“We don’t have a position for you to secure,” I said.

“The Oak Creek Herald is doing a full-page feature on us next Sunday,” she said.

“On us?” I asked.

“The Mitchell family,” she said, her voice rising with a practiced, social confidence. “The daughter of a prominent local family makes good in Silicon Valley. It looks excellent for everyone.”

“I built this company with Derek and my lab partners,” I said. “You told me I was wasting my Stanford degree on solar panels.”

“Don’t be dramatic, Sarah,” she said. “I simply guided you toward practical realities.”

“And now that our Series A valuation is public, you want to buy your way in,” I said.

“I spoke with Mrs. Gable at the country club yesterday,” she said, ignoring my remark completely. “Her son is still an associate at a mid-tier firm in Chicago. Everyone at the luncheon was talking about Solar Reach.”

“So you decided to buy out Peter’s shares?” I asked.

“Peter was more than happy to liquidate a portion of his early holdings,” she said. “He is starting a family. He needs the cash.”