Sloane approached Mara with a bright, friendly smile. “Let’s catch up somewhere quieter,” she said, guiding her toward a side lounge. Inside, Sloane introduced the company’s lawyer, Mr. Patel, and placed a document on the table. “Just a simple acknowledgment,” Sloane said.
Mara read the first page and felt her face heat. The document described her as “informal support” and assigned “all contributions” to the company. It did not call her a builder. It did not call her a founder. It turned years of work into a footnote. It offered her a sum that looked generous but belied her hard work.