Chapter 3

I lived in a 1,800-square-foot luxury condo, fully paid off.

When I got home, I tossed the envelope onto the hallway table.

Then, I took a long, hot bath.

I closed my eyes and started reviewing my plan.

Three years ago, I joined Richard when he was just starting out. There were only three of us in a tiny, cramped office.

Back then, he held my hand and made big promises.

"Sophia, you are my co-founder!"

"Once the company grows, I’ll give you thirty percent of the shares!"

For that promise, I chased clients day and night. I drank with them until my stomach bled just to secure deals.

In three years, I dragged his company into the top three of the industry.

But once the company started making real money, Richard changed.

He began to care about the prestige of being "the boss." He started hiring his own family.

His useless nephew, Chase, was brought in as the Head of Marketing, driving a company car and spending company money.

Meanwhile, Richard never mentioned the thirty percent share again.

Every time I dropped hints, he brushed it off, saying, "The company is still growing, and changing shares is too complicated right now."

He was terrified that I would take the clients and start my own agency.

So, he used this public humiliation to put me in my place.

He thought I was a woman who couldn't survive without his platform.

He was so full of himself.

I got out of the bath, put on a silk robe, and went into my study.

I opened my private laptop and typed in a complex password.

An encrypted database opened.

It contained detailed profiles of all my core clients from the past three years.

Every name, position, and contact info was there.

But more than that, it had their personal preferences, family details, their kids' birthdays, and even their pets' names.

It recorded their pain points in business and their psychological bottom lines during negotiations.

This database was the real goldmine.

Richard thought all the client data was safe in the company's CRM system.

He didn't know that the CRM only had the basic, surface-level information.

The real key—the reason why these clients only wanted to work with me—was right here on my laptop.

In this business, clients don't care about the company. They care about the person they deal with.

I was the one who generated eighty percent of the revenue.

I picked up my phone and found a contact I had saved for a long time but never called.

The contact name was: **Amanda Vance - Vanguard Media**.

Vanguard Media was Harris Advertising's biggest rival.

Its CEO, Amanda Vance, was a powerful woman in her early forties.

Six months ago, at an industry summit, she had approached me and said only one thing.

"Sophia, a talent like you is wasted at Harris. The VP position at Vanguard is always open for you. Call me whenever you're ready."

I dialed the number.

The phone rang three times before she picked up.

"Hello?" Amanda’s voice came through.

"Ms. Vance, it's Sophia Miller," I said, my voice calm and clear.

There was a two-second silence on the other end, followed by a light chuckle.

"Sophia, I’ve been waiting for this call for six months."

"I guess you’ve finally made up your mind."

I said quietly, "I have. Is the offer we talked about last time still valid?"

Amanda’s voice was filled with excitement. "Absolutely! VP and Sales Director. Name your salary."

"Plus, I'll give you five percent of Vanguard’s shares."

"I only have one question."

"What is it?"

"How many of your major clients can you bring over?"

I smiled, feeling entirely confident.

"It’s not a question of how many, Ms. Vance."

"They go wherever I go."

### 第三章