Betrayed by Love, Forged by Fire

time to build alliances. Vengeance required more than just a keyboard and a grudg

world, the ones who were David' s rivals, the ones who had lost deals

the list was

illiant, ruthless, and moved with a dangerous, predatory grace. His firm, Blackwood Capital, was a black hole from which no co

a green energy startup called 'Solara' . Prometheus had found a critical flaw in their energy storage algorithm, a flaw t

ior partner from Blackwood would be at. I spent three hundred of Mark' s fifty t

o had cast me out. I saw them watching me, whispering.

lass of water on a man standing near the back. He was

" I said, dabbing at his s

roblem," he said,

rah Miller. I' m a huge admirer of your work with Solara.

ted. "You follow t

a fascinating issue with lithium-ion cycle life under variable load. It c

talk; I was handing him the key to a multi-million-dollar problem. I had

his eyes now sharp with inter

, well-placed conversation. I was no longer just David Ch

' s headquarters, explaining my solution to Carter and the Solara eng

wrapped up, t

horne wa

by a shadow. His eyes, a startlingly pale gray, swept the room and landed on me. There was no warmth in t

he asked Carter, hi

Miller. She solved

wly, his gaze dissecting me. It was un

asting the name. "The ghost

; his business was knowing things. He knew who I was, what David had

ous game," he said, his v

consultant," I repli

appreciate talent. And audacity. But if you' re going to burn dow

cornering me, forcing my hand. I was a pawn on

" I asked, my voic

ou' re doing. But you report to me now. And I want the exclusive

t, resources, the power of his name, but in return, he wo

e,"

more thing. I' m hosting a dinner for my portfolio CEOs tomorr

of hair behind my ear. His fingers brushed against my skin, sending an unexpected

inder of the bargain I had just been forced to make. I had found my