The Core Patents Leave With Me

Chapter 3 Withdrawing the Lifeline

I looked across the room at people I had trained, covered for, and defended in budget meetings. More than one had a recording app open.

Mia adjusted the angle of her live stream. Liam smiled and tapped the prepared apology on his tablet.

“Good morning. I’ve considered yesterday’s feedback, and I want to thank Mia for her passionate perspective.”

Mia smiled at her phone and nudged it closer.

“She was right. Cash is cold and impersonal. This team deserves a reward with real emotional value.”

Two people whispered about cabin upgrades. Liam leaned back in his chair.

“So I am canceling the five-thousand-dollar cash bonuses for the *Nexus* project.”

The cabin discussion stopped. Chairs creaked as people turned toward one another.

“Each of you will receive a custom, eco-friendly StarTech water bottle. Retail value: fifteen dollars. It honors the community spirit Mia requested.”

For five seconds, no one moved. Then someone near the back said, “Fifteen?” Mia stared at me and forgot to check her live stream.

I advanced to the next slide before the questions started.

“This is also my final act as COO.” I placed my resignation letter on the lectern. “I resign from StarTech effective immediately.”

Everyone began talking at once. Liam’s prepared apology disappeared from his screen.

Liam stood so fast his chair rolled into the wall. “Serena, what the hell are you doing?” The front row heard him even though he avoided the microphone.

I opened the three leather folders and projected their first pages. The United States Patent and Trademark Office seal filled the screen behind me.

“One final housekeeping matter. Under my personal intellectual property agreement, termination of my employment revokes StarTech’s licenses to patents US 11-235-81, US 11-481-51, and US 12-162-26. The revocation is immediate and irrevocable.”

Every engineer recognized the numbers. They covered the three core algorithms that made *Nexus* work. Without those licenses, the servers could run only the company logo and an error page.

Liam looked from the patent numbers to the resignation letter. He picked up his tablet, then set it down without entering his password.

Mia’s live stream was still running. Three more phones were pointed at him.

He pulled his jacket straight. “Good! This company has needed to shed its toxic, outdated elements. We don’t need you, Serena. We will thrive without you!”

He faced the employees. “The Hawaiian cruise is on. StarTech will cover everything. We leave tomorrow!”

Two people clapped. An engineer in the second row closed the cruise page and opened the patent database.

I returned the folders to my briefcase and left the conference room while Liam kept talking.

Outside StarTech’s glass doors, my phone buzzed. The message came from our largest investor, Alexander Sterling.

*Need me to check on flights to Hawaii? Or shall we just get started on the autopsy?*