She learned to separate those parts of her life.
The customers didn't need to know about Jade Passage.
Her coworkers didn't need to understand the stewardship agreements.
And the executives discussing billion-dollar transactions weren't automatically entitled to treat her differently because she'd studied economics or spoke several languages.
She did her work well because it was her work.
That principle came from Lorraine.
And it was one reason Nia felt so deeply unsettled when Victor Liang decided that her uniform defined the limits of her intelligence.
The proposed acquisition first reached Nia through a registered letter.
It arrived on a Tuesday morning while she was preparing breakfast in her apartment. The envelope carried the name of a law firm representing Jade Passage and its shareholders. Inside was a formal notice describing a proposed transaction with Asterion Holdings.
The headline price was extraordinary.
Almost two billion dollars.
Nia read the summary twice before making coffee.
The acquisition would combine Jade Passage's refrigerated transportation network with Asterion's existing logistics businesses. The presentation emphasized efficiency, broader geographic reach, and increased investment in technology. It described opportunities to serve more customers while reducing administrative duplication.
On paper, the transaction had advantages.
Jade Passage needed capital to modernize some of its equipment. Several facilities required upgrades, and its competitors were investing heavily in new temperature-monitoring systems. An appropriately structured acquisition could strengthen the company.
Nia didn't oppose that possibility.
But when she reached the section concerning the original monitoring patents, she stopped reading.
The documents described a proposed transfer of certain intellectual-property assets to an Asterion-controlled subsidiary after closing.
She recognized the language.
It resembled the provision Lorraine had questioned shortly before her death.
Nia opened the governing agreement for the founders' stewardship arrangement. She compared the acquisition terms with the original consent requirements and the later amendments.
The proposed transfer appeared to fall within the category requiring special approval.
Yet the packet contained no request for her consent.
Instead, it referred to an existing waiver supposedly executed by Lorraine.
Nia stared at the sentence.
She read it again.
Then reached for her phone.
Her first call went to the lawyer overseeing Lorraine's estate.
He listened as Nia described the waiver.
Then asked her to send a copy.
An hour later, he called back.
His voice was cautious.
"Nia, do you remember your mother signing anything like this?"
"No."
"Could she have signed through another authorized representative?"
"Not that I'm aware of."
The lawyer paused.
"We need to obtain the actual document and establish its validity."
Nia nodded.