Chapter 8

Alex's voice came through the phone."Let's apply for a preliminary injunction, notify the investors, and at the same time, start a lawsuit to enforce the shareholders' right to information."

I looked at Nick and said calmly, "Aren't you afraid the investors will find out? Then let's make sure they know right now."

Nick finally lost his cool. "Emily, you can't do this!" he shouted.

"I can."

"You own shares in Summit too. If the funding falls through, you'll lose out as well."

"I'd rather make less money than let you use my shares to support someone else."

He stared at me, his gaze slowly turning cold."You'll regret this," Nick warned.

I closed the door. The door blocked his face—and with it, the dream I'd held onto for eight years.

I leaned against the door, my palms slick with sweat.

Sophie walked over and gave my shoulder a gentle pat. "You were pretty badass just now."

I forced a smile. "My legs are jelly," I admitted.

"That's normal," she said. "Who wouldn't have weak knees the first time you put eight years of their life behind them?"

My nose stung, and I almost lost it.

Sophie quickly shoved a cup of hot water into my hands. "Don't cry. Your makeup's still on, and you'll look terrible if you do."

I finally cracked a smile. But after I laughed, it just felt absurd.

Guess I can still laugh after all.

The next day, the investors really did delay their due diligence.

Nick went ballistic at the office.

I didn't even have to look for this information. Someone inside the company sent it to me anonymously.

The email had a few photos attached.

Claire was sitting in Nick's office, crying.

Nick swept all the papers off his desk in a rage, sending them flying everywhere.

There was another photo of Claire helping Leo into the CEO's office.

The subject line was blunt. "Ms. Emily, ever since you left, the company's starting to look more and more like a harem."

Seeing that "Ms. Emily" in the email hit me right in the feels.

That's what everyone used to call me when Summit Innovations was just getting off the ground.

Later, Nick said the company needed one face for the public, and told me to stay out of the spotlight.

"Emily, you're better off working behind the scenes," he said.

I believed him.

I faded into the background, helping him draft proposals, keep an eye on the finances, manage the team, and handle risk control.

He stood in the spotlight, giving interviews and talking about how he built everything from scratch.

I sat in the audience, clapping for him.

Looking back, I wasn't just the one working behind the scenes for him. I was the ladder he hid away. He used me to climb higher, and then complained I was casting a shadow over him.

Three days later, Alex dug up the first bombshell.

Last year, Summit Innovations made a two-million-dollar "brand promotion payment," but the money actually landed in Claire's own studio.

That studio was barely two months old. It had no real operations at all.

Looking further, there were a few more payments for consulting, design, and event expenses. The amounts weren't big, but together they totaled over a million dollars.

And every single payment was tied back to Claire.

I stared at the report, completely speechless.

Alex sat across from me and slid the file over. "These are enough to kick off a shareholder rights case, and to go after him for hurting the company."

I looked up at him. "So, Nick's been using company money to keep her?"