Cross Technologies occupied the top twelve floors of the Halcyon Tower, one of the tallest buildings in the city. Nora had been inside it exactly once — at a charity gala two years ago, on Damien's arm, in a red dress he hadn't noticed.
This time, she walked in alone, in a charcoal suit, with a visitor badge that read: N. WALSH — CEO, NOVATECH.
The lobby receptionist, a young man with a nervous energy, called upstairs twice before waving her through. She rode the elevator to the forty-first floor — the executive level — and stepped out into a hallway that smelled of money and quiet power.
The NovaTech integration meeting was already underway.
She pushed open the glass doors and walked in.
There were eight people around the table. Seven of them she didn't know. The eighth she knew better than anyone in the world.
Damien Cross sat at the head of the table.
He looked exactly as she remembered — tall, controlled, with dark eyes that missed nothing and gave away less. He was in a black suit with no tie, sleeves rolled to the elbows, the picture of effortless authority. He had the kind of face that belonged on the cover of magazines, and he knew it, even if he pretended not to.
His eyes moved to the door when she entered.
For one heartbeat — one single, electric heartbeat — something flickered in his expression.
Then it was gone.
"Ms. Walsh," said the man to Damien's right, rising from his seat. "I'm James Holt, Head of Acquisitions. We've been expecting you. Please, sit."
"Thank you, James." Nora took the empty seat directly across from Damien.
She watched him. He was watching her too, that dark gaze measuring, calculating. The flicker was gone, replaced by the smooth, unreadable mask she knew so well.
He didn't recognize her.
Of course he didn't. She had cut her hair. She wore contacts now instead of glasses. She had spent two years becoming a different version of herself — sharper, stronger, polished into someone the world would take seriously.
But mostly, he didn't recognize her because he had never truly looked at her.
"Mr. Cross," James said, "this is Nora Walsh, founder and CEO of NovaTech. As you know, the acquisition was finalized Friday."
Damien leaned back in his chair, his eyes not leaving her face. "Ms. Walsh. Your platform's AI architecture is impressive. Our team has been studying it for months."
"I know," Nora said simply. "I read their reports."
A beat of silence.
One of the junior executives shifted uncomfortably. James cleared his throat.
Damien Cross, however, smiled — just slightly, just at one corner of his mouth. The smile of a man who had met his match and found it interesting.
"Then you know what we're planning to do with it," he said.
"I know what you were planning," Nora replied. "I have different plans."
The room went very still.
Damien Cross studied her for a long moment. Then he said, "I think this integration is going to be more interesting than I expected."
"Count on it," Nora said.
She opened her laptop and began the meeting.