The Price of Trust

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