. It pressed down on the room, thick with unspoken fury and conf

indignation. "Did you see the way she looked at us, Bowen? Utterly

stark contrast to his own angry scrawl. Something about the way she had written her name bothered him

cut through the tension from the en

is presence was unexpected. He rarely visited without calling ahead. His sharp eyes swept across the ro

ed social smile smoothing over her anger. "Uncle

the divorce agreement on the table. His fa

ning like a shield. "Uncle, this is a private family matter. A

as grown thirty percent in the last two years. Our push into renewable energy. Those key acquisitions. The restruc

ained from B

Uncle Julian? Bowen is a business genius! He has been featured in half a

re every major meeting for the past three years, Faye prepared a detailed portfolio for him. Complete with market analysis, risk assessm

er hunched over her laptop, surrounded by stacks of paper. She would look up with tired eyes and hand him a folder. "Here. I finish

What if he had never actually been the genius everyone thought he was? What if all

to think that way. If he admitted that, even to himself,

knows nothing of our world. She could not even finish high school. Any secretary co

his voice too loud, too defensive. "Now that she is gone, the c

that girl. Something none of you could see. He told me before he died that she had a sharper mind than anyone on that board. He said she underst

words hit a nerve he

jor win this company has had in the last three years came from her. A

o Bowen's. "I worry about next

g it would solidify Combs Consolidated's position as a market leader. I

u worry too much, Uncle. The proposal is already finis

n it for weeks, pulling all-nighters, driving herself to exhaustion. He remembered finding her asleep at her desk one morning, her che

property. Her mind, her talent, her brilliance-they were all

ew it was useless to argue. He had seen this before. Pride, unch

"I hope you are right. But remember this, Bowen. Pride is an expensive luxury. I

ne tapping a slow, rhythmic beat on the marble floor. The

sing it. Getting sentimental over that woman. Did you hear

waving a dismissive hand. "She is just an abandoned wife. A high schoo

re. Julian's words had stung. But he would not l

riefcase. His knuckles were white as he gripped it. This was his ticket. T

f exhaustion. Mornings of caffeine and despera

would show the entire business world. They woul

proposal she had written. He would stand on that stage, accept the troph