Part 3Loyalty of Nine Years, Replaced in an Instant

The second I stepped out of her office, I saw half the floor pretending not to eavesdrop.

Marcus was practically vibrating with rage. "The absolute nerve of that guy! I'm done. I'm packing my shit right now, Chris. I'm leaving with you."

The junior staff looked devastated. "Chris, you practically built Nova. If you leave, what's going to happen to us? Are we seriously supposed to take orders from that nepotism hire?"

I forced a tight smile and clapped Marcus on the shoulder. "Don't do anything stupid, man. You've got a mortgage to pay. Let me go scout the territory first. When I build something bigger, I'll come back and poach you."

It was snowing the day I walked out of Nova for the last time.

I stood on the sidewalk holding a cardboard box of my belongings, looking up at the towering glass high-rise. The building was shrouded in the swirling gray blizzard, but the warm, golden lights glowing from the office windows looked beautiful against the dark sky.

I don't know if a snowflake melted in my eye, but my vision suddenly blurred.

I had worked in that building for nine years. I watched Nova grow from our cramped college dorm, to a dingy apartment in the suburbs, to a tiny two-story storefront, and finally up into the clouds of the downtown financial district.

I remembered our first week in business. We sat cross-legged on the bare floorboards of our empty apartment, drinking cheap beer, crying and laughing as we bragged about how rich we were all going to be.

I would have taken a bullet to protect that company. And just like that, in the span of an afternoon, I was walking away from it forever.

A few days after I left, I heard Tristan tried to establish his dominance by calling an all-hands meeting. He threatened the staff, telling them that anyone who didn't respect his authority would end up exactly like me—unemployed and humiliated.

Marcus didn't even let him finish his sentence. He laughed right in his face. "You mean they'll get headhunted to be the VP of Apex Dynamics with a massive pay bump? Sign me up!"

Tristan's face turned a violent shade of purple. The meeting dissolved into chaos, and he stormed out.

He was an idiot. A multi-disciplinary operative with my track record was a unicorn in the corporate world.

Back when Nova was still struggling to break even, giant tech firms were constantly trying to poach me. They offered me starting salaries in the high six figures.

I turned down every single one of them. I was completely devoted to Juliana and the vision of Nova, perfectly happy taking home a meager paycheck just for the privilege of standing by her side.

But I didn't have those chains holding me down anymore. The morning after I quit, I made one phone call to Victoria, the CEO of Apex Dynamics—Nova's biggest, most aggressive rival in the city.

"I heard you're doing some restructuring. Are you looking for talent?"

Victoria didn't even hesitate. "I'm looking for a Vice President. If you're serious, your office is ready tomorrow morning."

She didn't string me along with empty promises. The very next day, she walked me through the paperwork and paraded me through every department on the floor.

"Everyone, Chris is the new Vice President of Apex. His word is my word. I want department heads in his office by the end of the week to run him through your current projects. Give him your full cooperation."

That evening, Victoria threw a welcome reception for me at a high-end lounge. I raised my glass to her. "Victoria, it's a privilege to join the team. I look forward to winning together."

Victoria's eyes sparkled with a predatory, confident grace. "No, Chris. Getting you in this building is the biggest win Apex has had all year."

The environment at Apex was a breath of fresh air. And finally, I had my own corner office.

Nobody resented me for crossing enemy lines. In our industry, my reputation preceded me. They knew exactly what I was capable of.

The transition was flawlessly smooth. Until Victoria handed me my first major portfolio.

When I flipped open the dossier, my heart skipped a beat.

It was a massive marketing contract for Morningstar, a publicly traded conglomerate. The sheer volume of the deal would dictate which agency controlled the Chicago market for the next two years. Juliana was paranoid about losing it, so she had personally assigned me to handle the pitch weeks ago.

I had pulled consecutive all-nighters for half a month to build that presentation.

Knowing how obsessed Juliana was with proving Tristan's worth, there was zero doubt in my mind she had handed this exact account over to him to secure his glory.

A dark, burning fire flared up in my chest. This was my first battle since leaving Nova. It was my chance to draw blood.

I was going to show them exactly what Nova amounted to without me pulling the strings.