I stayed abroad for a full month, and the project stalled with me.

When Vincent finally saw me walk back in, the relief on his face was almost embarrassing.

I ran a quick check on the algorithm Sophia had tampered with, along with the crashed system program.

"She changed too much. The entire system needs to be recalibrated from scratch. A full fix will take time. A month at the earliest," I concluded.

"But the investor's team is coming to review progress today." Vincent began pacing in his office. "Here's what we'll do. Lina, come to the meeting with us. Tell them you're still the lead on the project, that everything goes through you. That works, right?"

Sophia hurried over and took my hand. "Lina, I know you can handle it. He wasn't happy with me last time, and he specifically asked for you. You know him so well. You even know what he likes to eat. Of course he has a soft spot for you."

Vincent's brow furrowed. "Sophia, what exactly are you implying?"

"Oh, Mr. Stark, you don't know?" She widened her eyes in mock surprise. "Lina put together a whole list of the investor's preferences and habits. She even shared it with me. She must have gotten pretty close to him to know all that."

She pitched her voice loud enough for the entire office to hear, and the room responded.

"So the rumors were true? The VP really secured the investment by… you know."

"Does this mean that Mr. Stark has been played this whole time? That's brutal."

"Honestly, it's a skill. Some people don't even have that going for them. Some of us just have to show up and work."

Sophia had clearly spent my absence spreading stories about me.

I did not particularly care, but Vincent's expression darkened. "Lina, I'll address this with you later. Go get ready to receive our guests."

Fine by me. Better that he did not ask.

When my brother arrived, I followed the group into the meeting room.

Vincent greeted him with a wide, practiced smile. "Mr. Leo, Sophia was only filling in temporarily. Now that Lina is back, she has full authority over the project, as always. Everything moving forward will be in her hands. We'll make sure the timeline gets back on track without further delays."

I sat off to the side, relaxed, and did not bother with greetings.

Vincent noticed. He leaned toward me and hissed under his breath. "Lina. Say hello. Show some respect."

Sophia stood nearby, dressed for the occasion in a fitted dress, practically fluttering her eyelashes at my brother. "Sir, Lina has always been a little standoffish. Please don't take it personally."

I found the whole scene almost funny. Every calculated move she made showed plainly on her face.

Leo did not spare her a glance. He placed a document on the table. "I'm here to discuss terminating the contract.

"Your company failed to meet the agreed-upon project milestones. You also changed project leadership mid-contract without authorization, which directly violates our terms. Effective today, we are formally ending our partnership."

The color drained from Vincent's face. "Why? We've already put Lina back in charge, just like you wanted."

Leo's voice remained cold. "Changing the lead without notice was already a problem. Then someone rewrote the core algorithm, and now a product that was already in testing is completely broken. How am I supposed to trust this company?"

"But Lina is back now. You know what she's capable of. She'll get the timeline back on track. I guarantee it," Vincent insisted.

"Let me ask you something. Do you know that using someone else's patented technology without authorization is a serious legal offense?" Leo asked gravely.

That stopped both Vincent and Sophia cold.

Vincent stood there for a long moment before he spoke. "What are you talking about? Everything we use consists of proprietary company assets. There's no risk of infringement."

I had no interest in playing along any longer. I reached into my bag and set the patent certificate on the table. My name was printed on it, clear as day.

Then I spoke. "Vincent, when you asked to borrow that algorithm, I'm guessing you had no idea I had already filed for a patent.

"Exclusive ownership of this algorithm belongs to me personally. I have never signed any licensing agreement with this company.

"What you've been doing constitutes serious patent infringement. Effective immediately, I am filing a lawsuit."