Charlotte stood in Derick's office for the second time in her life, but this visit felt nothing like the first.Then, she'd been desperate, carrying evidence of Brian's crimes and begging for help she had no right to ask for. Now, she was being offered something she'd never expected: redemption dressed in a job title and a salary that made her former position at Reed look like charity work."Vice President of Strategic Oversight," Derick said, sliding the contract across his desk. "Your job is simple. Prevent people like Brian Stone from infiltrating Titan Holdings or any of our subsidiaries. You'll have full investigative authority, a team of analysts, and direct reporting to myself and Lily."Charlotte stared at the number on the contract, her brain struggling to process that many zeros attached to an annual salary. It was triple what she'd made at Reed. Maybe quadruple."I don't deserve this," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion she couldn't quite control. "I didn't help Pe

Charlotte stood in Derick's office for what felt like the hundredth time, though it had only been three weeks since she'd officially joined Titan Holdings. This time felt different. Heavier. The message on her phone burned like a brand, three sentences that carried the weight of years of friendship and betrayal."She wants to see you," Charlotte said, her voice quiet but steady. "Petrina. She sent me a message asking if you'd be willing to meet. She wants to apologize."Derick didn't look up from the contract he was reviewing, his pen moving across the page with the same measured precision he applied to everything. "No.""I told her I'd ask," Charlotte continued. "I didn't promise anything. But Derick, she's... she's broken. She's lost everything. Her company, her home, her father's in prison. She knows she was wrong about you.""Good for her," Derick replied, still not looking up. "Self-awareness is the first step toward personal growth."Charlotte moved closer to his desk, her refle

The first invitation to be rescinded arrived on a Tuesday morning, wrapped in the kind of polite language that made rejection feel almost like a compliment.Dear Mr. Sekwiga, Due to unforeseen venue capacity constraints, we regret to inform you that your invitation to the Annual Tech Leaders Summit has been withdrawn. We hope to include you in future events.Derick read it once, then deleted it without comment. Venue capacity was code for politics, and politics in the business world meant someone with more influence had made a call.The second disinvitation arrived that afternoon. The Global Innovation Forum, an event Derick had been confirmed for weeks ago, suddenly discovered "scheduling conflicts" that made his attendance "unfortunately impossible at this time."By Thursday, three major events had quietly uninvited him, each with different excuses that all meant the same thing: you're not welcome anymore.Lily appeared in his office carrying her tablet and an expression that sugges

The war room wasn't actually called that, but everyone who entered Titan Holdings' top-floor conference room on Friday morning understood what they were walking into.Derick stood at the head of the table, Lily to his right with her ever-present tablet, Charlotte to his left with research files spread before her. The legal team occupied one side, financial advisors the other, all of them summoned on four hours' notice because the situation had progressed from concerning to critical."Victoria Ashford is using institutional power," Derick began without preamble, his voice carrying the controlled calm of someone who'd assessed the battlefield and found it challenging but not impossible. "We can't fight her the same way we fought Rothwell, Honky, or Brian Stone. Those were individual actors. This is systemic resistance from structures that predate modern corporations."The head of legal, a sharp woman named Jennifer Moss, leaned forward. "Can we document the coordinated obstruction? Buil

Petrina stood outside Titan Holdings for the third time in her life, and each visit had marked a different version of herself she barely recognized.The first time, she'd been desperate, begging Charlotte to intercede with a man she'd destroyed. The second time, she'd been terrified, secretly working as a double agent against Victoria Ashford. Now, she was simply uncertain, holding an invitation from Derick himself that had arrived that morning with no explanation beyond "Please come to my office at two."She rode the elevator with her heart in her throat, wearing the best outfit she could afford on her entry-level salary, which felt inadequate next to the power suits she used to wear without thinking. The reflection in the polished elevator doors showed someone humbler, quieter, the sharp edges of her former arrogance worn down by consequences and humility.Derick's assistant showed her in without the cold dismissiveness Petrina had expected, just professional courtesy that suggested