Chapter 136

No.1

Elisa walked back onto the expo floor, her composure a flawless, impenetrable mask. She rejoined Alastair at the Aethel booth, where he was deep in conversation with a potential investor from Singapore.

"Where did you go?" he murmured to her under his breath as the investor moved on.

"Powdering my nose," Elisa said, her voice flat.

Alastair's eyes narrowed. He was one of the few people on earth who could read the subtle tells beneath her icy exterior. He saw the flicker of rage deep in her eyes, the tension in her jaw. He didn't press. He just nodded.

"Good," he said. "Because the next demonstration is in five minutes.I need you."

Elisa nodded back, her focus shifting instantly. The encounter in the lounge was compartmentalized,filed away. She was Faye again, a creature of pure logic and data.

On the other side of the convention center,Preston's ego was still smarting.

"I'm telling you, the woman is a viper," Devon was saying, still nursing his wounded pride. "She's probably in that lounge right now plotting how to sue you for sexual harassment right now."

No.2

Preston wasn't listening. He was replaying the scene in his head. The way she'd looked at him. Not with fear, not with gratitude. With pure,unadulterated contempt. No one looked at Preston Vance that way.

"She's got fire," Preston said, a slow, predatory grin spreading across his face. He loved a challenge.He loved breaking things that were beautiful and proud."The more she fights, the more interesting it gets."Devon stared at him. "You're not actually thinking of...?"

"I'm thinking," Preston interrupted, "that she's never had a real man show her what power looks like. August is a bully. I'm a connoisseur." He pulled out his phone. "I'm going to give her one more chance to be smart."

He found her number from the event's VIP contact list and typed out a message, his thumbs moving with arrogant confidence.

Elisa. I've reconsidered. Perhaps we got off on the wrong foot. Let's discuss your future in a more relaxed setting. My yacht. Saturday. Be there.

He hit send, imagining her reaction. The surprise.The flutter of excitement. The realization that she'd been offered a spot in the real winner's circle.

Elisa was in the middle of recalibrating a sensor array when her phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out, glanced at the screen, and saw Preston's name.

Her brow furrowed, not in anger, but in mild,clinical annoyance. Like discovering a persistent software bug.

No.3

She didn't reply. She didn't delete it.

She swiped,tapped,and blocked his number. The entire process took less than three seconds. She put the phone back in her pocket and returned to her work.

Preston waited. Five minutes. Ten. Nothing.

He scowled, his patience wearing thin. He typed another message.

Don't play games, Elisa. An opportunity like this doesn't come twice.

He hit send. The message was accompanied by the immediate, infuriating notification: Message Not Delivered.

His face darkened. He tried calling.

A cold, robotic voice greeted him instantly. The number you have dialed is not available.

No.4

Blocked.

She had blocked him.

A surge of pure, narcissistic rage, hot and violent,flooded his system. He snapped his phone shut with a vicious click. No woman had ever dismissed him so completely.

Devon saw the look on his face and let out a smug,cackling laugh. "Told you she was a bitch."

"She'll regret this," Preston snarled, his voice low

and dangerous. "No one says no to me."

Back at the booth, Elisa had forgotten Preston Vance even existed. The demonstration was a flawless success. As the crowd dispersed, Alastair approached her, his expression serious.

"I just got off the phone with my assistant," he said quietly. "There's an emergency online board meeting for Elite Prep School tomorrow morning.It's about Kayden's final admission review."

No.5

Elisa's entire demeanor shifted. The cold,calculating CEO vanished,replaced instantly by the fierce,anxious mother.

"Is there a problem?" she asked,her voice tight.

"Just a formality, I'm sure," Alastair said, though his eyes toldher he wasn't so certain. "But you need to be on that call. I'll clear your schedule. We can push the flight back."

That night, in the sterile quiet of her hotel suite,Elisa couldn't rest. She bypassed the room service menu and the sprawling king-sized bed. She sat at the desk, her laptop open, staring at the Elite Prep School admissions portal.

Application Status: Under Review.

A knot of anxiety tightened in her stomach. This was the one thing she couldn't control, the one battle she couldn't fight with code or capital. This was her daughter's future.

She called Jewel, her voice hushed. "How is she? ls she excited?"

"She's bouncing off the walls," Jewel's voice came through, warm and reassuring. "She's already picked out her first-day-of-school outfit. Don't worry, Eli. It's in the bag."

No.6

Elisa tried to believe her. She spent the next two hours meticulously organizing Kayden's files: the glowing letters of recommendation,the test scores that were off the charts, the portfolio of her artwork. She was building a case, preparing for a trial.

As she was about to finally shut her laptop, her phone buzzed. A secure message from Alastair.

Preston Vance's assistant has been calling the hotel all night, trying to get your room number. Be careful. He's not used to being told no.

Elisa stared at the message, a cold,humorless smile on her face.

She typed back a single line.

He'll have to get used to it. I've already made him disappear.

Alastair replied with a single emoji: a face crying with laughter. Faye, you are a menace. Get some sleep.

Elisa put the phone down. She walked to the window and looked out at the glittering,artificial oasis of the Las Vegas strip. But she wasn't seeing the lights. She was seeing a small, determined face,a future she had to secure.

No.7

She turned off the lights and lay down in the dark,

the city's neon glow painting patterns on the ceiling.

I will get this for you, Kayden, she promised the darkness. No one will stand in your way. No one. 1