yes, the woman whose

was setting a

w she was walk

ack in college. It wasn't in a classroom or at a p

chaotic piece about a man losing his identity to a corp

tech-genius reputation and family money, stopp

en at me. A slow, dismissive

e loud enough for everyone to hear. "How cli

ith humiliation. I just stood there, speechless, as sh

s ten y

all, dusty studio. The same studio where I was

re than everything I owned. Her charisma wa

ght and blinding. "I' ve been following

intbrush dripping onto the

round my studio, examining my latest p

you, Alex," she said, f

ait

rry

. I almost laughed. The woman who had publi

l make you the CEO of one of my startups. A tech company. InnovateAI. You'

a look of faint pity in her eye

all said th

a trick,

Remember what sh

a company for getting

ew Veronica' s reputation. Ruthless. Manipulative. She crushed comp

idn't know that I had been waiting for

, her eyes shining w

disbelief cross my face. I made

re se

it quickly, though. A whirlwind romance. The board loves a g

, running a hand through my h

led with manufactured excit

e had me. The poor, struggling artist, dazzl

ng the board, and she had just handed me