“Sarah Mitchell,” I said.

“Dr. Mitchell, my name is Marcus Vance,” a sharp voice said on the other end.

“I am calling from the Department of Energy’s oversight committee.”

“We have just received a formal complaint regarding the intellectual property rights of Solar Reach.”

My heart stopped.

“A complaint?” I asked.

“Yes,” Vance said. “It was filed twenty minutes ago by Mitchell Holdings.”

“They claim they own the foundational patents for your microgrid.”

“And they have requested an immediate freeze on all federal funding.”

The line went dead.

I lowered the phone, my hand pressing the cold glass screen against my thigh.

The hum of the lab’s cooling fans filled the silence in my ears.

Derek was still standing near the microgrid prototype, his fingers resting on the edge of the metal casing.

He looked at me, his smile fading as he saw my face.

“Sarah?” he asked, stepping away from the board members. “What is it?”

I looked past him to Dr. Thorne, who was still adjusting his glasses, unaware of the shift in the room.

Priya was closing her laptop, her fingers pausing on the plastic lid.