The town car glided away from the Sterling estate, the lights of the mansion fading into the rearview mirror.
Elena sat next to me, her hand resting on my knee. The adrenaline of the confrontation was fading, replaced by a quiet, intense curiosity.
"You said you beat him before," she said softly, breaking the silence. "With Sofia. But you never told me how. You've only known her for... what? Two months?"
I looked out the window at the passing snow. It was time to tell the real story mixed while leaving out some details.
"It wasn't ancient history, Elena," I said. "It was the first week of the semester. The week I met Sofia."
"I thought you met her at a networking event."
"I met her in her office," I corrected. "Uninvited. I walked past security and interrupted a board meeting."
Elena's eyes widened. "You're joking."
"I wish I was. I had been studying Aldridge Holdings for weeks. I was trying to figure out how to get her attention. And then I saw it."
"Saw what?"
