Chapter 7
The news about the investment pullout spread like wildfire.
By the third day, every major financial news outlet was covering Sunrise's crisis.
"Sunrise Realty's biggest shareholder dumped all their shares, sending the stock price crashing by 37% in just three days."
"Sources say there are major internal conflicts at Sunrise, casting serious doubt on the company's future."
"Banks are slashing Sunrise's credit lines left and right."
I sat in the hotel, scrolling through the news one by one.
I wasn't trying to be heartless. It was just that Julia left me no choice.
That afternoon, Alex called again.
"Luke, you've sold about half your shares, right?" he asked.
"Pretty much," I replied.
"I've got something I want to talk to you about," he said.
Alex's tone changed; he sounded a lot more serious now.
"Do you have any plans for what's next?" he asked.
"Not really," I replied.
"Let me give you some advice," Alex said, sounding serious. "Back when you ran your tech company, your skills and business instincts were top-notch. After you sold it and became Julia's bankroll, a lot of people thought it was a waste.
"Now that you're about to get a big chunk of cash, have you thought about jumping back in?"
I was quiet for a moment.
"Peak Capital's been looking at a smart building project," Alex continued. "The tech barrier is high, but the market potential is huge. We already did the angel round, and now we're gearing up for the A round.
"What we're missing is someone who really gets both tech and real estate, someone to take the lead. You were the first person I thought of."
"Send me the details," I said.
"Got it," Alex replied.
After hanging up, I opened the project file Alex sent over. The more I read, the more interested I got.
The company, CloudBuild Solutions, had an AI-driven energy management system as their flagship product. It could cut commercial building operating costs by 40%.
The team was strong, their tech direction was clear, but what they really needed was funding and someone who understood the real estate world inside out.
I'd spent five years at Sunrise. I might not have handled the daily grind, but I knew the industry inside and out.
This project was right up my alley.
At eleven that night, Julia called.
I hesitated for a couple of seconds before picking up.
"Luke," she said.
Her voice sounded nothing like before, no anger, no accusations, just exhausted and calm.
"I'll have my lawyer meet yours to discuss the buyout at 2 p.m tomorrow. I accept your terms," she said.
"Okay," I said.
"And" she hesitated. "Can we hold off on the divorce for now? At least until things settle down with the company..."
"No," I replied flatly.
"Luke..."
"We'll handle both at the same time. Tell your lawyer to bring the divorce papers tomorrow," I said.
There was a long silence on the other end.
"You're really not going to give me even a little leeway?" Julia asked.
"Did you give me any leeway when you went to that hotel?" I shot back.
She hung up without another word.