Chapter 27 Some people are just meant to stay in your past . Those words echoed in my mind as I stood in the pristine hallway of the MIT research facility , watching the future unfold before me . Felix and I had built something beautiful here - groundbreaking research , innovative solutions , a partnership that felt unbreakable . Until the phone call that changed everything . " Drielle , " Felix said , ending his conversation and turning to me with an expression I'd never seen before - excitement mixed with something that looked almost like dread . " That was my father . " Richard Reed . Even I knew that name . Reed Industries had been a cornerstone of the aerospace sector for three decades , with government contracts and commercial partnerships that most companies could only dream of . Felix rarely talked about his family's business empire , preferring to focus on pure research rather than commercial applications . " Is everything alright ? " I asked , noticing the tension in his shoulders . Felix ran his hand through his hair , a gesture I'd come to recognize as his tell for difficult conversations . " He's stepping down . Early retirement due to health issues . " His voice was carefully controlled . " The board wants me to take over as CEO . " The words hit me like a physical blow . Reed Industries was headquartered in Boston , but their main operations were spread across the country . Taking over meant leaving MIT , leaving our research , leaving everything we'd built together . " What did you tell him ? " I asked quietly . " That I needed time to think . " Felix stepped closer , his eyes searching my face . " Drielle , this is everything my family has worked for . Three generations of aerospace innovation , government contracts worth billions , the chance to actually implement our research on a scale we could never achieve in academia . " " And what about our work here ? The Mars propulsion project is just hitting its breakthrough phase- " " Could continue under Reed Industries . Better funding , unlimited resources , access to NASA partnerships that MIT could never secure . " His voice grew more animated as he spoke . " Think about it , Drielle . Your father's research , finally given the platform it deserves . " The mention of my father was a low blow , and Felix knew it . Dad's unfinished work had shaped every choice I'd made since his death , every equation I'd solved , every late night I'd spent pushing the boundaries of what was possible . " This isn't just about research for you , is it ? " I said . " This is about proving something to your father . " Felix's jaw tightened . " Maybe it is . Maybe I'm tired of being the Reed who chose academia over empire. " He paused , his voice dropping . " But I don't want to do it without you . " " As what ? Your research partner ? Your employee ? " " As my partner in everything . " Felix reached for my hands , his touch warm and desperate . " Come with me , Drielle . Help me build something extraordinary . " I looked around the lab one more time - at our joint research , our shared equations , the life we'd built together in the pursuit of knowledge . It felt like standing at the edge of a cliff , being asked to jump without knowing if there was solid ground below . But Felix was looking at me with such hope , such need , that I found myself nodding before I could think it through . " Okay , " I whispered . " Let's do it together . " 23.9 % Chapter 28