“I got picked up.”
My father scoffed. “For what? A secretary job?”
I held his gaze. “Partnership. Vanguard acquired my software yesterday. I start as CTO tonight.”
No one moved.
Julian’s face changed first. He knew the name. Knew what it meant. Knew exactly how small he was standing in that driveway.
“Vanguard,” he repeated. “As in Sterling.”
Miller nodded once. “The same.”
My mother’s hand went to her throat. Chloe stopped breathing for a second. My father looked like someone had pulled the floor out from under him.
“You slept out here,” my mother said.
“Yes.”
“You should have told us.”
I laughed once. “You should have asked.”
Miller loaded my suitcase into the SUV. I climbed in without another word. The door shut.
As we pulled away, I watched them get smaller in the side mirror.
No one came after the car.
No one apologized.
Good.
Part 4: The Dinner
The penthouse looked like a fortress. Glass, steel, marble, silence. The kind of place that didn’t forgive weakness and didn’t need to.
Grace, my new chief of staff, met me inside and handed me a garment bag.
“General Sterling is hosting dinner at eight,” she said. “You’ll want this.”
Inside was a tailored midnight-blue gown. Sharp lines. No softness. It looked less like evening wear and more like a warning.
Then she handed me the guest list.
I read the last names and stopped.
