PROLOGUE
Austin, Texas – 3 months before the gala
Sebastian Crawford leaned against the floor-to-ceiling window of his 25th-floor office, staring out at the city skyline as morning light washed over the glass towers below. The sun caught the gold watch on his wrist – a thick, classic design, engraved with the date NexTech Innovations was founded fifty years ago. A gift from his grandfather, the man who’d built the company from nothing but an idea and a garage full of computers.
His phone buzzed against the polished mahogany desk behind him. Chloe Vance (Marketing) flashed on the screen. He let it go to voicemail – he already knew what she’d say. Probably something about a new campaign concept she wanted to “discuss privately” over dinner.
Next came a text message, the screen lighting up with a heart emoji. Zara Khan (Sales): “Hey handsome – saved you a seat at the team lunch😘” He swiped left and deleted it without replying.
A third notification pinged, this time from his work email. Mia Chen (Dev Team) with a subject line: “Captain Shield – Initial Prototype Ready.” He picked up the phone, scrolling through the attached lines of code with practiced eyes. The program looked solid – clean, efficient, exactly what they needed. He typed a quick reply: “Impressive work. Let’s discuss Monday.”
A soft knock on the door pulled his attention away. Marcus Walsh, his COO and the only person he truly trusted in the building, stepped inside holding a gray folder thick enough to make Seb’s chest tighten. Red flags stuck out from between the pages like warning signs.
“We found it,” Marcus said, closing the door behind him. “The breach – it’s been hiding in our system for months. The previous owner cut corners on security to boost short-term profits. If we don’t fix it fast, we could lose every client we have.”
Seb ran a hand through his dark hair – the same frustrated gesture his grandfather used to make when things got tough, the same one that always left his perfectly styled locks slightly messy.
“How bad?” he asked, his voice quieter than he intended.
“Bad enough that if word gets out, the board will push for an immediate sale,” Marcus said, setting the folder down on the desk with a heavy thud. “Your grandfather’s company will be gone. Sold off piece by piece to the highest bidders.”
Seb turned back to the window, watching his reflection stretch across the glass – the sharp suit tailored to every inch of him, the perfect hair he’d spent ten minutes styling that morning, the face that had been splashed across Austin Magazine more than once as “The Most Eligible Billionaire.” Everyone saw the playboy, the pretty face, the lucky heir who’d been handed everything. No one saw the weight he was carrying – the weight of a legacy he wasn’t sure he could protect.
“Find me someone who knows every single piece of how this company works,” Seb said, his jaw tight. “Not just their department – all of them. Someone who can see how everything connects, how every dollar moves, how every team relies on the next.”
Marcus nodded, already pulling up notes on his own phone. “There’s only one person who has that kind of overview. Lia Chen – Head of Administrative Operations. She keeps track of everything from quarterly budgets to supply chain routes to inter-departmental workflows. If there’s a piece of this company she doesn’t know about, I haven’t found it yet.”
“Lia Chen…” Seb murmured, the name floating around in his head. “Why does that name sound familiar?”
“Because she’s the only person in this building who’s never once asked for a photo with you, or tried to schedule a ‘private meeting’ after hours,” Marcus said, a small smile touching his lips. “She’s too busy running the place to worry about anything else.”
Seb smirks – the first real smile he’d had all week, warm and genuine instead of the practiced charm he usually wore like armor.
“Good,” he said. “Let’s keep it that way – for now. I don’t need her distracted by… all this.”
He gestured around the office – the Italian leather furniture, the original abstract paintings on the walls, the floor-to-ceiling view that had cost more than most people’s homes. Marcus followed his gaze, then nodded in understanding.
“I’ll set up a meeting for next week,” Marcus said, heading for the door. “She’ll want to see the full report before we start planning.”
Marcus left, closing the door softly behind him. Seb stood alone in the quiet office, staring out at the city again. He pulled up his computer and typed her name into the employee directory – Lia Chen, Head of Administrative Operations. A simple headshot popped up – she was smiling slightly, looking directly at the camera with clear, steady eyes. No makeup, no fancy outfit – just a gray blazer and a floral scarf around her neck.
Seb leaned back in his chair, scrolling through the notes Marcus had sent over about Lia’s work. She’d streamlined three major processes in the last year alone, saving the company nearly half a million dollars. He’d always assumed people in administrative roles were just there to keep things tidy – a mistake he realized now was more snobbish than he’d like to admit.
He’d grown up surrounded by investors and executives who looked down on anyone who wasn’t in “high-level” roles – who thought operations, admin, and support staff were just background noise. For years, he’d let himself fall into that same way of thinking, brushing off requests from teams he didn’t consider “important” to the bottom line.
But looking at Lia’s record, he felt a pang of guilt. Here was someone who’d been working tirelessly to keep the company running smoothly, while he’d been out at galas and dinners playing the part of the carefree billionaire everyone expected him to be.
He made a note to look over her performance reviews before their first meeting. Little does he know, their paths are about to cross a lot sooner than planned.
