“WE DON’T NEED YOUR POCKET CHANGE,” MY FATHER SAID AS MY FAMILY LAUGHED AT MY $300,000 OFFER

Thomas turned toward me.

“What Victoria means is that our funding structure is complicated. We have established relationships with venture capital firms, private equity groups, institutional investors. Individual contributions don’t really make sense.”

“Unless those individual contributions are eight or nine figures,” Marcus added with a smirk.

He leaned back.

“You have a hundred million lying around somewhere, Emma?”

More laughter.

Jennifer, Marcus’s wife, wiped at the corner of one eye.

I reached into my purse and took out my phone.

Victoria immediately noticed.

“Oh, are we boring you now? Is your little app sending you notifications?”

“Just need to send a quick message.”

I opened a conversation with David Chin, my investment manager.

My fingers moved carefully across the screen.

David, withdraw all backing from Anderson Holdings effective immediately.

Authorization code Emma 7734.

Execute after their 7:00 p.m. board meeting begins.

I read it once.

Then I pressed send.

The phone went face down beside my plate.

“As I was saying,” Dad continued, obviously annoyed that I had interrupted his moment, “this expansion represents the culmination of thirty years of building this business.”

He looked around the table.

“Thirty years of relationships. Reputation. Results.”

“It isn’t something you can simply buy into with a check,” Mom added.

“Even a three-hundred-thousand-dollar check.”

“I understand,” I said.

“Do you?”

Victoria leaned forward.

“Because you seem to think whatever you’re doing in Seattle puts you on our level.”

She shook her head.

“It doesn’t.”

I watched her.

“You make apps,” she said. “We build empires.”

“Victoria,” Thomas tried again.

“No. Let me finish.”

Wine and encouragement had made her confident.

“Emma has always been like this. Always trying to insert herself into places where she doesn’t belong.”

She looked toward Dad.

“Remember when she wanted to join the company after college? Thank God you said no.”

I remembered perfectly.

I had graduated near the top of my class at Wharton with a finance degree.

I had come home believing that, like my brothers and sister, I would have a place at Anderson Holdings.

Dad had told me I needed to find my own way.

He called the company a family business while explaining why there was no position for me.

Marcus, who had barely made it through a state university, had received a vice-president title almost immediately.

So I had done exactly what Dad told me.

I found my own way.

“I did,” I said.

“Yes, you did,” Mom replied in the voice she used when she wanted a topic to disappear. “And we’re happy for you.”

Then she added:

“But this conversation is about serious capital investment. Frankly, Emma, it’s above your pay grade.”

My phone buzzed.

I glanced down.

David had replied.

Withdrawing $180 million from Anderson Holdings.

Board meeting starts in 8 minutes.

They don’t know yet.

I locked the screen.

“The best part,” Dad was saying, “is that our primary backer recently increased their commitment. Another fifty million available if we need it.”

Jennifer looked impressed.

“Who’s the primary backer?”

Dad smiled mysteriously.

“Confidential. But they’re a major player. Very sophisticated operation.”

I almost smiled.

“They’ve been with us for five years,” he continued. “And they keep increasing their position because they recognize our value.”

Five years.

Exactly.

Five years earlier, Pacific Northwest Ventures had made its first investment into Anderson Holdings.

At the time, nobody named Anderson had known I was involved.

That had been deliberate.

“Must be nice having that kind of support,” I said.

“It is,” Dad replied.

He leaned back with satisfaction.

“That’s what happens when you operate at a certain level. Serious money finds you.”

My phone buzzed again.

David.

Board meeting starting.

Your father just walked in.

This is going to be interesting.

I checked my watch.

7:02 p.m.

“Something wrong?” Mom asked.

“No.”

I placed my hand beside the phone.

“Nothing at all.”

Dad’s phone rang.

He glanced at the number and declined it.

“Where were we?”

“The expansion,” Marcus prompted.

Dad started talking again.

The phone rang a second time.

Same number.

His expression tightened.

He rejected the call.

“Maybe you should answer it,” I said.

“It’s fine. They’ll leave a message.”

The phone rang immediately for a third time.

Dad stared at it.

Finally, he answered.

“This better be important. I’m at a family dinner.”

We watched his face.

First came irritation.

Then confusion.

Then something much closer to panic.

“What do you mean withdrawn?”

Marcus stopped moving.

Dad pushed back from the table.

“No. There must be a mistake. Check it again.”

He listened.

“All of it?”

Victoria slowly lowered her glass.

“That’s impossible.”

Another silence.

“Who authorized this?”

Dad stood.

“What do you mean effective immediately? We have agreements. Contracts.”

Marcus and Thomas exchanged looks.

Dad turned away from the table.

“I need to call you back.”