Chapter 6 - Rebuilding the PortfolioSix months later, the venture capital landscape in San Francisco had largely moved on from the spectacular collapse of Sterling Dynamics. The remnants of Ethan’s failed startup had been liquidated, its patents absorbed into a larger health-tech conglomerate, and Ethan himself had reportedly moved back to his hometown in Ohio to live with his mother.
I stood on the balcony of my Pacific Heights penthouse, holding a cup of hot green tea as the morning fog rolled lazily over the Golden Gate Bridge. My life was entirely my own again. No compromises. No muted ambitions. No secret compromises designed to make someone else feel more comfortable in my presence.
My phone buzzed on the outdoor patio table.
Incoming Call: Arthur Vance.
“Talk to me, Uncle,” I answered, leaning against the glass railing.
“Claire, I hope you’re looking at your email,” Arthur said, sounding thoroughly amused. “The Series A funding round for Apex Bio-Metrics just closed. They accepted our term sheet.”
A genuine smile spread across my face. Apex Bio-Metrics was a revolutionary biotech startup run by two brilliant female neuroscientists out of Stanford—a company Ethan had dismissed a year ago as "too niche" and "too aggressive" for our portfolio.
“Did they agree to the board restructuring terms?” I asked.
“Unconditionally,” Arthur replied. “They specifically requested that you take the lead advisory seat on the board. They said they wanted someone who actually understood scalability instead of just burning through runway.”
“Tell them I’ll be in the office by ten,” I said.
“Will do. Oh, and Claire?”
“Yes?”
“There’s a package downstairs at reception for you. Heavy box. Looks like designer clothes.”
I paused, frowning slightly. “Did I order something from Net-a-Porter?”
May you like
“Doesn't look like it,” Arthur chuckled. “Return address says Savannah Blake, Columbus, Ohio.”
I closed my eyes for a second, letting out a soft sigh, before a dry smile touched my lips. “Throw it in the incinerator, Uncle. I don't wear secondhand silk.”
