I sat down hard in the chair.
"I built this," I said. "I still have my notebooks."
Arthur nodded. "That's why I'm here."
I looked at him sharply. "How did you find me?"
He paused. "An employee at Meridian reached out anonymously. Then another. Eventually, someone sent enough internal documents to make me believe this wasn't office gossip. Bennett, they believe your work was stolen, and they believe you were fired to keep you from contesting ownership."
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My stomach turned.
"And the others?" I asked. "The people who knew?"
"Most signed nondisclosure agreements. They were told they'd be terminated if they spoke."
That explained the silence. Diane's face. Hank's whisper.
I stared at the patent filing until the numbers blurred.
Then I asked the only thing I could think to ask.
"Does Richard know this is coming?"
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Arthur gave me a thin smile. "Not yet."
Arthur sighed. "I wouldn't recommend that."
