No one answered. Because no one knew. And that was the most terrifying part.
This wasn't just competition. This was precise. Calculated. Someone hadn't just copied their work. They had studied it. Recreated it.
Released it all at once, like a weapon. And as Janet stood there, surrounded by ringing phones and rising panic, one thought began to settle heavily in her chest.
–
In the far corner of the office, away from the frantic movement and the rising noise, Raymond sat with his head slightly bowed, still, almost detached from the chaos unraveling around him.
To anyone watching, he looked like just another employee caught in the storm. Quiet. Concerned. Overwhelmed.
But beneath that carefully worn expression, his mind was anything but calm. It was sharp. Focused. Moving faster than the ringing phones, faster than the panic spreading through the room.
