“Before I sign,” I said softly, “can I ask who drafted this?” Julian rolled his eyes. “Bergman and Cole. The best. Don’t bother reading it, sweetheart, your little coding brain won’t follow the language.” I nodded slowly. “Funny. Bergman and Cole also drafted the operating agreement for Vireo Analytics three years ago. Remember Vireo, Julian?” His smirk twitched. Vireo was the shell company I’d created back when Julian first started “forgetting” to include me in board meetings. My father, quietly furious on my behalf, had suggested it. Every line of proprietary code Julian’s company licensed — the recommendation engine, the fraud detector, the entire backend that clients paid millions for — was technically owned by Vireo. And Vireo was owned by me. Only me. His mother set her wine down. “Elena, don’t be dramatic.” “I’m not being dramatic, Diane. I’m being thorough.” I slid my phone across the counter. On the screen was an email, timestamped nine minutes ago, sent to Julian’s board. Subject line: Immediate Revocation of Licensing Agreement — Vireo Analytics LLC. “As of midnight tonight,” I said, “your company legally cannot run its own software. Your clients will get outage notices by breakfast. Your investors will get my phone number by lunch.” Julian’s face drained of color. “You wouldn’t.” “I already did.” I clicked the pen once more and slid the unsigned postnup back toward him. “Keep it. You’ll need something to sign when the board asks for your resignation.” I picked up my keys. At the door, I turned. “Oh — and Julian? I’m not childless. I’m just not having children with you.” Diane gasped. Julian sank onto a barstool. I walked out into the cool blue evening, and for the first time in six years, I could hear myself breathe.
