Chapter 4

I spent the entire night on oxygen in the emergency room observation ward.

The next morning, I ripped the IV needle out of my hand and took a cab straight to the Vance Enterprises headquarters.

The global launch of the [Stellar-Drive AI System] was scheduled for tomorrow morning.

This was Vance Enterprises' golden ticket to entering the billion-dollar electric vehicle market.

Over the past three years, to stand by his side as an equal, I had hidden my identity as his fiancée. I had worked as the chief engineer, leading my team through countless sleepless nights and writing millions of lines of code to perfect this system.

It was my life's work as a master software architect.

I walked to my desk to back up the final data.

But as I stepped out of the elevator, the massive LED billboard in the lobby made me freeze.

Where it once read: [Stellar-Drive AI — Chief Architect: Stella Brooks]

It now read: [LunaTech — Chief Architect: Bianca Reed].

I pressed the button for the top floor and kicked the CEO's office door open.

Ethan was sitting in his large leather chair, signing documents.

Bianca sat on the Italian leather sofa nearby, browsing seasonal high jewelry on an iPad.

Hearing the noise, Ethan looked up. Seeing it was me, he set his Montblanc pen down.

He walked to the bar, poured a warm glass of milk, and slid it toward me.

"Drink some milk first. You look terrible. Did you stay up throwing another tantrum last night?"

His tone was gentle, carrying a suffocating sense of entitlement.

"I was actually about to call you about the name change and the credits."

"Stella, you’re going to be my wife. Everything Vance Enterprises owns will be half yours in the future. Why get worked up over a silly title?"

"Bianca’s depression is very severe right now. Her therapist said she needs a strong social identity and a sense of achievement to rebuild her confidence."

"Just look at it as a charity case to save her life. Give her the credit. Everyone in the industry knows how good you are anyway; you don't need this one title."

Bianca put down her iPad, walked over to wrap her arms around Ethan’s, and looked at me timidly, her eyes turning red instantly.

"Stella... I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to steal your hard work. I've just felt like life is so pointless lately. Ethan said this project would help me find my value. If you mind, I'll give it back to you right now..."

Ethan held her hand, patting it reassuringly. Then, he slid a black Amex card toward me.

"Take this no-limit black card. Go buy that Porsche you’ve wanted for a long time. Consider it my compensation. Be good, and don't make a scene in the office."

I didn’t touch the milk, nor did I look at the black card.

I just stared at this man, watching him trample all over my hard work just to feed another woman’s vanity.

"Fine."

I nodded, without saying another word. I turned and walked out of the office.

The moment the door closed, my fingers brushed against the cold metal of the micro-USB drive in my pocket.

The tech empire I had spent three years building for him would become the first tombstone of Vance Enterprises tomorrow.