Chapter 2

I caught the elevator doors just before they closed.

"Chloe, what's being replaced at nine tomorrow night?"

She blinked and turned her phone facedown against her palm.

"It's just a system task. Elena, are you seriously going to look up every term from the conference and interrogate me about it?"

Julian stood at the far end of the hall, his voice cold.

"Tomorrow is the project showcase. We're replacing the presentation file. Lena, stop turning everything into a relationship issue."

I released the elevator door.

"Fine."

The next afternoon, Professor Reyes called me into the auditorium.

"Elena, your urban rainfall forecasting model was added to the showcase at the last minute. There's a seat in the front row reserved for the model's original developer. Put on your badge and get over there."

I froze for a few seconds.

That model had taken me two sleepless years to build.

Julian had once borrowed it to improve the algorithm in his competition project.

He'd promised he would present only the joint module and wouldn't touch my credit.

But when the auditorium screen lit up, the names at the top of the title slide were Julian Ashford and Chloe Bennett.

The host introduced them with a smile.

"These two young researchers integrated a weather model into urban traffic management. I hear even their shared calendar helped inspire the project?"

Chloe lifted the microphone with a modest smile.

"It was mostly Julian's idea. I only helped organize some of his day-to-day scheduling data. Those scattered notes weren't exactly technical, but they did give him a little inspiration."

Someone nearby whispered.

"I heard his girlfriend studies meteorology too. She probably just kept track of the weather for them."

"They've been long distance for three years. You really think she kept up with their project? She was probably more like his personal assistant."

Professor Reyes whipped around to look at me.

"Wasn't the original model yours?"

I didn't answer.

Julian had already seen me.

His gaze lingered on my face for half a second before he looked away and continued explaining the model's Sunny Day coding sequence.

During the Q&A, I raised my hand.

"Why is the fifth code group missing?"

Julian held the presentation remote, his expression composed.

"The early samples had limited value, so we cleaned the data."

"Who authorized you to do that?"

The auditorium went silent.

Chloe was the first to laugh.

"This student clearly doesn't understand our collaboration rules, because Julian is the project lead. Of course he has the right to remove low-value data. There's no reason to waste everyone's time over one old record, is there?"

Julian looked at me and lowered his voice.

"Lena, sit down. We'll talk after this is over."

"What about credit for the original model?"

His fingers tapped lightly against the remote.

"Your model never passed an independent review. Crediting it now would affect the judging. Once the project is stable, I'll submit a clarification—so don't make a scene in public."

Professor Reyes stood up.

"She submitted a complete validation report. I signed it myself!"

Chloe's expression shifted, but her smile returned almost immediately.

"Professor Reyes, there were so many versions of the files that I may have missed it while organizing them. Julian has been under so much pressure lately. Elena, since you're already here, don't drag a personal dispute onto the stage."

Julian didn't look at the report.

He merely nodded to the staff.

"Continue."

The screen changed to the acknowledgments slide.

Advisors, teammates, partner labs...

One name after another appeared.

Mine was the only one missing.

As the applause began, I took off the badge identifying me as the model's original developer and placed it on the empty seat.

Julian chased me backstage and grabbed my wrist.

"Are you done making a scene? Your credit is only being delayed. No one said you weren't getting it."

"Is tomorrow night's replacement about removing me from the project?"

He fell silent for a moment, then reached up to straighten my crooked collar.

"The committee flagged you as a potential conflict of interest because you're my girlfriend. It's supposed to be temporary. Chloe is only my project partner, so she was the safer choice."

I looked at him.

"So being your girlfriend makes me less credible than your project partner."

"Stop twisting this."

He let go of me. "Once I secure a fully funded PhD offer, you'll get far more than an authorship credit."

Chloe stuck her head through the doorway.

"Julian, the university needs publicity photos, and only core team members are supposed to be in them. Elena isn't on the project, so she should step aside."