I was not supposed to attend the company holiday party that evening because my husband, Dylan Harper, had described it as nothing more than a routine corporate mixer filled with dull speeches and forced smiles. I planned to stay home and finish several investor reports until I realized I had left an important folder in my office upstairs, which made me grab my coat and drive to the downtown venue.
The ballroom at the Riverton Grand Hotel shimmered with golden light and polished glass, while music drifted softly and servers carried trays of champagne between carefully arranged conversations. For a brief moment I felt nostalgic, because Northgate Systems had once felt like something we truly built together from nothing into a respected company.
