Elodie wasn’t surprised when she received the lawsuit notification from Neural Intelligence.

She’d made her situation public, and this was exactly what she’d been waiting for.

The patent office had already reached out to both parties, announcing they would re-examine everything from the ground up. If they found any issues, the patent would be revoked.

None of this seemed to rattle Elodie.

As she gathered the evidence she’d need for the coming days, her phone rang. She glanced at the screen-surprisingly, it was a call from Watts on WhatsApp.

She answered briskly, “Mr. Aldridge?”

Watts sounded like he was hurrying through an airport; the background was filled with boarding announcements. “I’ve heard a bit about the VistaLink Technologies situation. Are you holding up alright?”

He’d always known Alexander was Mr. Charlie Sterling’s son, and he’d never pegged Alexander as someone who’d sacrifice a colleague to save himself. As for the sudden revelation that Elodie was the sole developer behind the system…

Could it really be true that Elodie had built this herself?

Elodie was a little taken aback. “I’m fine, thank you for checking in.”

Watts couldn’t help but feel a jolt of shock at his own suspicions. Even without proof, there was a subtle sense of excitement-if this was true, it was extraordinary. He weighed his words before saying, “Neural Intelligence claims they’ve filed a suit. Ms. Thorne, do you need any assistance? The Eldrion Global legal team is one of the best in the country. If you want, I can put you in touch.”

As for the plagiarism scandal the media was obsessing over…

He honestly trusted his gut. If Elodie could build something this complex, why would she need to steal a handful of basic code?

Elodie’s confusion only deepened.

VistaLink Technologies was drowning in negative press-three clients had already canceled their contracts. Most partners were waiting to see what happened next, so she didn’t expect someone like Watts to offer help so readily.

She hesitated, thinking it over. “Thank you, Mr. Aldridge, but I don’t need anything for now.”

Watts paused, understanding that Elodie probably had her own plan. He chuckled, clearly unfazed by VistaLink Technologies’ troubles. “Alright, no problem. Reach out if you need anything.”

“I will.”

Even after hanging up, Elodie couldn’t quite figure Watts out. Was he really always this eager to help?

She didn’t dwell on it for long.

For the past two days, she’d painstakingly organized all her original code, every optimized version, and all relevant technical proposals, each with a clear timeline.

Alexander knocked and stepped into her office. “I’ve archived every statement Neural Intelligence has released, all their public comments, and every call recording with Sylvie. Everything’s backed up.”

Elodie was already mapping out her next moves.

Alexander had been working nonstop these past few days. Now, only one step remained the one that would make their opponents pay dearly.

She finished sorting her files and looked up. “Perfect. I’m almost done here, too. Ask Mia to prepare a new statement and schedule the release.”

Alexander nodded, then shot her a sly grin. “Let’s see if they’ll still be smiling after this.”

With that, he turned to head downstairs and start the car.

Elodie quickly gathered her things and followed.

But as soon as she stepped outside, she spotted a familiar car waiting at the curb.

Ivan climbed out, his expression tense as he strode over and blocked her path. “We need to talk.”

Elodie frowned, in no mood for this. She tried to step around him.

Ivan moved to block her again, his eyes hard at first, then softening as he spoke. “Don’t shut me out, Elodie. Right now, if you leave VistaLink and come work for TerraGreen Solutions, I can protect you. You’ll be safe with me.”

VistaLink Technologies had already thrown her under the bus. If the plagiarism charges stuck, things would only get worse.