Prologue

Julie

Julie had wanted to follow in her parents' footsteps ever since she could remember. It had always been her dream to one day take over the software development company her father owned. In high school, when the other girls were at dances or out with boys, she was home, at her computer, with a book in her hand. She'd sit at the table, during dinner, telling her parents what she'd learned each day. They were both thrilled for her. Her mom would go on and on about how proud she was of what Julie was doing, and her dad would tell her she was learning and to keep up the good work. Then he'd turn his head toward his son, whose eyes glazed over every single time, and start rattling off things about the family business.

Gavin was all their dad could talk about, and it drove Julie crazy. He was going to make something of himself. He was going to learn each day, after graduation, by being right by his dad's side. He was going to run the company better than his parents ever had.

Julie wasn't mad at her brother. She couldn't be. It wasn't his fault. He'd told his parents several times that he didn't like development. He'd not once picked up a book on the subject or opened a program. No matter what programming language their dad would mention, her brother would always make an excuse to get out of there as fast as he could, but that didn't stop their dad one bit. He'd be right back there again not long after. No, Julie wasn't mad at her brother. A bit envious maybe, but never mad, not at him anyway.

Her father on the other hand, he was really pissing her off. It wasn't that he was discouraging, not at all. He'd tell her he was proud, and he'd talk to her about what she was doing. Then he'd tell her how happy he was going to be when she graduated high school and came to work for him. Not with him, but for him. Her brother was going to take over the company and rule the world, and she was going to work for them.

By the time Julie had graduated high school, she'd written multiple programs to make her life easier, but she'd given up on the thought of convincing her father that she'd be the one taking over the world. Oh, she was still going to do it. She was just sure that it wouldn't be while she was at the head of the family business. That ship had sailed.

Instead of staying home and working for her father, she went to college. Did she need to go? Not at all. She already knew more than most of the classes were going to teach her, but she decided to go anyway. She'd get that piece of paper, and maybe then her father would notice her. That was what she'd hoped anyway.

Her twin sister Jessie was going away to school, and she was happy to go with her. They could have stayed home and gone to a school that was just as good, but Jessie didn't want to. She wanted distance, and Julie didn't mind the idea one bit, so they ended up going a few hours away. Not too far, but not too close either. Since there were two of them, it was cheaper for her parents to rent them an apartment, so that was what they did, and Julie was pretty sure that was exactly why Jessie had pushed for her to go with her.

Julie and Jessie had been close growing up, but they'd never experienced that super connected twin bonding you hear about. It was probably because they were like night and day, or at least that was what Julie had always told herself. Where Julie was more of a loner, Jessie was social. Where Julie was concerned with everyone's feelings, Jessie was more concerned with herself. Where Julie was an emotional person, Jessie was not. Even though they were opposites, they were the closest family the other had.

Julie had gone home to work with her dad the summer after her first year of college, and it had gone well, but he hadn't changed a bit. He'd give her tasks, and she'd do them, but that was it. It was still all about her brother and how in one year he'd be there too.

Just as she finished her second year of college, something had happened that she was sure was going to change everything. Her brother and his best friend Jack announced that they were going into the service. While it was breaking her heart thinking about her brother possibly having to go to war one day, she was also very proud of him. He'd be helping their country, and he'd be doing what he wanted to do. When her father got to his feet, letting her brother know that he was supposed to be there and that he was supposed to take over, she got to hers, and she took off toward the house.

There was only one person in their whole crew that Julie knew she could count on, and he was right behind her. It was her best friend Jason, and as soon as they got through the door and away from everyone, he wrapped his arms around her, she grabbed his shirt, leaned against his chest, and cried.

“He's never believed in me,” she whispered through her sobs.

“He's going to be team Julie,” Jason said. “You'll see. You're going to be working for him this summer and next, and by the time that's over, he'll wonder why he ever thought Gavin would be a better person for the job. That company is going to be yours, Julie. You've worked too damn hard for it not to be.”

“I hope you're right,” she said, as he pulled her back and dried her tears.

Since Julie always saw the good in everyone and in every situation, that hope she'd felt before was sparked again.

Those two summers had come and gone. She'd done everything she possibly could to prove her worth to her father, and when she headed back to school for her final year, she knew she had some big decisions to make.

Jason had been wrong. Her father wasn't team Julie. He didn't see her as a better person for the job, and the company was never going to be hers. She had nine months to decide if she was willing to give in and spend the rest of her life working for her father or if she was going to cut her losses and take on the world alone.