of the Global Tech Summit

ynote, the one ever

hat showed a swirling, complex neural network. That network was her life's work, an AI so p

o own that future were watching her. Five o

em was Li

ended in ruin, she had chosen him. She had loved him. She poured every ounce of her genius into

He stood in the hollowed-out offices of her own company, a company he had just

o swoop in and take over. She quietly left and died heartbroken. You des

h nothing but public disgrace and crushing debt. She had been reborn from that m

here would b

, as if her choosing him was a foregone conclusion. She focused on the other four men. Marcus Vance of "Nexus Dyn

microphone, her voice clear and ste

all for b

letting the

de offers for my AI. I

t smile playing on his lips. He

d not to accep

. The CEOs looked stunned. Liam' s smile va

trength, "I have a counter-proposal. For Mr.

y left Liam'

through each of your companies, one season at a time, dedicating my full attention to revolutioniz

e on their feet, their faces a mixture of shock and dawning excitement. They understood the offer. Ac

aides. They were heading for their private jets, already prepa

nod and turned to

step, a hand clamped d

s voice low and full of contempt. "I d

. He couldn't believe she h

beaded with sweat. "Mr. Thorne, please," he whispered, "You don't want to do

am shoved Ava

lance. The journalist, David, lunged

Thorne," a soft, sw

former colleague of Ava's, a woman she once considered

beginnings. She probably doesn't understand the

as he looked at Chloe. He smirk

eal your position, and you're still here

of innocence. "Oh, Mr. Thorne,

the hope of the tech world now. I won't compete with you for Mr. Thorne's

er waist possessively. "My dear, you're destined

his voice dripping

Since destiny, or whatever you want to call it, has

ed for

vator. You'll be a nominal co-le

or a second that I'll ever truly work with you. Only Chloe will g

ur partnership in six days. We'll be generous and include your name in the p

pushed her had faded, replaced by an almost comical sense of di

y raised

r voice perfectly calm. "When did

m f

ing smirk as she looked at the woman draped in his arms. "How can y

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