Chapter 2I Sold My Family For Millions

Three days later, in a quiet, sun-drenched corner of a downtown cafe.

"It’s official, Julia. The contracts are signed. You are now a significant shareholder in Ascendant Tech."

The fifteen million hadn't stayed in the bank for long. I knew exactly where the world was going, and I knew who was going to lead it. I sat across from Leo Henderson, the CEO of what was currently a struggling startup. I now held a fifteen percent stake in his company.

Leo shook my hand, his grip slightly Trembling with excitement. "I can't thank you enough for the leap of faith. This capital... it’s going to change everything. We won't let you down."

I nodded, knowing he was right. Ascendant Tech would eventually become the global leader in autonomous drone logistics—a Fortune 500 titan. My fifteen million was the seed that would grow into a forest worth billions.

"I’d love to take you to dinner," Leo suggested earnestly. "Walk you through our three-year roadmap in detail?"

I shook my head. "I appreciate it, Leo, but no. I trust you. You’re the expert; I’m just the guy who saw the potential. My only job is to stay out of your way."

I paused, checking my watch. "Besides, I have a class to get to."

Leo blinked. "A class?"

"Yeah. An executive finance intensive. Learning how to read the patterns, calculate the real risks." I smiled, a genuine one this time. "I have a lot of lost time to make up for."

I left the cafe and headed straight to a glass-fronted office building a few blocks away. The seminar was on the twelfth floor.

When I walked in, the room was already half-full. I scanned the rows for a seat, but my peripheral vision snagged on a face that made my pulse skip a beat.

Theo.

He was surrounded by a small clique of guys, all leaning in as he spoke, laughing at something he’d said. Just like before, he was the sun, and everyone else was a planet trapped in his orbit.

I didn't acknowledge him. I headed for the back row, but as I passed his desk, he looked up.

Our eyes met. He froze for a second, then his lips curled into that familiar, condescending smirk.

"Julia? What are you doing here?" He didn't lower his voice. The guys around him went quiet, sensing blood in the water. "This isn't exactly a cheap course. Mary gives you a little pocket change, and you go and blow it on a seat at the big kids' table?"

I didn't answer. I kept moving.

He scoffed, turning back to his friends. "It’s tragic, really. Some people think having a little cash suddenly gives them a pedigree. You can take the boy out of the warehouse, I guess..."

He let out a short, sharp laugh. "But honestly, Julia, this is all theory. Without an empire to back you up, you’re just memorizing definitions. It’s not like me—Mary’s already given me a seat on the investment board at Blake Holdings. I’m just here for the certificate."

One of the sycophants chimed in. "Must be nice having a sister who actually trusts you with the family business."

"It is," Theo said, his eyes flicking toward me to ensure the barb landed. "Trust is earned. And some people just aren't worth the investment. Take that researcher who came to Mary last week—Dr. Keller, I think. She was practically begging for five million to save her project. She looked like a stray dog. Mary tore her proposal apart, and the woman just sat there and took it, smiling through the insults just for a chance at a check. Higher education doesn't buy you dignity, apparently."

I stopped. I turned around slowly.

Five million? Dr. Keller?

Nadia Keller.

It had to be. I remembered that name from my previous life. Mary had mentioned her years later with a rare, bitter regret. Nadia Keller had been the one who got away—the woman Mary had insulted and dismissed, who went on to revolutionize biotech and became someone Mary couldn't even get an appointment with.

Right now, she was looking for five million.

In six years, that investment would be worth fifty billion.