Chapter 6
I had barely settled into my office after the All-Hands when my phone buzzed with an internal message.
My manager, Emily, Singularity’s VP R&D was on the line.
“Can you come by my office at 10:30?”
My heart skipped a beat. I knew what this was about. The raise. The stock options. The rewards.
Victor Sterling didn’t hand out leadership titles without a hefty compensation package. And I had just been handed the biggest project in Singularity’s history.
I closed my laptop and stood, smoothing my dress. I had worked too hard for this moment.
It was finally time to cash in.
Emily’s office was at the corner of the management floor - two floors above where I usually lived.
She greeted me with a warm smile. "Nora! Congratulations again."
"Thanks, Emily," I said, sitting across from her desk.
She slid a sleek black folder across the table. "Let’s go over the details."
I flipped it open. My new title was printed at the top - Chief AI Engineer, Senior Director, Level 8. I felt a small rush of adrenaline.
Then my new salary.
It was massive.
Almost double what I had been making.
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Plus stock options. More than I had expected.
"Wow," I murmured.
Emily chuckled. "Yeah, it’s a good package. You’re leading Ikaros, Nora. You deserve it."
I scanned through the pages, barely listening as she explained the finer points—vesting schedules, bonus structures, long-term incentives.
And then, at the bottom, I saw it.
A single line:
"Assignment of all intellectual property to Singularity."
I looked up at Emily. "This means everything I create… belongs to them?"
She hesitated. "Yes, but that’s standard for executives at this level. It ensures continuity and protection of company assets."
I hesitated. This was my work. My ideas. My legacy.
But… this was also the opportunity of a lifetime.
I took the pen and signed.
That night, I told Paolo.
We sat at the kitchen table, the contract open between us, a bottle of Chianti breathing beside it.
Paolo whistled when he saw the number. "Madonna. That’s more than my padre made in a lifetime."
I exhaled, still trying to wrap my head around it. "It’s… a lot."
He took my hands in his, squeezing them. "You did it, amore."
I smiled, but something inside me twisted.
I had signed away my creations.
But maybe that was the price of greatness.
We celebrated the way people in Silicon Valley do when they think they’ve made it.
We bought a house.
Not just a house—our dream house.
A sleek, modern four-bedroom home in Palo Alto, minutes from Singularity’s offices. Floor to ceiling windows, a smart home system that controlled everything from the lights to the temperature to the music.
Claire, who had grown up in tiny apartments, squealed when she saw her new room.
"It’s HUGE!" she said, spinning in circles on the plush white carpet.
Paolo ran his hands over the kitchen counters, admiring the marble finish. "This… this is beautiful, amore."
And then there was the pool.
A 40 foot long pool in the backyard. The kind I had always dreamed of, but never imagined owning.
Claire ran straight outside and dipped her hand into the water. "Can we swim right now?" she asked, eyes wide.
Paolo laughed, pulling off his shirt. "Why not?"
And just like that, they both jumped in, fully clothed.
I watched from the patio, sipping my wine, drinking in the moment.
We had made it.
We had really made it.
To celebrate, we flew to Paris.
It was a fantasy trip - the kind I had dreamed about since I was a girl.
We stayed at a boutique hotel with a view of the Seine. Ate at Michelin - starred restaurants. Walked along the Champs - élysées.
One night, after too much wine, we found ourselves dancing under the Eiffel Tower.
Claire fell asleep in Paolo’s arms as we wandered back to our hotel.
"You’re happy, si?" Paolo murmured, brushing a kiss against my hair.
I leaned into him. "I am."
And at that moment, I was.
Everything felt perfect.
I had power. I had love. I had security.
Nothing could go wrong.
Nothing.
