z; it was a formal declaration of war. Ava was in her office, runni
his voice tight with disbelief. "I just received a
hone tighter. "Su
ey're claiming the 'Nexus Tower' design is a derivative of their pre-existing, confidential 'Odyssey Spire'
eprints, announce a knockoff version of my tower, and
s like a mountain of falsified documents-design timelines, concept sketche
k. It was a deep, meticulously planned conspiracy. Liam hadn't just handed t
were trying to erase her authorship of it complet
ortant project in court until we bleed out," Ava said, her mind
e they're spinning is that the brilliant young CEO of Zenith Designs
the board members are calling. All of them. And th
ng for this afternoon. Don't say anything to the press," Ava ins
egic discussion, was filled with panic. The members, most of whom had known her father an
nsidered a pillar of support, asked, his face etched with worry. "Our stock is down fifteen percen
Ava explained, keeping her voice even and calm. "T
nother member demanded. "Our secu
each was internal. It was
murmurs and shocked gasps. Davies looked particularly horrified.
a felt a flush of anger. They weren't just questioning her b
er tone sharp enough to cut the murmurs short. "He was a trait
r trust in Liam-and had exploited it to perfection. He knew this would not only cripple her firm but also destabilize her leadership f
s. "Their case looks strong, even if it's fake. A legal b
d face. The panic in the room was a tangible thing, a poison that coul
be intimidated. Mark is already preparing our countersuit. We have time-stamped digital records, preliminary models, and hund
to their own security logs to prove the exact time and nature of the
vies. "I need this board to stand united. Panicking is what
some time, but she knew it was fleeting. After the meeting, she sat alone in the conference room. The set
pp. A new headline, this time from a major financial paper: "Zenith Designs
real attack was just beginning. They weren't just c