Chapter 3

The company gala was held in the ballroom of the most luxurious five-star hotel downtown.

To celebrate the upcoming IPO, the company had booked the entire hall, and more than five hundred employees showed up dressed to the nines.

I wore a carefully chosen black custom suit, and the velvet box holding the diamond ring sat snugly in my pocket.

My palms were slick with sweat, and my heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might leap out of my throat.

As Hank and Big Felix passed by me, they discreetly flashed me a thumbs-up for luck.

Everything seemed to be heading in the best possible direction.

At eight o'clock, the party reached its peak.

Ivy, in a stunning red evening gown, glided onto the stage as the spotlight followed her.

She was truly beautiful.

So beautiful I couldn't take my eyes off her, so beautiful that all the hardship of these seven years felt worth it.

"Everyone, next Wednesday is the day our company officially rings the opening bell on our IPO."

Ivy held the microphone, her voice clear and pleasant as it echoed through the hall.

Thunderous applause erupted from the crowd.

"Over these seven years, we owe our thanks to every single person who has fought for this company."

Her gaze swept across the audience. I thought she would look at me, but her eyes drifted lightly past.

"To meet the bigger challenges that come after going public, the board has decided to carry out a full upgrade and restructuring of the company's organization today."

I took a deep breath and stood up straight.

According to the earlier plan, once the company went public, Hank would be promoted to vice president, and Big Felix would be CTO.

And I would officially take the position of company president, her second-in-command.

"First, Hank is appointed Executive Vice President, overseeing technology and R&D."

Hank rose and took a bow amid the applause, still shooting excited glances my way.

"Felix is appointed Chief Technology Officer..."

One appointment after another was announced in orderly fashion.

The mood in the room grew more and more electric.

Until, at last, only my position, the COO, had yet to be announced.

Without thinking, I touched the ring box in my pocket, ready to walk straight onto the stage the moment she called my name.

Ivy paused on the stage.

Her gaze finally landed on me, but there was no warmth in it, only a cold, condescending distance.

"Finally, a personnel change regarding the position of Chief Operating Officer."

Ivy took a deep breath, and her voice came through the speakers, striking every ear with perfect clarity.

"Cole, the company rings the opening bell on its IPO next week. For the sake of better growth, you'll hand your COO position over to Logan for now. Go spend some time in the back-office department and get grounded."

Boom.

Her words hit me like a thunderbolt, straight to the top of my skull.

The entire ballroom instantly fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone's eyes went wide, unable to believe what they had heard.

More than five hundred pairs of eyes turned on me all at once.

Some were shocked, some sympathetic, and some were gloating.

The smile froze completely on Hank's face. The wineglass in Big Felix's hand slipped and hit the floor with a crack, shattering to pieces.

I stood rooted to the spot, my mind a total blank.

What?

Go to the back office and get grounded?

Hand the COO position over to Logan?

My head snapped up, and I stared hard at Ivy on the stage.

She avoided my eyes and turned to look off to the side.

At the edge of the stage, Logan stood in a flashy white suit with a glass of champagne in his hand, flashing me an extremely smug, contemptuous smile.

He even raised his glass and toasted me from across the room.

"Mr. Sinclair has worked hard these seven years." Ivy's voice rang out again, carrying a formulaic coldness.

"But for the company to grow, we need fresh blood and more modern management ideas. Logan not only has an overseas education, he has also shown outstanding ability in integrating resources. I believe he can take the operations department to the next level."

"Everyone, please give a warm welcome to Mr. Lancaster."

Ivy started the applause herself.

Scattered clapping followed. Most of the employees kept their heads down, not daring to look at me.

In that moment, I felt like a clown.

In my pocket was the diamond ring I had bought for her, and in my head was the love letter I had memorized for her.

And she, in front of five hundred people, had mercilessly stripped me of my dignity and stepped on me to pave the way for her new favorite.

Seven years.

The empire I had built with half my life, handed over with one casual sentence from her to a useless fool who had been here for a month.

A sharp, stabbing pain shot through my chest, the lingering damage from the stomach bleeding I had drunk myself into years ago.

I looked at Ivy, radiant on the stage, and it suddenly struck me that I had never really known her at all.

"Sinclair..." Hank snapped out of his shock and grabbed my arm, his eyes red. "What the hell is this? Has Ivy lost her mind? Come on, let's go make her explain herself!"

Big Felix was shaking with rage. "Right! She has to explain! What gives her the right to use you and toss you aside? Worst case, I'll quit too!"

"Don't move."

I grabbed them back, my voice strangely calm.

No hysterical rage, no explosive confrontation on the spot.

When disappointment piles up to its limit, the heart goes numb.

I pulled my hand out of my pocket and left the box with the diamond ring in the deepest part of my suit.

Meeting the eyes of the whole room, I looked at Ivy and Logan on the stage, and the corners of my mouth slowly curved into a smile.

"Fine." I nodded, my voice not loud, but enough for everyone around me to hear. "I accept the company's decision."

For the rest of the gala, I acted as if nothing had happened, sitting quietly in a corner and finishing the whole meal.

Logan came over to toast me with a crowd around him, saying over and over, "Thanks for stepping aside, Cole."

I smiled and drained my glass without saying a single word more than necessary.

After the gala ended, Hank and Big Felix walked me all the way to my taxi.

"Sinclair, don't take it to heart." Hank sighed, patting my back to comfort me. "Ms. Sutton's probably just putting on a temporary show to keep Logan's dad happy. Once the IPO dust settles, she'll definitely move you back."

"Yeah." Big Felix chimed in. "Go to her office tomorrow and have a good talk with her in private. Seven years between you two, and that's worth less than some pretty boy?"

Seeing the worry in my two good friends' eyes, I smiled.

"Don't worry, I'm fine." I patted their shoulders. "I'll go have a good talk with her tomorrow. You guys head home and get some rest."

As I watched them turn and leave, the smile faded from my face bit by bit, and my eyes went completely cold.

A good talk?