sen

't br

ng, brilliant, absolutely ma

't

m row fifteen, I'd know

hispers beside me. "You loo

n't begin

h the confidence of someone who invented the concepts herself is Aria. My

o

ught needed help wit

CEO of Microsoft is saying from the seat behind me. "Her paten

Va

a V

, and I'm gratefu

g on stage, clicking to a slide that shows code I don't even recogniz

explained my work to her at dinner parties, her ey

sn't c

was

y light-years ahead of

year

etting down my plate of dinner with that

ing issues with our security protocols. The encryp

the way she always does.

e technical details, but basically we're tr

m the user side instead of the

halfway to my

rity faster, what if you made it invisible

's not that simple. You can't just mak

e to her plate. "

love that you're int

her suggesti

entation I'm watching now, formed the basi

oman next to me murmurs to her colleague. "She's not jus

typing her name into the search bar w

make my st

ale Tech Solutions. F

year

ter our

The Genius Who Eme

tery Woman Revolutio

ilt a Billion-Dollar Company

one was

wasn't w

ces, and meeting with government officials. In every single im

ke someone I

gital privacy. Not just for corporations, but for individuals. Your medical records, your financial infor

company on cyberse

rything I've ever

y-five

ause is

, cheering for the woman I divorced be

can't move. I c

e need to get a meeting with her. Like, yesterday.

Indus

worked late nights and missed dinners and chose Elena over the w

at me with concern. "

r," I mana

t's fantastic! Can you

us an in

y ex

chea

ompletely that I'm sittin

mplicate

my answer for e

, watching Aria Dr. Vale shake hands with admirers and acc

else now. Authority. Command. Like she was born to stan

always l

ing to think about it. The programming books I found on her nightstand that she claimed were "just curious reading." The t

ntly, were too advance

. H

rter with a press badge

n Dr. Vale's presentation? Hart Industries has been a leader in cybersecurity

oes i

like I'm

e it's the only honest thing I can manage. "Th

llaboration betwe

abor

calls. Who built an empire while

nerships with innovative c

notes and moves on

ing at the stage where my ex-wife just prove

es with a tex

rence? Learn anyt

e message for

thing int

ew away for a few stolen hours

he brilliant CEO of Hart Industries, my wife was building s

to bring me coffee in my home office was probab

's fine, I

lete Elen

urrounded by a crowd of admirers, reporter

th the kind of effortless poise that comes from k

he learn t

You just never

, "the applications for this

cited to announce that Vale Tech will be partnering with Dr. Marc

Prize winner. She's par

urse

an with silver hair appears at her side, his hand resting gently on

used to

he's looking at her now. Like she's t

o me, she

at have

talk to her, needing to understand,

ri

ent, her composed mask slips. I see surprise, maybe a

dy, controlled. "I didn't

either. Not like this. Not

ed to

arches sligh

d I realize he's not just her business partn

re?" Marcus asks, his

m. "It's fine, Marcus. This

hus

it like a p

to something between pity

see. You don't understand.

s never mi

ed to figure out wh

," I say to A

he sees there. Desperation? Regret? The dawning recognitio

es," she ag

ut he doesn't go far. A protective presenc

eels clicking against the floor with the

, she crosses he

hing. Say

dea," I fin

ut w

any of this. About

is sharp a

, Leon. You never b