We left the building through the side exit to avoid the crowd.

The California sun was bright and hot, baking the asphalt of the parking lot.

We got into my car, and Priya immediately opened her laptop.

“Three tech blogs have already embedded the clip,” she said as I started the engine.

“And a national news producer just emailed our press inbox.”

I drove toward Palo Alto in silence, my hands tight on the steering wheel.

The air conditioning blew cold air against my face.

The speech was supposed to be a standard academic address.

But my anger at my family had shaped every word.

By the next morning, the video had five million views.

I sat in my office at Solar Reach, looking out the window at the eucalyptus trees.

On my desk, a stack of printouts showed our website metrics.

“Inquiries from potential investors are up by four hundred percent,” Priya said, walking in with two mugs of coffee.

She set one down in front of me.

“But there is a side effect.”

She looked uneasy.

“What is it?” I asked.