Chapter 1

The company I built from scratch got snatched away by a few newbies who'd just joined.

They waved the equity transfer agreement I'd signed and grinned like they'd already won.

"Boss, times have changed. You should retire," they said.

I nodded and smiled back. "You're right. Things should change."

I stood up to leave, then paused at the door and looked over my shoulder. "Oh, almost forgot, the company's core patent expires tomorrow."

*****

The conference room's AC was cranked up way too high. The cold air bit into my bare skin like invisible knives.

I squeezed my palms. They were empty, except for a slick layer of cold sweat.

Axel Saunders sat across from me, sizing me up like he'd already won.

He was young, handsome, and his eyes burned with ambition.

He'd only been with the company for three months. I'd interviewed him myself.

What I liked about him back then was his raw, unfiltered drive. I thought that kind of energy could breathe new life into a company that had grown stagnant.

I was wrong. What he brought wasn't energy; it was poison wrapped in sweetness, designed to take me down.

"Miss Malone, have you finished reading?" Axel's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

He pointed at that slim but significant stack of papers in front of me. It was a no-compensation stock transfer agreement.

How bitterly ironic.

I'd built Northstar Tech from scratch over eight years.

It started in a cramped hundred-square-feet apartment, and now it sprawled across two entire floors in the heart of downtown's CBD.

I'd poured my heart and soul into it, burned myself out, sacrificed every ounce of my personal life.

And in the end, this agreement was all it amounted to.

I was being forced out with nothing to my name, becoming a complete joke.

I swept my gaze across everyone sitting around the long conference table.

Axel's team was rubbing their hands together, eyes gleaming with greed and disdain.

They were like a pack of hungry young wolves, circling me, the aging lion, waiting for me to take my last breath.

But what stung even more was the man sitting right next to Axel.

Todd Hammond was my partner, the guy I used to trust more than anyone.

We'd lived on plain pasta for three months, and tried so hard to land our first investment, nearly landing ourselves in the hospital.

I thought we would be loyal to each other forever.

But now, Todd kept his head down, couldn't even look at me. His eyes that used to be full of dreams and fire were now just dodging and guilty.

Executioners usually blindfold themselves before they do the deed.

Todd didn't even bother with a blindfold; he just chose to be blind to it all.

"Norah, just sign it," Todd finally said, his voice hoarse. "The company needs new blood. Your way of thinking just can't keep up anymore."

Couldn't keep up anymore. Todd said it so casually, as though my years of hard work didn't matter anymore.

Where were these people when I was pouring my heart and soul into this company?

Where were they when I went three days and nights without sleep, just to develop our core technology?

Where were they when I sold my only home just to keep our key employees from leaving?

And now, here they sat in their tailored suits, seal my fate with one pathetic excuse.

My gaze settled back on the agreement. It was ink on paper, cold and lifeless.

"If I sign, what do I get?" I asked, my voice so calm it even caught me off guard. There was no drama, no accusations.

Inside, I was a storm of emotions, but the words I spoke came out ice-cold.

Axel gave a smug laugh, leaning back in his chair and folded his hands on the table.

"Miss Malone, we're helping you leave gracefully," he said.

He paused, and gave me a look of fake sympathy, like he was tossing me a bone. "Better than getting booted out by a board vote, right?

"Since you've been around so long, we'll let you keep the founder title. When we hit it big, you can still brag about it."

What a joke. First they stole my company, then they expected me to smile and wish them happiness like I was some kind of saint. This was just messed up.

Todd's head dropped even lower. He looked like a guilty man waiting to be judged, but he was the one deciding my fate.

"Todd," I said.

He jerked, startled.

I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, "Do you remember when we first started this company?

"You were drunk, holding my hand, telling me we were going to build a great company, that we were going to change the world."

Todd's lips trembled, but he couldn't get a single word out.

I continued, "You said I was the captain, and you were the lookout, that you'd always have my back."

Axel looked impatient, clearly fed up with my sentimental reminiscing. "Miss Malone, it's pointless talking about the past."

He drummed his fingers on the table, the sound sharp and quick, like he couldn't wait for me to sign and leave.

"Business isn't child's play. It's all about profit," he said, his voice icy. "Your methods are outdated."