“You’re being left with yourself.”
Her voice softened.
“And I can’t imagine a harsher punishment.”
Then she turned away.
Leo and Ethan walked beside her.
Their medals flashed beneath the lights as the three of them disappeared down the corridor.
I stayed on my knees until the sound of their footsteps vanished.
By sunrise, my world had collapsed.
Financial networks ran nonstop coverage of Sterling Dominion.
Federal authorities seized records from company headquarters.
Board members resigned.
Investigations multiplied.
Victoria immediately filed for divorce and began fighting to protect whatever remained of her family trust.
Preston was removed from his elite academy.
Once people began examining his academic history, much of his supposed brilliance disappeared along with the money supporting it.
I lost the mansion.
The cars.
The company.
The title.
Everything I had spent thirteen years sacrificing people to obtain.
Six months later, I was sitting alone on a wet park bench across from MIT.
My coat had come from a thrift store.
Rain gathered along the edge of my sleeves.
Across the street, students crowded around a large auditorium.
Banners hung from the stone pillars announcing the International Quantum Computing Summit.
Two names dominated the largest banner:
**LEO HOLLOWAY & ETHAN HOLLOWAY**
Underneath was another line:
**In Honor of Dr. Elena Holloway**
I stared at it until a car stopped at the curb.
Elena stepped out.
She looked healthier than I remembered.
Peaceful.
Then Leo and Ethan emerged beside her.
They wore dark tailored suits but none of the ridiculous displays of wealth I had once considered important.
No luxury watches.
No designer logos.
They didn’t need them.
Their confidence came from something money couldn’t manufacture.
Reporters immediately surrounded them.
Questions flew about their new computational framework.
Leo smiled and placed an arm around Elena’s shoulders.
Then one reporter asked where their extraordinary talent came from.
Leo looked at his mother.
“Our intelligence didn’t come from some corporate dynasty or wealthy sponsor.”
The reporters fell quiet.
“It came from a mother who taught us that intelligence means nothing without integrity.”
Applause broke out.
The three of them climbed the stone steps together.
Then the doors closed behind them.
Continue reading on the next page →
