Chapter 7

Once the keynote wrapped, I declined all media interviews.

Liam walked up and handed me a cold bottle of water.

"Boss, after today, our names are going to blow up."

I took a sip. "Yeah."

"The automakers already expedited their draft contracts. Faster than we ever projected."

"Yeah."

"Boss... aren't you happy?"

I looked down at the bottle in my hands.

Happy?

I honestly didn't know.

All I felt was a bone-deep exhaustion. The kind of weariness that hollows out your chest.

My phone rang from an unknown number.

I answered. "Hello?"

"Evelyn, it's Marcus."

It was Marcus Sterling.

"Incredible showcase today."

"Thanks."

"I want to discuss an investment round. For Skye AI."

"Marcus, aren't you firmly in Astra's corner anymore?"

The line went silent for a moment.

"Evelyn, business is business. Personal ties are personal ties," he said evenly. "Skye needs growth capital. Think about it."

"I'll think about it."

I hung up. Liam glared at me. "Marcus wants in?! Boss, you can't possibly say yes!"

I looked at him. "Why not?"

"He's Julian's guy! He—"

"He's a venture capitalist," I interrupted gently. "Investors don't pick sides. They pick returns. Today our product is superior, so he comes knocking. Tomorrow someone beats us, and he'll run to them."

Liam paused. "Boss, what’s our next move?"

"The launch was just step one. Now comes hardware validation, assembly line deployment, and a thousand other hurdles."

"That's not what I meant," he smiled faintly. "What are you going to do about Julian? He got humiliated today. Knowing his ego, he won't take this lying down."

I gazed out at the sunset.

"Liam, do you know why I founded Astra six years ago?"

"Why?"

"Because I genuinely believed code could make the world safer."

"And now?"

"I still believe that," I turned back toward him. "So whatever Julian throws at me, it won't stop us. He doesn't have the power to stop us."

Out on the track, the white SUV rested quietly, the Skye AI logo catching the amber glow of dusk.

Just then, Liam's phone pinged.

He checked it, and his face instantly darkened.

"Boss... Astra Tech just released a legal press release. They're suing us for trade secret theft. They filed an emergency injunction to freeze our patents and halt product distribution."

His voice shook.

"The court summons is already on its way."

Victoria pinged me on Ins: [Evelyn, check Twitter and Ins right now.]

I opened the app.

Trending Topic #1: #Skye AI Trade Secret Theft#

Trending Topic #2: #Julian Vance Responds#

Trending Topic #3: # Astra Tech Sues Ex-Wife#

A tsunami of vitriol hit the feeds:

[So she stole the tech? No wonder she launched a product five minutes after getting divorced!]

[Figures. The scorned ex-wife didn't invent crap, she just walked out the door with her husband's proprietary data.]