“Then we let him believe her,” Julian said quietly. “While we secure our own legal shield.”

“How?” I asked.

“We file for an expedited patent review here in Illinois,” Julian said. “We show that your new designs are entirely distinct from the Boston patents.”

“That requires a complete disclosure of my engineering formulas,” I said. “If those documents become public before the review is complete, Adrian’s lawyers will copy them.”

“Not if we file under a protective seal,” Margaret said. “I can pull some strings at the regional patent office.”

I looked at the site plans on Julian’s lap.

The waterfront project was my chance to rebuild my name.

I couldn’t let Adrian’s desperation ruin it.

“Do it,” I said.

By Thursday afternoon, the tension in the office was palpable.

My phone buzzed on the drafting table.

It was an alert from a Boston financial news outlet.

The headline read: *Bennett Urban Systems Secures Fifty-Million-Dollar Commitment from British Trust.*

Below the headline was a photograph of Adrian and Serena standing on the steps of the Boston City Hall.

Adrian was smiling, his arm around Serena’s waist.