The Ex's Ruthless Revenge
riend, Caleb, over ten years. We were college sweethearts, a golden couple, and
in a hospital. When I returned to the office, my keycard was denied,
ed loudly that "non-essential personnel" were to stay clear, looking directly at me. Caleb, the man who had promised me the wor
een on his collar. The pieces clicked: the late nights, the "business dinners," his su
b I was leaving, but not without my full share of the company, valued at the post-Apex funding price. I
call the one person I never thought I
pte
Easton
the line, then a smooth, low voice answe
oke M
, the one with the panoramic view of the city, probably frowning at his phone. We were rivals. His company, Ne
he sound of my name a question in itsel
the chaos inside me. "I' m calling with a business pro
small victory. "The Apex deal? I thought that was
changed," I
instincts kicking in. "Brooke, wha
illion-dollar opportunity. I built the architecture, I have the relationship w
id, his tone shifting from suspicion to something softer. "I' ve seen you at conf
b living on instant noodles, coding in your garage. You put your i
d. He kne
e today," he continued, his voice c
through me. "How
he game getting kicked out of her own company on the eve of a major f
w, looking down at the city lights that had once see
red into Caleb Roy and our startup, Innovate. We were college sweeth
on. He was the charismatic frontman, the visionary. I was the workho
hteen-hour days. We shared cheap pizza on the floor of our tin
real, so soli
thought it was just burnout. But it wasn't. I
preg
is face alight with a joy I hadn' t seen in years. "A b
r the seed round. I held his face in my hands. "Caleb, let' s
e light in his eyes flickered. He set me down gently, his
t think about it. The Apex deal is next week. This is the culmination o
s is just the beginning. After the deal closes, we' ll be on top of the world. We
Let' s not distract from this one final push. After we sign
y a decade of love and sha
I had whispered.