Page 69 of Daring Destiny

“Maybe, but litigation is expensive and you’ve worked your ass off for every penny you have. ” Brennan sounds so defeated. “The last thing I’d ever do is allow you to spend your own money to defend yourself against something that isn’t your fault.”

His concern touches me, but we’re getting married—formal proposal or not—so this is a team effort. “We’re together on this, B. It’s not up to you to ‘allow’ me to do anything.”

“Okay, fair point, but they don’t even know about you yet. At least, I don’t think they do. Right now, they have me backed into a corner. At the end of the day, maybe this is their way of pushing me out while trying to control me. I went into the meeting this morning feeling great. Now, it’s all falling apart.”

I can’t stand seeing him like this. “Brennan, listen to me.” I turn to face him fully. “You’re Brennan fucking McGloughlin. You built CognifyAI from nothing and now you’ve built Reuniverse, too.Youcan handle them.Wecan figure out a way around this.”

For a moment, he doesn’t respond. He stares at me, thinking. I can see the conflict in his eyes. I try to communicate telepathically. Let him know I’ll back him, no matter what.

“At this point, I don’t give a fuck about CognifyAI. On the other hand, I can’t lose Reuniverse. It’s the first thing I’ve felt excited about in years. It’s what I’m good at. Working on it with you brings me such joy. It reminds me of when I started CognifyAI, before all the board politics and legal battles.” He grips my hand tightly.

“We’re not going to lose it,” I state firmly. “Let’s set up a meeting and figure it out.”

Brennan takes a deep breath and his shoulders relax a bit. “God, I love how feisty you are. So sure of yourself.”

“I believe in you.” I reach out and cup his face. “And I know how much Reuniverse means to you. Tous. This isn’t over.”

His eyes soften. I see a hint of a smile. “Thank you,” he murmurs, leaning in to kiss me. “I’m glad we’re in this together.”

“Yeah. Don’t forget, you’re not alone anymore.” I kiss him back, letting my lips linger on his. Hoping he can feel how much I mean it.

He wraps his arms around me and pulls me closer. For a moment, it feels like we’re the only two people in the world who are facing a common challenge together. As a couple. How we manage this will be a testament to a life we’re still trying to build.

A fleeting thought takes root. What if he’s able to leave CognifyAI behind and I wrap up my real estate career. We keep Reuniverse and grow it. With his creative genius and my focused drive, together we might be unstoppable.

Whoa. Why haven’t I thought of this sooner?

“I’m so sorry, A. I should’ve seen this coming.” Brennan strokes my hair softly. “I was so focused on my problems with CognifyAI, I never fathomed they’d come after Reuniverse.”

“Let’s call Jason tomorrow. See if he’s willing to back us.” I pull away slightly to look at him.

He quirks a brow. “Sure, but I promise you. He’s not going to get into a legal battle with CognifyAI. His team doesn’t make investments lightly. They like clean companies with maximum potential. The man is basically retired, for God’s sake. All this shit will scare him the fuck away.”

“With all due respect, I deal with these guys every day in my own line of work. Most of them are blowhards who have never been challenged because they puff out their entitled chests and get away with being dicks. We’re going to find a way to make Reuniverse untouchable. There has to be a loophole or something you can use to protect it.” I grip his shoulder and hope my words are encouraging.

His soulful eyes widen with surprise at my tone. “Okay, boss lady. I like seeing this side of you. I’m talking to my lawyer tomorrow. Tonight, his team is digging through all the original contracts and subsequent amendments to find a solution. I’m not inclined to be optimistic because the board has smart lawyers too.”

“They don’t have me.” I feel my body well up with confidence. “We’re not going to let them take this from you. Not without a huge motherfucking—but strategic—fight.”

Brennan laughs. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you.”

“When you made me your business partner two years ago, you gave me something to believe in.” I run my fingers through his hair. “Now we’re life partners too, so let’s make sure we don’t let anyone steal what’s ours.”

Something inside me has clicked into place.

I’ve spent my whole life trying to prove myself. Even when I didn’t know who I was proving it to. Maybe I’ve built up resilience—the need to push back harder every time I’m knocked down because of it.

Because, for me, it’s not about showing off. Or winning. It’s about survival. Brennan might be wired to focus, but I’m wired to make sure whenever the world says no, I find a way to make it say yes.

I think it’s why Brennan and I work. He’s the one with big, wild ideas and the ability to create magic. I’m the one who doesn’t back down until things happen. When I want something, I don’t hope for it—I hunt it down and force it to bend to my will. Hell, it’s how Brennan and I even met back up in the first place.

It’s how I got to where I am. How I’m going to get us through this.

Maybe it’s ruthless. Maybe it’s necessary.

Either way, together we’re formidable.

twenty-eight

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