She was nervous, trying to control her emotions, but her eyes gave away what she was trying to hide.
Edward approached her quietly, his voice low, as if trying not to wake a monster:
"It's a good thing you patented the papers."
She smiled sarcastically, her gaze holding suppressed anger.
"No... I didn't."
His eyes widened in shock.
"But... You just said-"
interrupted him without raising her voice:
"I know what I said. I lied... I wanted to catch the rats that work for Elias."
There was silence, before Edward said softly:
"So what's the plan?"
She looked at him steadily and said:
"When we expose them, they will be referred to legal immediately. I've ordered a review of the cameras for the last three months, analyzing all employees and even their first-degree relatives. I will leave nothing to chance... Whoever is at fault will pay the price."
She walked out of the auditorium with sharp steps to the camera room and entered, saying sharply:
"Did you come up with anything?"
The place was full of screens showing different angles of the company.
One of them nervously replied:
"We've discovered a lot, ma'am."
She looked at him indignantly:
"I hired you for this very reason, and yet you got lazy. You too will not go unpunished. I brought in the best to get the best service and what I got was a letdown."
They ducked their heads in shame.
She took the recordings and sat down to review them intently, and as each image passed, the frown on her face deepened.
"Surrounded by assholes," she thought indignantly.
She quickly grabbed her phone and called her assistant:
"Phoebe, the list I'm sending now, immediately forwarded to Legal. I want their files tainted, unacceptable to any other company. File compensation claims immediately. I'll send you the evidence in a few minutes."
She hung up the phone and leaned her back against the wall, sighing in despair, running her hand over her tired face.
---
At the A.G. Group, the atmosphere was tense, everyone on high alert.
Elias entered his headquarters quietly, his steps reflecting nothing of the restlessness of his men.
As soon as he reached his desk, he pressed a button, and a voice came from the other side:
"When did you arrive?"
Elias answered calmly:
"A little while ago. What happened?"
Albert gave him a quick summary of what was going on.
Elias was silent for a moment, then thoughtfully said:
"Why would Sidra tell us there were issues with the blueprints after that hit we gave her? I think it's just a game she's playing to distract us."
The other replied:
"I don't know, but it's best to check everything before launching."
Elias said firmly:
"Call the engineers who oversaw the project. I want to talk to them immediately. And stay in touch... Keep me updated."
I did, and the meeting would begin shortly.
I hung up the phone, and Elias' eyes wandered, pondering the consequences of what he'd just heard.
If she was right, the issue could turn into a scandal.
Time passed quickly, and in the meeting room, the engineers were unanimous that the blueprints were correct and the prototypes were the best of their kind.
A subtle smile of satisfaction crossed his face as he muttered to himself:
She was fooling us... Cunning, and full of surprises.
Albert's phone rang, he looked at the screen before answering:
- What's up?
The voice was feminine, as calm as ever:
- I have new information... Sidra has patented the blueprints.
If you launch the project, you will be involved in huge legal issues.
Shocked for a moment, he said angrily:
- What?
Then he pulled himself together, denying what he had heard.
- No... It's a trick of hers, a ploy to scare us.
She replied in a hushed voice
- It's not a trick, she announced it openly in her meeting.
He was silent for a moment and then said, trying to deny what he heard.
- It is possible that she knows that you are working for us.
Phoebe replied softly:
-Believe me, she doesn't. She discovered everyone through the cameras, but I was only moving from the restroom... I didn't get any footage.
She said proudly as if she had done the impossible.
He tugged on the phone, saying:
- Okay, hang up now.
Then in a low, sharp voice:
- "But remember, Phoebe... If your information is wrong, the price will be your life.
He slammed the phone down, his eyes flashing with muffled concern. Sidra was one step ahead of them, maybe more...
The phone rang in Sidra's office, and she quickly picked it up:
- "Did you find anything else?"
- "Yes, and I recorded her last call.
She bit her lip hard, anger glowing in her eyes:
- That slut... I thought what I did for her would make her loyal to me for the rest of her life!
I saved her from poverty, from violence, from a life unworthy of a human being...
And now? The payback was betrayal!
- Try not to show her that you found out...
Now she's working for us out of nowhere.
She was silent for a moment, then said worriedly:
- What's most important now... How do we prove that the blueprints were recorded?
I think Elias won't be silent, he'll try to confirm it himself.
He replied with quiet confidence:
- I hacked their systems... The blueprints have been registered in your name for over a year.
I squealed with delight, and he had to pull the phone away from his ear.
- Really?! You're the best friend in the world!
He giggled her way, remembering:
- You're still the same... When you're happy, you scream, and when you're angry... you scream even more!
She laughed lightly, and then there was silence between them for a moment.
She knew the battle wasn't over yet, but at least...
Now, the ball is in her court.
Albert ended his call and approached Elias, saying in a stunned tone:
- "I've confirmed... She already patented the blueprints a year ago.
Imagine, if we had launched the product without knowing, we would have been inundated with lawsuits.
That girl... isn't as weak as I thought. She's clever... and a great planner.
Elias remained silent. His gaze was fixed in the void, but his mind was in chaos.
Every step she takes proves one thing to him:
She's not just an opponent... she's an equal.
That alone was enough to haunt him.
He, who had never been defeated before, now felt the taste of loss...
And she gave it to him.
He clenched his fist wordlessly, then whispered to himself:
- Well... The game is getting personal.