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Can't you simply fill that gap on your resume with something made up? "Self employed", "freelancer", "stealth startup", "confidential employer" etc.

How would the companies ever know?

They'd presumably ask for more details and/or references, at which point you would be hopelessly enmeshed in a web of lies of your own making.

They will run a background check listing all your past jobs, with the exact title you had, and start-end dates.

Hard to verify self-employment