My sister wanted me unemployed because she couldn’t stand seeing me succeed, but the moment Meridian Dynamics’ CEO entered the ballroom, her smile disappeared.

The ballroom of the Grand Hyatt was packed with three hundred high-society figures, military representatives, and tech journalists. Crystal chandeliers hung from the high ceilings, casting a brilliant glow over champagne towers, gourmet catering stations, and massive LED presentation screens displaying the silver logo of Vanguard Tech.

I sat in the back row of the VIP balcony, dressed in a sleek black silk jumpsuit, a pair of noise-canceling earpieces hidden beneath my dark hair. Beside me sat Marcus Vance and Sarah Lin, both wearing casual evening attire to blend in with the high-yield investors.

Down on the main floor, standing near the bar in an backless red velvet dress, was Vanessa.

She was holding a glass of high-end prosecco, laughing loudly with three junior Vanguard executives, her head tilted back with that familiar, performative arrogance. She looked like she believed she had finally arrived at the peak of success—the golden girl surrounded by wealth and influence.

Sitting two rows away from her, looking completely out of place in their cheap formal wear, were Mom and Dad. Mom was beaming, pointing at Vanessa, boasting to a woman sitting next to her about her "brilliant daughter who was leading Vanguard's new division."

"She brought them as her guests," Sarah Lin whispered into her microphone, reviewing the attendee list on her smartwatch. "She put them on Vanguard's corporate tab."

"Of course she did," I murmured, watching Mom sip champagne. "Vanessa needed an audience for her victory lap."

At 8:00 PM sharp, the house lights dimmed. A dramatic, heavy bass beat reverberated through the subwoofer speakers as the CEO of Vanguard Tech, a slick fifty-year-old named Gregory Sterling, stepped onto the main stage wearing a black turtleneck and an expensive smartwatch.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Sterling announced, his voice amplified across the room. "Tonight, Vanguard Tech redefines national security forever. Welcome to the launch of Aegis Grid."

The audience applauded enthusiastically. Down on the floor, Mom clapped so hard her bracelets clattered together.

"For months," Sterling continued, pacing the stage with practiced charisma, "our elite software engineering team has worked around the clock to solve the critical vulnerabilities in global energy networks. Today, we demonstrate live, real-time grid stabilization."

He gestured to a large touch-screen console standing on a pedestal in the center of the stage.

"To execute the live deployment," Sterling smiled, looking toward the side of the stage, "I’d like to invite the brilliant young strategist who brought this core framework to our attention: Miss Vanessa Bennett."

Vanessa gasped dramatically, placing her hand over her heart as if she were surprised, even though I knew she had rehearsed this walk for three days. She glided up the stage stairs, her red dress trailing behind her, beaming as the crowd applauded.

She stepped up to the console, looking out over the audience with supreme, intoxicating pride. She caught Mom's eye in the second row, offering a subtle, triumphant wink.

"Vanessa," Sterling said, handing her a digital stylus. "Do the honors. Stabilize the network."

Vanessa turned to the giant screen, raised the stylus, and pressed the green [DEPLOY CODE] icon in the center of the display.