The Unwanted Daughter

s hosted by Elias Sterling, a reclusive and eccentric billionaire whose investments cou

forced on me, had stood in a corner and tried to be invisible. When Elias Sterling had walked past, I'd tried to talk to him about his recent paper on quantum computing, and Maya had projected a wave

would be

was wearing a simple, impeccably tailored black pantsuit. It was sleek, professional, and powerful. My hai

waiting. My mother's eyes widened in

and change this instant! That is no

priate for

Disney princess, put a gentle hand on my mother's arm. "Oh, Catherine, d

ing to a funeral. Perfect. Everyone will see how strange and mor

Fine. Let her embarrass herself. Let everyo

and made my way to a quiet corner, grabbing a tablet from a workst

same Chopin nocturne. It was beautiful, technically perfect. The crowd was captivated,

ter in his hand, his expression utterly blank. He was polite, but he wa

she curtsied, her eyes sweeping the room fo

interactive data visualization wall at the far end of the ballroom. It was displayi

. working. I saw a flaw in the display's rendering algorithm, an inefficiency that was causing a micro-second la

came smoother, faster, more fluid. The colors brightened. No one

fficiency by 17 percent," a qu

the screen, and then at me, his eyes sharp with a

de was using a recursive loop for a process that could be h

t of keen interest sparked

Thomp

e seemed surprised. "I thought

other daught

sn't just see the music, but understands the math behind the notes. Someone who finds a redundant loop more offensive than a

nd. "My office. To

hand. "I'l

ring, their faces a mixture of shock and disbelief. Maya was standing froz

over to me, her face arranged

g! Mr. Sterling! I can't believe i

d to be mine! She cheated. She must have hacked the system to get his attention. I'll make

is," she said, reac

p back, out

y nearby family to hear. "We are not sisters. And you are not proud of me. You

filling with tears. "Ava

's the trut

ing my arm. "You will not speak to Maya

ed directly at Maya, my eyes cold as ice. "Enjoy th

of the floor, sputtering with rage, while the most powerful man in the room had just handed me the ke