Chapter 5 The Billion-Dollar Short

Dressed in a way that commanded attention, Lainey stepped into Nova Tech's product launch with confidence.

As soon as she neared the entrance, Larry's voice reached her, sharp with anger.

"Bryan Wilson, you showed up here just to ruin my launch, didn't you?"

Across the venue, Bryan stood with his usual cold expression, though a faint trace of ridicule appeared in his eyes. "You seriously believe this passes as a product launch? You say Nova Tech's AI robot can think like a human, yet all you did was hide cameras inside it and hire people to respond to customers. Buyers pay a high price for your so-called technology, investors throw money at you because they believe your AI leads the industry, and then you walk away with billions built on nothing but hype. Tell me, is any of that a lie?"

Tension tightened Larry's face. "That's not true-"

Before he could continue, Lainey made her entrance. A form-fitting red dress clung to her figure, and it drew attention the moment she stepped inside. At the same time, a slow and captivating smile rested on her lips.

For a brief second, astonishment flickered across Larry's eyes, and it quickly shifted into relief. "Lainey, you're finally here. Come on, tell them the truth. Let everyone know that Nova Tech's AI is legitimate."

With a doctorate in artificial intelligence, Lainey had always been the one capable of solving problems like this, so there had to be a way for her to turn things around for him.

The spark of hope lighting up Larry's face didn't go unnoticed by Bryan.

As his eyes shifted toward Lainey, a shadow passed through his gaze.

He never expected her to appear at all, and from what he could tell, she had come here for Larry's sake.

A bitter feeling rose within him, yet he forced it down, and his expression grew even colder.

After everything that had happened between them the other night, had she already put it behind her?

At the sight of Lainey walking in dressed like that, jealousy flickered unmistakably in Charlee's eyes.

She had been certain that after the wedding was called off, she would take Lainey's place beside Larry at Nova Tech's launch and enjoy all the attention. Instead, Lainey still showed up, and she looked more captivating than ever.

What made it worse was that Larry, while Bryan publicly challenged him, still relied on Lainey to fix the situation.

As that realization settled in, Charlee tightened her hold around Larry's arm.

Even so, she still chose to back Larry, and her voice came out gentle and encouraging. "Exactly, Lainey. You should clarify things for him. You used to be his girlfriend, so if there was anything fake going on, there is no way you would not know."

A pleased look appeared in Larry's eyes as he glanced at Charlee, clearly satisfied with her response.

Without any change in expression, Lainey met her gaze and spoke in an even tone. "Whatever I had with Larry is finished. If someone needs to defend him, it should be the one clinging to his arm. A lunatic and an idiot. You two are a match made in heaven."

Her words struck them both like a sudden blow.

At once, Larry's face darkened, and irritation showed clearly. "I understand that you are still angry about the wedding. Fine, I'll apologize if that's what you want. But after I speak, you will stand there and support Nova Tech's AI with your professional credibility. If you refuse, then you can forget about marrying me."

Without giving her a chance to respond, he turned away and walked straight toward the stage.

Once he stood before the crowd, Larry began delivering a confident speech about Nova Tech's cutting-edge AI, its groundbreaking potential, and how it was set to take over the entire market.

After wrapping up his speech, Larry faced the crowd and spoke with confidence. "You all came to Nova Tech's launch because you trust this company to bring you profit. As for the claims Bryan Wilson made earlier, I doubt anyone here is naive enough to take them seriously."

Shifting his attention, he looked toward Charlee, and his expression softened with a hint of affection. "A close friend of mine, Charlee Foster, invested in Nova Tech just a week ago. By today, her returns have already multiplied twentyfold."

At that cue, his assistant brought up the stock chart on the massive screen behind him.

"See for yourselves. Nova Tech is rising faster than anyone expected."

Excitement rippled through the crowd.

"Twenty times in a few days? This is insane! I'm buying more!"

"Count me in for five million."

"Put me down for ten."

"I'm not missing this chance. One move like this and we are set for life."

As the crowd grew more eager and poured money in, satisfaction slowly spread across Larry's face.

Naturally, he believed nothing could stand in his way, not even Bryan. In his mind, the future already placed him as the wealthiest man in the country.

His attention shifted toward Lainey, and his tone returned to its usual commanding edge. "Lainey, step up there and explain the advanced technologies behind Nova Tech's AI."

At that exact moment, a frantic voice cut through the noise, and it pulled everyone's attention at once.

"Mr. Miller-someone just placed a one billion short order on our stock!"