Chapter 1

To beat our competitor to a meeting with Atlas Group's COO, I paid the $4,000-plus fare difference myself for the last available business-class seat.

I returned to the office with news that our $50 million deal was about to close.

What I got instead of a celebration was a termination email sent to the entire company.

*Kate Morgan has disregarded the company's new travel and cost-control policy, setting a damaging precedent. Effective immediately, she is terminated from her position as Senior Vice President.*

I stared at the email for a few seconds, then pushed open Eric's office door.

"What is this?"

Paige, the newly appointed Chief of Staff, stood beside his desk with a file in her arms.

She did not look surprised to see me.

"The new policy has been in place for two weeks. All business travel must be economy class. You're a senior executive, and you're the first person to openly break the rule. If we make an exception for you, why would anyone else follow it?"

I was so angry I almost laughed.

"Every economy seat on the flights that could get me to New York in time was sold out yesterday. I submitted an Emergency Travel Exception request. The status stayed Pending the entire time. I also paid the $4,000-plus fare difference myself. The company didn't spend an extra cent."

"If I hadn't gone, Atlas would have met with our competitor last night."

Paige kept her voice calm and professional.

"This isn't about four thousand dollars. It's about policy. If you get to make your own decision without waiting for approval because you're the CEO's fiancée, then what's the point of the Cost Control Program I'm rolling out?"

I ignored her and looked straight at Eric.

Yesterday morning, Daniel, the COO of Atlas, had suddenly moved our final meeting up to that evening.

I had spent eight months on this deal.

I handled almost every stage myself, from the original needs assessment to four versions of the proposal, two rounds of revised pricing, and the final board review.

Atlas had considered switching vendors three times.

When Daniel refused to schedule another meeting, I led the team back through their requirements and rebuilt the proposal.

When Atlas wasn't satisfied with our plan, I spent days revising it again.

But yesterday, our competitor's team was already in New York.

There was only one flight I could catch.

The last available seat was in business class.

I had no other choice.

Fortunately, I made it.

We negotiated until after midnight.

Daniel told me himself that the Atlas board had approved most of our proposal. Once we completed the final step, we could officially sign a three-year contract worth $50 million.

Before I left, Daniel stopped me privately.

"There's one more thing. Now that we're in the final stage, I need to know immediately if the person leading this project changes."

He paused.

"What the board cares about now isn't just Carter's proposal. They also want to know whether you'll still be the person responsible for delivering it."

On the flight home, I had been thinking about how this would become the largest contract in Carter Solutions' history.

I had even thought I could finally make time to settle the wedding plans Eric and I had put off for six months.

And now he sat behind his desk.

He hadn't even asked why I'd done it.

"Paige is right."

I stared at him.

"Eric, that's a $50 million deal."

"I know."

He closed the file in front of him. His impatience was obvious.

"But we're not talking about the size of the deal. We're talking about your judgment. The new policy was just introduced, and you were the first Senior Vice President to go around the process. If I do nothing, what will the rest of the company think?"

I swallowed my anger.

"I didn't go around the process. I applied for an exception, and I didn't spend a single dollar of company money."

Eric frowned.

"Kate, don't act like you're so irreplaceable."

I went quiet.

He kept talking.

"I've known Atlas's chairman for years. Our companies already had a business relationship. All you did this time was handle the final round of talks. Don't act as if a deal that already had a good chance of closing happened because of you alone."

Eight months of negotiations, proposals, and revised pricing had become nothing more than "the final round of talks."

Paige gave a small laugh.

"The company gave you the platform, the team, and the name behind you. Bringing in clients is part of your job. Doing your job doesn't put you above company policy."

She leaned over to pick up a file beside Eric.

Eric casually put a hand on her waist.

Paige did not move away.

The gesture was far too familiar.

I looked at them.

All the things that had felt wrong over the past few months suddenly made sense.

Eric noticed where I was looking. His expression changed slightly.

"Don't start imagining things. Paige and I only work together."

I gave him a faint smile.

"Did I ask?"

His face darkened.

He opened a drawer, pulled out a document, and pushed it toward me.

"The termination papers are already signed."

I looked at the signature on the last page.

Eric Carter.

I knew that signature by heart.

Over the past six years, from our first round of funding to our first major client, we had signed countless contracts together.

This was the first time he had used that signature to push me out of the company.

I picked up the document.

"This is effective now?"

Eric frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"From this moment on, I no longer work for Carter. Correct?"

Paige answered before he could.

"Correct. The company-wide email has already gone out."

I nodded.

I said nothing else and walked out.

The moment the elevator doors closed, I called a number I had not contacted on my own in more than a year.

"Kate?"

Alex sounded surprised.

"The position you talked to me about last year. Is it still open?"

There was a brief silence before he laughed.

"If you want it, you're always welcome."

I watched the floor numbers drop.

"The title isn't enough. I want Equity Partner."

Alex was silent for two seconds.

"Done."

"Send me the agreement."

"No problem. But Nova and Carter are direct competitors. Once you join us, there's no going back."

I thought about the termination Eric had signed with his own hand.

"I'm not planning to go back."

After I hung up, I returned to my office to pack my things.

A system notification suddenly appeared on my screen.

*Atlas Group Account Lead Updated*

I had been the account lead.

Now the name listed there was Paige Reed.

I stared at it.

A second later, my phone buzzed.

Daniel had texted me.

*Who is Paige?*

Another message came right after it.

*Why is she telling us you'll no longer be involved?*

Before I could reply, a message from Eric appeared.

*Atlas belongs to Carter. Stay away from my client.*

I smiled when I saw the words *my client*.

Even now, he still didn't understand.

Atlas had never said they chose Carter.