The next morning was sunny, but I felt no warmth. My mind raced with the cold facts: the stolen information, the fake plan, and Bianca's upcoming press conference. She was about to show off my new idea, stolen and pretending it was hers. The worried feeling in my stomach was stronger than ever.
I had barely slept. Liam was already in my office when I got there, looking serious. The news channels were making a lot of noise about Bianca's "big announcement."
"She's going really big, Ms. Hilly," Liam said, pointing to a news report on his tablet. "Live TV coverage from the Apex Solutions main building. They're calling it 'a big change in technology.'"
"A big change built on stolen ideas," I corrected him, my voice sharp. My eyes went to the camera showing the IT room. Damian was there, sitting at his desk, looking like he was just working. But I knew better. He had seen the fake plan. If it was him, he knew what was coming. If it wasn't, he was about to see something very surprising.
My plan was simple, risky, and exact. I wasn't just going to let Bianca make her announcement. I was going to show everyone she was a thief, live, for the whole world to see.
"Liam, make sure the live computer information is ready," I ordered. "The moment Bianca starts talking about the new technology, we push it. We show the raw data, the exact times, and the computer addresses. Everything that proves her patent is based on our stolen work. Show clearly the transfer from our secure server, and how it connects to Apex Solutions."
Liam nodded, his face serious. He knew that if we failed, my company's good name would be ruined. If we did it right, Bianca's would be in ruins.
The hours went by very slowly. The city outside my office window was busy, not knowing about the quiet storm about to happen. My phone stayed silent. No call from Damian. No hint from him that he knew anything about Bianca's true plan, or his own part in the leak.
Finally, the moment came. News channels switched to a live show from Apex Solutions. Bianca Moreau stood at a stand, a confident smile on her face, bright lights shining off the shiny wall behind her. She looked calm, like she had already won.
"Good morning, everyone," she began, her voice was smooth and practiced. "Today starts a new time. Apex Solutions is proud to show a new, amazing technology that will change the industry forever."
She paused to make it more exciting, then pointed to a large screen behind her. Difficult drawings and technical details quickly showed up. My stomach twisted. It was my technology, the fake plan I had planted, now being shown off as hers.
"This is the future," Bianca said, her voice full of pride. "A groundbreaking new system, made in secret by Apex Solutions..."
That was my signal.
"Now, Liam!" I commanded, my voice almost a whisper into my headset.
On TV screens, news reports, and online everywhere in the city, something amazing happened. As Bianca spoke, the main screen behind her flickered. Then, it suddenly changed. Her perfect presentation was replaced by raw computer information. Lines of code, exact times, and computer addresses, all clearly seen. A red arrow flashed, showing a data transfer: FROM Hilly Enterprises Secure Server TO Apex Solutions IP Address. Below it, another highlight: "Proposed Project: 'Guardian Shield' – Data transfer: [Specific Date & Time of Leak]."
Everyone in the room shown on the news gasped. Bianca's confident smile disappeared. Her eyes opened wide in shock, then got narrow in pure anger as she saw the screens behind her. She started to shout at her tech team, but it was too late.
The news reporters, completely surprised, started talking over each other. "What's happening? Is this a hack? It seems Hilly Enterprises' name is appearing on the screen!"
Suddenly, a new picture flashed across the screen behind Bianca. It was a still picture from a security camera. It showed a person in the IT department of Hilly Enterprises, at a specific date and time, looking at the "Guardian Shield" proposal file. The picture was a bit blurry, but clear enough. And the person in the picture was Damian Nellie.
My breath caught. Liam had done it. He had not only shown Bianca for who she was but also the source of the leak, the person who had given her my secrets. It was Damian. The shame of how he first betrayed me, the cold way he made his choices, all came back. He hadn't changed. He was just a more sneaky weapon in Bianca's hands.
Bianca, seeing Damian's picture flash across the screen, screamed. "This is a lie! A bad hack! Hilly is trying to ruin us!"
But her words were lost in the sudden chaos. Reporters started shouting questions. Her own team looked confused and scared. The truth, raw and clear, had exploded. My company was saved, but it cost a lot. The man I once loved, the man I had given a second chance, was now publicly shown as a traitor. The public shame he had caused me all those years ago was now, finally, shown back onto him. It was a feeling of justice, yes, but a cold, empty one.