Nadia's POV
The research collaboration with Dr. Mehta became official on a Monday in late April.
Carol structured it cleanly. The firm retained commercial rights to market applications of any published findings. Dr. Mehta's institution retained academic rights. I sat in the middle with co-authorship on the research and continued CEO responsibilities at the firm.
It was the kind of arrangement that looked complicated on paper and felt completely natural in practice.
Priya read the agreement and said nothing for thirty seconds.
"You're going to be published in eighteen months," she said.
"Hopefully."
"Not hopefully. The framework is already proven. The research is just documentation." She put the agreement down. "Do you understand what this does to your professional trajectory?"
"I'm
