Chapter 1

Twenty minutes before the IPO roadshow, Charles Graham adjusted my collar and said gently, "Vivian will be the main speaker today. You'll sit in the audience for now."

I looked down at my name tag. It read: [Technical Advisor, Evelyn Shaw.]

Vivian Mitchell's name was up there on the big screen, right next to his.

That was when it hit me. After six years of hustling, three years of sleepless nights, and mortgaging my old family home to keep the company alive, he'd already decided it was time for me to step aside.

*****

I walked backstage with the freshly printed IPO roadshow script in hand, twenty minutes before the press conference was set to begin.

The pages were still warm from the printer.

On the cover, the words "Cloudspire Technologies' First IPO Roadshow" were embossed in silver-gray.

Below that, two names were printed side by side. [Charles Graham & Evelyn Shaw.]

I stared at those two names, my finger grazing the edge of the paper, leaving a faint white line.

The backstage lights were harsh and bright, almost cold.

Staff members rushed around with name tags in hand, the countdown echoing again and again in their earpieces.

I bowed my head and flattened the last page of the roadshow script.

This page was all about the core algorithm demonstration for the Z17 prototype.

Last night, at three in the morning, I was still in the lab, tweaking the parameters.

Charles leaned against the doorframe and said, "Evelyn, tomorrow you'll stand right next to me and present it to everyone."

Six years. I had been waiting for this moment for six whole years.

When Charles came in through the side door, there was still a faint mist on his suit cuffs.

He paused when he saw me, then walked over and straightened my collar. "Nervous?"

I shook my head. "I've double-checked the script. I made sure the Z17 demo files are good, and the backup drive is in my bag."

His fingers lingered at my collar, and he let out a quiet "mm."

I met his gaze, but suddenly noticed his eyes darted away from mine.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

He was silent for a couple of seconds.

The countdown in the earpiece jumped to nineteen minutes.

He said, "Evelyn, there's been a last-minute change to the lead presenter today."

I thought I must have misheard him.

"Change what?" I asked.

"Vivian will handle the technical part first," Charles said, his tone so light as if he were mentioning something insignificant. "You'll sit in the technical area. If the investors dig deeper later, you can step in and provide more details."

The script sagged in my hand, my grip loosening a bit. "Vivian is presenting the Z17?"

"She's been a brand consultant overseas, so she's got the right presence for today," Charles said, meeting my eyes, his voice softer. "You know how crucial first impressions are when we're about to go public."

I looked up.

Backstage was a mess of noise.

Someone was yelling about the lights, another was scrambling for a backup mic, and someone else was shouting, "Where's Ms. Mitchell's brooch?"

All those voices blended, forming a thin mist that seemed to separate me from Charles.

"I built the Z17," I said.

Charles's brow flickered, barely noticeable. "I know."

"Last night, you said I'd be the one up there, presenting to everyone."

"It's a last-minute change," he said, squeezing my shoulder. "Evelyn, you're always the steady one. Help me hold down the fort today, okay?"

I was always the steady one.

As those words landed, my chest suddenly felt hollow.

Before I could say anything, a young staff member hurried over and handed me a name tag. "Ms. Shaw, here's yours."

I looked down.

Inside the clear plastic holder, the words stood out in crisp black letters against a white background. [Cloudspire Technologies Technical Advisor, Evelyn Shaw.]

I stared at those four words.

It was a technical advisor, but not Co-Founder or the Head of Core Algorithms.

I looked up at Charles.

The staff member sensed the tension and lowered her voice. "Mr. Graham, I'll head to the front now."

She hurried off.

Charles reached out to take the name tag, but I dodged his hand.

"Is this another last-minute change?" I asked.

He glanced at the name tag, sounding more worn out than before. "Just keep it simple for now. Investors only care about the team, not the job titles. We'll clear up the details later."

Later again.

I'd heard that word way too many times.

Back when the company first started, Charles promised that when we finally did the official roadshow, my name would be front and center on the first screen.

Three years ago, I mortgaged the old house my mom left me to cover the company's payroll.

He hugged me outside the bank and said that when Cloudspire Technologies went public, I'd be standing right next to him.

Now that it had finally arrived, it was uglier than I ever expected.

My name had been downgraded to Technical Advisor.

I turned and walked over to the backstage computer, logging into the system.