The news broke at exactly 9:00 a.m.
CLARKE PROPERTIES UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DISPUTE.
By 9:15, every major business publication in London had picked up the story.
By 10:00, social media was flooded with side-by-side comparisons of architectural sketches signed by Richard Clarke and original digital files bearing Evelyn Morrison's name and timestamps.
By noon...
Clarke Properties' stock had fallen twelve percent.
And it was still dropping.
---
Richard slammed his office door so hard the glass rattled.
"This is a smear campaign!"
His marketing director swallowed nervously.
"The problem isn't the story, sir."
"Then what is it?"
"The evidence."
Richard glared.
"There are videos."
"What videos?"
The marketing director hesitated before placing a tablet on
