Mind Code (Coded Connections Duet #2)

Chapter 29

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Amelia

The meeting room at Elysium headquarters, despite its sleek and modern design, is suffocating. The walls, all glass and steel, seem to close in around me, the air heavy with tension. My heart pounds in my chest as I sit at the long conference table, the polished surface reflecting the dim lights above. It’s a setting meant to impress, but today, it only adds to the weight pressing down on me.

Every member of the management board sits across from me, their expressions stern and unreadable. Langley is there, too, his demeanor easier to interpret as he tries to intimidate with his cold, calculating gaze.

But I’m not alone. Oliver, Misha, and Grey sit beside me, and all it takes to ground myself is a quick look in their direction, which soothes me in a way nothing else could. Hendricks stands off to the side, ready to testify.

I take a deep breath, trying to calm the remaining nerves that threaten to overwhelm me.

This is it—the moment of truth.

Two days of preparation have led to this. Two days of gathering everything we could use to prove that the AR project they’ve announced as theirs belongs to me.

My fingers brush against the edge of the table as I try to steady myself, and Oliver catches my eye and smiles softly at me. He had been nervous, too, when he saw the police arrive, leaning close to whisper to me with a wry smile that now he’ll feel like a criminal on the run forever.

The thought makes me suppress a smile of my own.

Walking into Elysium earlier was a moment of quiet triumph. Every cylindrical aquarium we passed was empty.

What matters to me matters to them.

And they’re proving it to me now once more, sitting in this office next to me, fighting for my work.

Fighting my fight with me.

The board members exchange glances, their eyes occasionally flicking toward Langley. I can almost hear the unspoken words hanging in the air, the weight of the accusations about to be laid bare.

Grey leans toward me. “Ready?”

Ready as can be.

I nod, my grip tightening on the edge of the table. “Ready.”

“Mr. Donovan, could you please explain why we were all summoned to this meeting?” The CEO’s voice slices through the tension in the room.

“It’s Doctor Donovan,” Grey corrects him, and I have to bite my lip to keep from laughing.

Not the time, Amelia.

Grey leans forward, his gaze steady and unflinching. “As we outlined in our invitation email, this concerns the lensless AR project you recently announced.”

The management board exchanges glances, confusion mingling with concern. The CEO, his expression tight, asks, “And what does the AI Department have to do with this, or better yet, the Smart Home Development Department , of whom some are not even working for us anymore?” His gaze flicks toward Hendricks, disdain clear in his eyes.

I take a deep breath, feeling the weight of the moment.

It’s time.

“We’re here to prove that Dr. Langley stole the AR project from me,” I state simply. “It is my work, my innovation, and neither he nor you are authorized to publish or profit from it.”

Silence falls over the room. Then, Langley laughs, a sharp, mocking sound that grates on my nerves. “You’re accusing me of stealing that project from you?” he sneers, his tone dripping with contempt. “You work in the Smart Home Development Department, Miss Stanley. You don’t have the… mental capacities to invent such a thing.”

Oliver’s face darkens as he leans forward, ready to defend me. “ Doctor Stanley has a PhD in AR and—”

But I don’t let him finish. “Oh, and you do?” I shoot back at Langley.

Langley’s mocking laughter echoes in the room again, but this time, it’s hollow. “No, but I never said I did,” he retorts. “I’m just the middleman, helping a friend bring his project to market. You know how geniuses are. Shy, introverted, not privy to everything that comes after the invention.”

He glances at Oliver, who balls his fists, muttering under his breath, “I’ll show you who’s shy.”

“That’s a lie.” Hendricks’ voice breaks through the tension, trembling slightly as he steps forward, drawing everyone’s attention. “I’m here to testify on behalf of Dr. Stanley.” His words gain strength as he confesses. “Dr. Langley gained access to her apartment with my help and stole her work.”

The room falls into a stunned silence. Langley’s gaze burns into me, but I keep my focus straight ahead on the board members who hold my fate in their hands.

“Edward, is this true?” one of the board members asks Langley, his tone sharp, cutting through the quiet.

“This is absurd.” Langley snaps. “She’s lying . They’re all lying. Do you really think I’d—”

“We have proof,” Grey interrupts him. “Emails, security footage, and the testimony you just heard. If you allow Dr. Stanley access to the project, she can show you the copyright marker embedded in the code. It’s the only way to settle this without involving the police any further while avoiding any negative press for Elysium.”

The mention of the police and the press sends a ripple of unease through the room. The board members exchange uneasy glances, a silent conversation passing between them.

Yes, we have you by the balls.

The CEO narrows his eyes. “We can’t just let her access the project. If you say you have proof, we’re all ears, gentlemen.”

And lady.

Dickheads.

Oliver rises from his seat and grabs his laptop, connecting it to the conference room’s projection system. The screen flickers to life, and Jamie’s interface appears. The executives shift in their seats, their initial confidence wavering as they eye the screen with a mix of curiosity and unease.

