Chapter 3

"Why, you!" My father's furious voice crackled through the receiver, but for a long moment, he could not form a coherent sentence. He was clearly beside himself with rage.

I listened to his labored breathing on the other end, then hung up without hesitation and blocked the number.

…

Sure enough, Cam was thriving at Daybreak.

His team targeted us on every project. He stole our clients, undercut our prices, poached our staff, and openly mocked us as a "small-time outfit."

At an industry mixer, he loudly held court. The moment he spotted me, he raised his voice even further. "Women are nothing more than appendages to a family in the end. A woman's proper place is at the stove and beside a man.

"Working yourself to death for a career gets you nowhere. You're better off finding someone to lean on and cashing in on your worth while you're still young."

The people around him laughed along.

I didn't say a word.

Misha's eyes reddened with anger. "Miss Selwyn, he's walking all over us!"

"What's the rush?" I said as I flipped through the reports. "Let him jump."

I needed him to jump even higher.

…

Then the opportunity came.

For the city's Smart Park project, Daybreak and our company emerged as the two strongest competitors.

Cam came at us hard. He submitted an absurdly low bid, promised a laughably short timeline, and poached one of our engineers, someone with access to some of our technical details.

Only I knew that some of the "details" the engineer had taken were things I'd deliberately allowed him to see. None of it touched our core technology, but it was tempting enough to serve its purpose.

Before the bid presentation, Cam and I crossed paths outside the venue.

He wore an expensive new suit and practically radiated confidence. The moment he saw me, he stopped and gave me a contemptuous smirk. "Miss Selwyn, we meet again. We're determined to win this project."

He stepped closer and lowered his voice. "Sam, don't waste your energy. This era is a battlefield for men. You'd be better off giving up those little games of yours while you still can and getting married. Maybe someday, if I'm in a good mood, I'll throw you a bone, sis."

Snickers rose from the crowd behind him.

I met his eyes calmly. "Is that so? Then I hope you get everything you wish for."

My composure only enraged him further. He scoffed and strode into the venue with his head held high.

…

When the presentations ended, Daybreak won the bid.

Amid the applause, Cam rose from his seat, turned toward me, and shot me a triumphant, provocative look.

I remained seated and unmoving. Only when he passed me, brimming with smug satisfaction, did I raise my hands and clap softly.

Each clap rang out clearly.

Cam's steps faltered. He frowned at me, unable to understand why I was so calm.

I stood, straightened my suit, and gave him the first genuinely relaxed smile I'd worn in months. There was no anger in it, only cold understanding and quiet mockery.

Cam froze. His smug expression vanished in an instant.

I didn't spare him another glance. I turned and headed for the side door.

Misha was waiting there with bright eyes and a thick folder in her hands. "Miss Selwyn, everything's ready."

"Good. Time to reel in the net."