Chapter 103

In the special guest seats, Howard watched Megan onstage, but his mind drifted back to years ago. Pivoting Larson Group hadn't been easy, especially moving from a traditional business into high tech. The night he chose that path, he knew the years ahead would be brutal. And he'd been grateful Megan stayed by his side. They lived out of suitcases, drifting between cities and countries. One winter, they went to Zebury for negotiations, but it was a setup. Their only chance was to escape by jumping onto a cargo boat. The sea was merciless, and the wind cut like blades. The boat pitched hard as they ran, with no signal and no way of knowing what waited in front of them. For 12 hours, the only person either of them could rely on was the other. It was bitterly cold. They curled up in the cabin and still shivered under every layer. When he saw her lips go purple, he knew he didn't look much better. He blamed himself for stepping into the trap. He hadn't been strong enough and had dra