tanding by his window, looking out over the Aether campus. He threw a

face red with anger. "You think you can jus

th, Marcus. I

with Chloe. She has confirmed that you provided minimal support and that she and Leo did al

was hearing. "That's a l

me off. He leaned in close, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "She also men

ld. David and S

an," Vance continued, mistaking my stunned silence for understa

manufacturing execs, was a part of Silicon Valley royalty. And Chloe had let him believe

voice hollow. "You're just g

and picking up a folder. "It's about what's best for the comp

ent across the

een deemed disruptive and unprofessional. You have 30 days to demonstrate

vives a PIP at Aether. It's just a

n to Jessica Thorne's executive team is, of course, cancelled. We

e. My career, my reputation, my projec

e's desk. She was on the phone, laughing. She glanc

e a tomb. I was cornered. I had tried to do it my way, on my

inst her lies. My talent was n

I could barely dial the number. I had never called t

before a calm, fami

everythin

against the col

g. "I tried to handle this myself, b