Beyond Betrayal: Our Unexpected Love Story

Rober

away. A tremor ran through me, a violent, full-body shudder that had nothing to do with my injuries

ly move according to the chilling clarity of my premonition. Fighting them head-

egic decision doesn' t stop it from feel

work. I had poured my soul into those algorithms and market projections. And Crawford... I had never been foolish

now, aching with a loss so

y fingers clumsy and weak. A nur

oice hoarse. "And I need to spe

y, you just came out of a serious

uttered, the words tasting lik

cks, but it turned on. The first thing I saw was a dozen missed calls from Jay Parrish, the junior analyst I' d been mentoring. He was a prod

now. First things firs

n Rodgers Corp and any company affiliated with Pierce Industries. Liq

ou alright? That' s a significant portfolio. To sell it all

consequences," I said, my v

out. I want my name scrubbed from every document related

ct is your masterpiece!

" I said. "Just draw up the papers.

led up a number I hadn't dialed in ye

fore a quiet, steady v

hroat suddenly dry. "

rvant man who always lingered at the edges of industry events, looking perpetually out of place in his ill-fitting

who quietly, inexplicably, weathered the storm. While Pierce Industries imploded under the weight of Brittany' s fraudulent version of my p

ght now, an underestimated al

no surprise. "I heard about your acci

the words feeling foreign and insane on my tongue. "I know your latest R&D venture

ummary," he said, a note o

out to run into the ground. I have the original source code, the real algorithms. It's bigger than just logistics.

vier. I could almost hear the gears turni

fetime? Forgive my skepticism, Althea, but that

ild a new company, under the Page Corp umbrella but completely autonomous. My tech, your infrastructure. We s

and your sister," he stated, n

es

t revenge," h

ial byproduct. I'm offering you a lifeline, Essex. The chance to pro

desperate gamble, rested on his answer. The Althe

hung up. Then, he spoke, his voice low b

said. "My private, encrypted

for a reply. H

ng, and a cold sweat broke out on my forehead. This was it. I had

lit up my c

RITTANY HUBER' S "PROJECT ASCENSION"

ving fast, desperate to capitalize on the momentum. Good. Let

ingle file to Essex Page. The real file. The on

ssaged Ja

y drive. I need you

was inst

end my resign

what felt like a lifetime. The board was set. The pieces were

realize it h