What followed came fast and left nothing standing.
Cross Group was placed under formal investigation for multiple equity violations.
Chloe's honors and credentials were revoked in full. She was banned from the research sector for life, permanently barred from participating in any scientific projects or filing any academic patents.
Chloe, who once commanded so much attention, was finished. Stripped of her reputation. Stripped of her future. She fell from the spotlight into the mud, branded an academic thief, and that brand would follow her for the rest of her life. There would be no second act.
Julian faced his own collapse. His company was near bankruptcy. Criminal charges loomed over him for embezzlement, financial misconduct, and multiple regulatory violations. Prison was a real poss
