Founder Removal

Ethan had three seconds to choose what kind of man he was becoming. He could lie to Priya Raman and preserve the advantage. He could tell her everything and become a hostage to disbelief. Or he could do what markets did best: reveal only the price, never the full book. "You have a board problem," he said. Priya did not blink. "Every founder has a board problem." "Tomorrow morning. Eight-thirty. Someone is going to leak a removal plan." The room's screens hummed. Outside the hidden studio, SoHo continued selling handbags to people who thought discretion was a fabric choice. Inside, the temperature seemed to drop ten degrees. "Who told you that?" "Someone who wants to see whether I can use information without stepping on a land mine." "Name."