Chapter 1

The final line of code compiled, a satisfying green checkmark glowing on the holographic interface in front of Liam. His AI, his masterpiece, was ready. Tomorrow was the launch, the culmination of years of work, of sleepless nights and sacrificed weekends. This was it. This was the moment that would redefine his legacy.

The door to his office slid open without a sound.

Sarah stood there, her arms crossed, her expression unreadable. She was his business partner, the co-founder of their company, the woman who had been by his side since the beginning.

"We need to talk," she said. Her voice was flat.

Liam swiveled in his chair, a smile touching his lips. "Perfect timing. I just finished the final build. We're a go for tomorrow."

"No," Sarah said, stepping into the room. "We're not. I'm pulling out."

The smile vanished from Liam' s face. "What are you talking about? The launch is in less than twenty-four hours. Everything is set."

"I'm abandoning the company," she stated, her gaze unwavering. "I'm going to help Alex. He needs me."

Liam felt a cold dread wash over him. Alex. Her struggling protégé. He was a talented kid, but reckless, always cutting corners. His AI was a cheap imitation of theirs, built on a foundation of ethically questionable data scraping.

"You can't be serious," Liam said, his voice low. "You're throwing all of this away for him? For a project that's guaranteed to blow up in his face?"

"I've already built one successful company; I can do it again with Alex," she shot back, a defensive edge to her tone. "Don't be so jealous and ruin Alex's big break! He has potential, real potential, more than you give him credit for."

Liam opened his mouth to object, to list all the reasons this was a catastrophic mistake, to remind her that their company's success was built on his connections, his strategies, his late-night coding sessions that she had long since abandoned.

But just as he was about to speak, a news ticker flashed across the lens of his smart glasses, a silent, urgent message only he could see.

BREAKING: Tech mogul' s partner sabotaged; protégé' s AI caused widespread privacy breaches, leading to the mogul' s downfall and public disgrace!

The words burned into his vision. He saw it all in that instant-the future that would have been. The public outcry. The lawsuits. The ruin. All because he tried to force her to stay. All because he fought her.

He swallowed the protest that was on the tip of his tongue. He looked at Sarah, at her defiant face, and a new plan began to form in the cold, quiet space where his shock had been. He wanted to see it. He wanted to see if she and her brilliant protégé could really succeed without him, without the safety net he had always provided.

He leaned back in his chair and nodded slowly. "Okay."

Sarah blinked, clearly taken aback by his sudden compliance.

"Okay," Liam repeated, his voice calm. "I'll help you liquidate your shares and join Alex."