Aaron appreciated the irony of how things unfolded at graduation and afterward. He was surprised when Keeley summoned him across the field, mirroring her previous approach. He'd wanted to talk to her one last time before their separation, but her initiative was a relief. Then he learned it was only to have him take pictures with her father.

It was foolish to get his hopes up. Seeing her smile—a smile she withheld from him—was a crushing blow. Where had they gone wrong?

He'd made mistakes before, but at least then she had loved him. He'd thought accepting her love more fully would be easy this time; he hadn't anticipated Keeley's initial dislike.

Robert Hall, surprisingly astute (a trait Aaron hadn't noticed in his first life), seemed to know Aaron wanted a keepsake photo with Keeley and facilitated it.

Aaron was grateful. The sneaky photo he'd taken in class lacked a full view of her face. Moreover, her perfunctory smile lacked the joy of their old graduation photos, which was depressing.

He wondered if he could leverage Robert's trust to win Keeley back, but he hadn't expected it so soon.

The dinner invitation surprised him. While he wanted to spend time with her, Keeley's obvious discomfort gave him pause.

Robert kept the conversation flowing, as his daughter was only interested in her food. Aaron solidified his favor by saving Keeley on her birthday.

He was especially grateful he'd resisted temptation; succumbing would have meant losing her forever.

At least her father liked him. Winning over parents was half the battle—a significant hurdle in his previous relationship, as his parents hadn't accepted Keeley.

Their goodbye was unsatisfactory; she was overly formal. The final hug and Robert's photo would have to suffice until he could openly pursue her without fear.

The next few years without her would be long. Thankfully, this time was different; he knew she was still alive and he would see her again. With other priorities, hopefully he wouldn't miss her too much.

He stared at his computer screen. Shortly after his rebirth, Aaron had created a file detailing everything he knew from his thirty-five years in his family's company, before he forgot.

In his first life, he became Hale Investments' vice president at twenty-two, shortly after marrying. He needed powerful allies, but more importantly, he needed the shareholders' support.

His father held 52% of the company's shares. Aaron's substantial monthly allowance wouldn't be enough to buy shares; Alistair would be suspicious of sudden acquisitions.

He would inherit 10% of his father's shares at eighteen, but no more unless he married advantageously (which he wouldn't).

It had taken over a decade of business acumen and scheming to wrest enough shares from his father to oust him a few years after Keeley's death.

Aaron refused to marry anyone but Keeley, so acquiring shares through marriage was impossible. He needed to buy shares in the name of loyal dummy shareholders. Unfortunately, he needed capital.

His parents would cover his Harvard expenses—tuition, food, books, and housing.

By wisely investing his allowance, he might triple or quadruple it.

He needed at least 20% of the shares to gain a foothold. The second-largest shareholder, after his father, was Vice President Samuel Shelton (12%), who was unlikely to help; he was loyal to Aaron's father, due to their shared school history.

The remaining board members were Alexander Lesnick (10%), Carol Goodwin (6%), Emilio Sandoval (5%), Bruce Astor and Parker Mendelson (4% each), Stephen Black and George Carmichael (3% each), and Maria Andrews (1%).

Aaron compiled research on the board members in the encrypted file for easier access.

Carol's son was a compulsive gambler; within a year, she would sell half her shares to pay his debts.

Maria disliked the board; Aaron could persuade her to sell and invest elsewhere.

Bruce, having worked for over twenty years, desperately wanted a promotion; promises of advancement would sway him.

Parker was firmly in his father's camp. The others were unpredictable. A more comprehensive plan was needed to acquire their shares so early on.

Aaron was confident that, as the second-largest shareholder with board support, reducing his father's power would be simple. He had nearly as much experience running the company as Alistair.

He knew everything about Hale Investments, present and future. Prediction would give him the edge once he had the resources. The promotional material for NovelFire.net has been removed.