If there wasn’t so much nervous energy pumping through my veins, combined with caffeine, I might be dragging my feet. At seven this morning, I carried my sleeping daughter into her bed. I then waited for her nanny to come through the door before going back to the office.

I know I look like death warmed over, a sleepless night is hardly the ideal situation before a day as important as this one, but if I pull this off, then I’m set for life.

I have to crush this.

It will go well. It has to.

So why is my stomach in such a tight knot?

I watch people filing into the room. They’re from all walks of life, really—investors, enthusiasts, tech writers. The conference draws thousands of people from around the world every year. There’s always plenty of excitement when it comes to getting the first look at a new piece of technology.

It’s a theater in the round, with multiple levels of seating arranged in a circle around the room. As the minutes tick by, the buzz grows.

I’m still not completely sure Sam is telling the truth and won’t be until Weissman’s people demonstrate, but a little faith never hurt anybody. Especially after what I found out last night. Access logs and security tapes having been flawlessly doctored. Lou would never have noticed, and I might have missed it too, but I know my lab inside out. I know the vents open at only certain times and they seemed to be opening at the wrong times.

Some of these doctored tapes dated before Sam even started working for me.

I still don’t know why Ryland would do it, though. This is what sticks in my craw as I stand behind the curtain separating those of us preparing for demonstrations from the hundreds of spectators filling the seats. Why would he go behind my back this way? What did I ever do to him? And he sat there, just as surprised and offended as anybody, when we found out Weissman had stolen our design.

No. My design.

Ryland, my best friend. My buddy. It has to be him. Only he knew enough about the design to take it to someone else. He maneuvered Sam’s hiring in the company. She was the perfect decoy, wasn’t she? They could blame it all on her.

Which reminds me.

I peer through the opening in the curtains, scanning the room for any sign of Weissman. He’ll be out there, naturally, since his corporation is performing a demo. He’ll want to witness his triumph over his biggest competitor in person. Not just the success of his drone, but the destruction of mine.

He might be in for quite a surprise.

Ryland approaches, grinning from ear to ear.

I stare at him. Still not wanting to believe how wrong I’ve been. His smile is so real, so full of pride I could actually believe he’s my friend. I’ve seen that grin so many times. Before a game, before an important presentation, when he stood as my best man. If it weren’t for Sam, I wouldn’t have the slightest clue of what might be behind that grin. Those friendly eyes.

“Ready for this?” he asks, his voice full of excitement.

Is it excitement at the thought of seeing me fail? It has to be. Does he secretly hate me that much? It might not even be personal, really. Maybe he’s just collecting a hefty payday from Weissman, of a bigger share of Weissman’s company, once mine has been destroyed. Who knows? I want so much to ask him about the tapes. I want to ask what I did to leave him so vulnerable to bribery, if that’s what this is all about, but I don’t. I turn away from him. I actually can’t look at him.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I murmur, looking out over the audience again.

“You’re nervous?”

“Yeah.” I don’t turn to face him. He might be able to read me if I look him in the eye. Let him think I’m having a bad case of nerves and leave it at that.

“Don’t worry. Your drone will kill it.” He slaps my back.

My first instinct is to turn around and sock him in the jaw. But I don’t. Soon, he will be nothing to me. What is important is my company. My eyes catch movement.

There he is. The smug son of a bitch, moving toward his seat in the front row. Very good, Vince, very good. All the better to watch me destroy you.

I wish Sam were here. Damn it, why was I so quick to judge her? I pushed her away out of hurt and rage. Even though I called her a whore—something I still haven’t forgiven myself for—she reached out to me and clued me in on the trick she played on Ryland. She didn’t have to do that. She could’ve left me to my own devices. She could’ve hung me out to dry.

“Looks like we’re up before Arcane,” Ryland whispers, standing close to me.

I force myself not to move away. I turn to look at him, my face composed. He is going to get such a shock. “Good, because I don’t feel like waiting for them to get through their presentation before I get through ours.” And it’ll look better for me to present first, too. They’ll be the ones who look like thieves—which is what they are.

“Wait. What?” It’s a sharp question, surprised. Dismayed, even.

“Yeah, I’m running the demonstration, myself.”

He frowns suspiciously. “But I’ve been rehearsing it for days.”

“I’m sure you have, but nobody knows more about my drone than I do. It’s my baby and has been from the beginning. I’m presenting.” I glance at him from the corner of my eye, almost daring him to defy me on this. I wouldn’t want to tip my hand too early, but he’s pushing me to the breaking point.

He sees this, too, knows me well enough to know when I’ve had just about enough. He nods. “All right. Go for it. Good luck.”

I wish I believed he really wants me to do well. It’s a soul-destroying feeling when the person you loved like brother for as far back as you can remember—turns out to be your enemy.

The host of the presentation is stepping out onto the stage now, to the applause of the audience. They’re ready to be wowed—well, I have a feeling they’ll get what they came for.

“First up today is Guardian Technologies, presenting their design for a long-range drone.”

More applause.

The knot in my stomach is as tight as it’s ever been. Maybe tighter.

I carry the drone out to the stage, smiling. Nobody has touched it today except for me. I won’t take any chances. This is it. Everything we’ve worked toward, everything we’ve dreamed of. The entire future of my company and everyone who works in it.

Yeah. No pressure.

I place the drone on the table and get an image of Sam in my head. She should be here with me. If this presentation goes successfully, it’s because of her. Not me. She saved us. I owe her big time.

I scan the room, searching the crowd. They’re an eager, captive audience. And the most eager member isn’t Weissman, either.

It’s his daughter.

There she is, up top, standing with her back to the wall. Directly across from where I’m standing now. Arms folded, eyes boring holes into me. When I look into them, she lifts her chin in that defiant way of hers. Daring me to make a scene, to call her out. To even give an indication that I know her.

I wish I could tell her I believe her, but not until I see what Arcane does. But I believe her when she says she didn’t want to hurt me. I believe she didn’t use me the way I accused her of doing.

There’s only one way to find out if she’s telling the truth about the rest of it.

My smile widens. “Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.”