Chapter 10 - The View from the Top
Six months later, the annual Global Tech and Security Summit was held in Singapore.
The grand ballroom of the Marina Bay Sands was filled with foreign dignitaries, billionaire tech founders, and international security experts.
I stood near the balcony railing, wearing a stunning midnight-blue backless gown, holding a glass of sparkling water as I looked out over the lit-up skyline of the city.
"Ms. Blake?" a smooth voice called from behind me.
I turned to see a tall, distinguished man in a dark tuxedo holding a folder. It was Marcus Thorne, the Director of International Cyber Infrastructure for the United Nations.
"Director Thorne," I smiled, shaking his hand.
"Your keynote address on decentralized data protection was remarkable tonight," Thorne said genuinely. "The entire delegation was blown away. It's rare to see someone blend deep technical mastery with such a clear human focus."
"When you build systems from scratch," I replied, "you learn that the human element is the only thing that actually matters."
"We'd love to offer your firm the primary advisory contract for the Southeast Asian digital infrastructure initiative," Thorne said, handing me the folder. "It's a five-year project. It would require you to travel quite a bit."
I took the folder, looking at the seal on the cover. A year ago, the thought of being stuck in Southeast Asia without a safety net was my worst nightmare. Today, it was just another continent waiting to be mapped.
"I'd be honored, Director," I said smoothly. "My team will review the parameters tomorrow."
As Thorne walked back to join the delegation, my phone buzzed in my clutch bag. I pulled it out, seeing a photo message from Chloe. It was a picture of her holding a blue ribbon from her middle-school science fair, her smile wide and bright.
Look Sienna! I won first place with the algorithm you showed me!
I smiled warmly, typing back a quick reply: I never doubted you for a second, kiddo. So proud of you.
I slipped the phone back into my bag and walked back out onto the balcony, feeling the warm tropical breeze sweep across my skin.
I thought back to that quiet morning in Thailand—the cold sheets, the missing passport, the cruel note left on the floor. Evelyn had thought she was throwing me into an abyss. She didn't realize she was just kicking me out of a cage I had outgrown years ago.
May you like
They had asked who would come for me when I was left with nothing.
The answer was simple: I didn't need anyone to come for me. I was the one who came for myself.
