I never told my family that I own a $1 billion empire. They still see me as a failure, so they invited me to Christmas Eve dinner to humiliate me and celebrate my younger sister becoming a CEO earning $500,000 a year. I wanted to see how they would treat someone they believed was poor, so I pretended to be a broken, naïve girl. But the moment I walked through the door…

“There’s something about her,” Madison murmured. “Probably just a generic corporate look.”

I held my breath. That photo was the only slip-up my security team ever made.

“Well,” Madison concluded, “Sarah Chen, their executive coordinator, called. The founder is personally handling the meeting.”

“Personally?” Uncle Harold whistled. “Unprecedented.”

“It means they recognize talent,” my mother said.

Madison’s phone buzzed again. Her eyebrows shot up. “‘Founder requests family attendance,’” she read aloud. “‘Business is personal. Since this partnership involves community trust, she invites any family members interested in Tech Vault’s local operations to attend.’”Family games

Grandmother Rose clapped her cane. “We must go. A sign of respect.”

Brandon added, “It shows a strong family unit. It’ll seal the deal.”

Madison turned to me. “Della, the meeting is literally next door. You can handle logistics—unlock the store early and let us wait inside.”

I smiled, masking my excitement. “I’ll ensure everything is ready for your… big moment.”

“Perfect,” Madison said. “Everyone, look sharp tomorrow. This is the next level.”

Christmas morning arrived with bruised-slate skies. Snow dusted the Arts District. I arrived at The Turning Page at 6:00 AM.

To the public, it was a charming, dusty bookstore. Behind the “Classics” section lay the nerve center of Tech Vault Industries.

I spent the morning prepping, ignoring customers. At 1:45 PM, luxury SUVs pulled up. My family emerged, dressed for a royal wedding—Madison in cream power suit, Brandon in bespoke wool, Grandmother Rose in furs.

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