Chapter 7

"He's famous for that!" Marcus's voice rises. "He literally wrote an op-ed about it in the Wall Street Journal! It's his whole thing: he doesn't wear suits! Everyone knows this!"Victoria sinks into her chair. The leather squeaks; the sound makes her flinch. "Can we fix this?"Marcus pulls out his phone, starts scrolling. His jaw tightens. "Cole Ventures was our only option, Victoria. We've been rejected by twenty-three other firms. Cole was interested because of our tech. He spent eight months researching us.""Eight months... So, we apologize. We explain. We—""He invests based on character." Marcus looks up from his phone. "He said it in every interview. He doesn't care about pitch decks. He cares about leadership, about how people treat others."The words land like stones.Victoria tries Darien's number again: voicemail. She doesn't leave a message this time. She opens her laptop, types an email with shaking fingers:Dear Mr. Cole,I want to sincerely apologize for the confusion this morning. It was a hectic day and I failed to properly review my schedule. I would be honored to reschedule at your convenience. Our entire team is excited about the possibility of partnering with Cole Ventures.Warmest regards,Victoria AshfordShe hits send. The whoosh sound feels final.Marcus is still scrolling his phone. "Oh no.""What?""Klaus posted something." He shows her the screen. The German investor's tweet doesn't name anyone, but it's obvious:Witnessed a shocking display of unprofessionalism at an SF meeting today. How you treat people says everything about character. #BusinessEthicsIt already has 240 retweets.Victoria's phone rings. She jumps. But it's not Darien; it's Richard, the board chairman."Victoria, I just got off the phone with Klaus. He said you threw someone out of your meeting this morning."

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