Chapter 3

"Chloe, I’m only calling you because of the two years we spent together."

Ethan's voice was calm and steady over the receiver.

On the TV screen, the live stream was still going. A host was keeping the crowd entertained on stage. Ethan must have snuck into a quiet hallway to call me.

"Are you doing okay in the basement? Your mom said she made you some ramen."

How could he still act so caring?

"Ethan, you stole my code."

"I didn't steal it. I’m your boyfriend. What’s yours is mine. It’s called resource integration."

"You wiped my name off every single file."

"Chloe, listen to me," his voice grew impatient. "You’re a backend developer. Even if we put your name on the launch, so what? Can you pitch to investors? Can you handle the press? This industry needs a face they can sell. Lily is a hundred times better at that than you."

"So you planned this from the very beginning?"

There was a pause on the line.

"Why do you think I started dating you in the first place?"

"Back during your master's program, your paper on multi-modal alignment caught my eye. I knew right then that you were the kind of genius who could build something revolutionary. But you don't know how to sell yourself, Chloe. You don't network. You don't raise capital. You need me."

"So the last two years were a complete lie."

"Not entirely. You really are a great cook."

He let out a soft laugh, trying to sound reassuring. "Look, after the launch, I’ll have accounting wire you two hundred thousand. You can easily start a new project with that. Why die on the hill of a stupid credit?"

I didn't say anything. The timer ticked to 22:47.

Taking my silence as agreement, his tone lightened.

"Alright, I have to get back on stage. Get some rest. Don't overthink things."

The call went dead.

The basement door clicked again. This time, both my parents walked in, followed by a middle-aged man.

He was in his early forties, wearing a sharp navy suit, with a flashy gold signet ring on his finger.

"Chloe, this is Mr. Vance. He’s the lead angel investor in Ethan’s company," my mom said, her voice sickeningly sweet.

Marcus Vance looked me up and down, his eyes scanning me like he was appraising a piece of meat.

"Ah, so this is the older sister. You don't look much like Lily."

I stayed silent.

My mom nudged me hard, glaring. "Mr. Vance wanted to meet you. He’s a big deal in Silicon Valley. Show some respect."

"Meet me? Why?"

Vance smiled, quite bluntly. "Ethan mentioned you’d be helping out at the company in the future. I wanted to see you in person first. You know, Chloe, your sister is pretty, but she’s a bit too thin. Personally, I prefer women with your kind of curve."

The implication was disgusting.

I took a step back. "I don't work for his company."

My mom grabbed my arm, her nails digging into my skin. She hissed in a low voice, "Chloe! Stop being so ungrateful! Mr. Vance invested five million dollars. How do you think Ethan funded this launch? You should be flattered he’s even looking at you!"

"Mom. You’re selling me out."

"It’s just a networking meeting! What is wrong with your head? You’re locked in a basement with no career and no name. Who are you to turn down a billionaire?"

Vance rubbed his gold ring, watching us struggle with amusement.

"Feisty one, aren't we?"

I shoved my mother’s hand off and retreated to the corner. The timer on my wrist read 15:03.

"Mom, I’m only going to say this once. Get him out of here, or I am calling the police."

My mom’s face flushed with embarrassment. She quickly turned to Vance with a fake smile. "I am so sorry, Mr. Vance. She’s been locked down here all afternoon and she’s a bit hysterical."

Vance didn't seem angry. He patted my dad’s shoulder as he walked out.

"No worries, Robert. The big sister is interesting. We’ll arrange another dinner later."