The decision to go nuclear was made in the dusty, defiant air of Liam’s studio. The plan was audacious, borderline suicidal. They would draft a letter to the Harringtons, laying out the entire sordid saga: the internal sabotage, the leaked plagiarism story, the coercion, the ultimatum. They would resign from Sterling & Grey and offer their services directly, under the new, hastily formed banner of Thorne & Reed. It was a naked appeal to the client’s loyalty, a gamble that their vision and their integrity would outweigh the security of a big-firm name.
Marco, a silent partner in their conspiracy, set up an encrypted server in a corner, muttering about firewalls and digital dead-drops. Evelyn, drawing on a reserve of calm she didn’t know she possessed, began drafting the letter. Liam paced,
