I 'VE HEARD that investors have sold the company to a billionaire who doesn't like publicity.

–Someone in HR told me he only bought it for the software patents. And that he intends to fire us all.
–I hadn't realized we were worth enough to attract someone of that nature.

What kind of person were they talking about? What billionaire?

Riya Mathur rubbed her temples with her fingers, trying to drown out the useless speculation she was hearing around her. What had changed in the week she'd been away for the first time in the two years since Drew and she founded the company? What was he hiding from her?

Suddenly, a chat window opened on his computer screen.

Riya was forced to focus on what he was saying. It was a message from Drew.

Come to my office, Riya.

She felt a knot form in her stomach. Things had been going from bad to worse between her and Drew for six months, since New Year's, to be exact. Riya hadn't known how to make them better. She'd just kept her head down and did her job.
He left the small cubicle he occupied, which was separated from the other employees' desks by a partition. He anxiously headed toward the director's office. He had spent the entire morning waiting, ignoring the comments and trying to encourage everyone to focus on their work while Drew's door remained closed.

As he reached the office door, he wiped his hands on his trousers and knocked. Then, without waiting for a reply, he opened the door. The chorus of dissonant voices he had heard on the other side became
a deadly silence when those in the office became aware of his presence.

Riya stepped forward and closed the door.

The sun streaming through the windows made Drew's slender body stand out against the skyline of San Francisco's skyscrapers. She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again. Her heart pounding, Riya took another step forward. Drew tensed a little more and bowed his head.

That feeling of discomfort had been present in all their conversations.

"The rumors are all over the place," she said, stopping a few feet from Drew. "Whatever our personal differences, this is our company, Drew. We're in this together."

"It was their company until they accepted initial capital from an investor," a new voice announced behind them. Every word was laced with mockery and irony.

Riya turned around and focused her attention on the conference table. A man sat at the head of it. The chair was backlit by the window, so only his profile was visible to Riya. She took a few steps forward to get a better look.

She felt that the newcomer's gaze was on her, on her every move.

"I've been looking forward to meeting you, Miss Mathur," he added. "The lucid mind who created the software that drives this company."
She'd pronounced his last name correctly, something that even Drew, despite their years of acquaintance, hadn't managed to do. When she finally stopped and could see him, she felt a strange feeling in her stomach. Her first thought was that he should be at a biker meeting, not a conference room.

He had electric eyes, a glowing shade of icy blue. His face was angular and masculine. That gaze was familiar yet unfamiliar, amused yet serious. A spark ignited inside her. Something told her this man knew her, even though she couldn't remember ever having seen him before.