been making."
His response matched what I had read in his student file, so I queried, "What area of business interests you most?"
"Corporate acquisitions."
"And why acquisitions?"
"They reshape businesses faster than almost anything else." He paused briefly before adding, "A successful acquisition creates long-term value. A poor one can take years to recover from."
That was a sensible answer. One many experienced executives would agree with.
"What have you found most different about Lanard compared to your previous universities?"
"The classroom discussions."
"In what way?"
"People challenge ideas instead of simply accepting them." He smiled faintly. "It makes every lecture more interesting."
Again, a reasonable answer, neither rehearsed nor overly detailed. I changed direction. "The assignment I gave your class last week- did you find it difficult?"
He considered the question before answering. "It was different rather than difficult. Most assignments test knowledge, but yours tested judgment."
I met his eyes. "And what conclusion did you reach?"
"That there isn’t always a correct answer. There are only decisions with consequences."
Finally, I allowed myself a small nod. "That’s precisely what I wanted the class to understand."
I studied Elias quietly. His posture hadn’t changed since entering the office. His breathing remained even, and his expression relaxed.
Every response was consistent, aligned perfectly with his file. There was no indication of deception. In fact, his conduct matched what I would anticipate from a mature MBA student.
I closed the notebook. "Thank you for your time, Mr Roth."
"My pleasure, Professor." He rose from his chair. "I look forward to reading your feedback."
"You will receive it next week."
He inclined his head politely before leaving the office. The door clicked shut behind him.
The conversation confirmed nothing and failed to disprove anything, just as I expected.
Whatever my instinct had sensed the previous week remained exactly that. Until I had evidence, it would remain nothing more.
My attention shifted to the stack of assignments on the desk. There were nearly forty reports waiting to be marked.
Ordinarily, I would have worked through them alphabetically, but today, I found myself doing something different.
I searched through the pile until one name caught my eye. Emerald Hugo.
I picked up her report and rested it on the desk in front of me.