“Good afternoon,” Jamie’s voice fills the room, unnervingly lifelike. A shiver runs down my spine, even after all this time. There’s something almost eerie about how real he sounds, and that’s exactly what we need right now—something to shake them, to make them realize they’ve underestimated us. “I’m Jamie, Joint Assistant for Meaningful Interactive Engagement. I was developed by Dr. Harwood, Dr. Niarchos, and Dr. Donovan to make interactions with technology more intuitive and meaningful. Dr. Stanley was selected to beta test me before the official launch, giving me access to her home systems and cameras over the past few weeks.”

Jamie pauses for just a fraction of a second, the silence in the room stretching thin. Then, with calm authority, he continues, “Today, I will present evidence proving Dr. Amelia Stanley’s rightful ownership of the AR code and exposing the unethical actions of Dr. Edward Langley.”

The screen shifts, and the room darkens as the security footage from the night of the break-in begins to play. My heart tightens as we watch a figure dressed in black moving through my apartment with calculated precision, rifling through my belongings as if they have all the time in the world. It’s a jarring experience—watching the violation of my privacy unfold in such a public setting.

The footage continues, showing me entering the apartment. I turn on the lights, unaware of the danger lurking just out of sight. There’s a look of contentment on my face—a dreamy smile.

I glance over at Oliver, who’s already watching me. He gives me a small, sad smile.

Even though the night turned out to be one of the scariest of my life, it started as one of the best.

On the screen, I approach the couch in search of my laptop, oblivious to the threat behind me. The camera captures the figure in black emerging silently from my bedroom. Then he stumbles, pulling the bookshelf down with him. Just as I begin to turn toward the sound, he’s behind me, hitting me over the head with one of my own books. The sickening thud as he strikes me reverberates through the room, even though the sound is muted.

It’s not the first time I’ve seen this footage, but the impact is just as visceral, sending a cold shudder down my spine.

Beneath the table, Grey’s warm hand finds my knee, his touch steady and reassuring, grounding me in the present.

I’m safe.

“We’ve just witnessed Dr. Langley assault Dr. Stanley and steal her work,” Jamie’s voice cuts through the tension, and a red dot on the screen highlights my laptop under the intruder’s arm as he unlocks the door and flees the apartment, leaving me unconscious on the floor with the door wide open.

Langley cuts in, sharp and defensive. “I already told Miss Stanley that I’m sorry she was hurt by an intruder, but to accuse me of this is outrageous! This could have been anyone! There’s nothing that identifies this person as me, or that what was stolen is the lensless AR project.”

The CEO nods, his expression cautious. “There’s no definitive evidence linking Dr. Langley to this incident. As it stands, there’s no way to conclusively prove that he was the one involved. This is a case for the police, not for a meeting.”

Grey’s hand tightens just a fraction on my knee, a silent signal that he’s with me, that we’re not backing down.

Jamie rewinds the footage to the moments just before I walk inside. “This is a critical moment,” he says matter-of-factly. “Listen carefully.”

The audio plays, and the room holds its breath. The intruder is silent, but when there’s the click of the door as I unlock it, a single word slips out, clear as day.

“ Fuck. ”

The guys weren’t able to catch it despite watching the footage over and over. It wasn’t audible to the naked ear, but Jamie was able to detect it and enhance it until Langley’s nasal voice was unmistakable .

Jamie continues, “Using advanced voice recognition technology, I have matched this voice to recorded conversations of Dr. Langley.” The screen splits, showing a comparison of Langley speaking during a meeting and the voice from the break-in. The match is undeniable. I feel a small surge of satisfaction as murmurs ripple through the room. Langley’s fists clench on the table, his knuckles white.

“This is not proof,” he snaps, his composure cracking completely. “Four letters aren’t enough to prove a speech pattern. This is a ridiculous attempt to pin something on me.”

Jamie doesn’t miss a beat. “During the night of the attack, Dr. Stanley’s health tracker recorded a distinct irregularity in the intruder’s heartbeat pattern. It resembled the heartbeat pattern of someone with a slight cardiac irregularity.”

“Hasn’t he mentioned his heart issues before?” one of the board members whispers to another, casting a sidelong glance at Langley.

Langley’s eyes narrow, but a flicker of panic crosses his face.

Gotcha.

“After detecting this unusual heartbeat pattern during the attack, I cross-referenced it with data from Dr. Stanley’s health tracker for every person who had ever entered her apartment. This particular irregularity is uncommon, and only one individual matched it. The data strongly indicates that the person who attacked her was Dr. Langley.”

The room erupts into a flurry of whispers, the board members visibly shaken by the evidence presented. Langley’s face drains of color, his earlier bravado crumbling under the weight of the undeniable proof.

Hendricks steps forward. “I can confirm that the footage is authentic,” he states. “Dr. Langley coerced me into providing him the spare key my daughter had to Dr. Stanley’s apartment.”

“This is all fabricated!” Langley’s composure shatters completely. “You think you can frame me?” he shouts, desperation etched in every word as he glares at the guys. “Just because you can’t handle not being the golden boys of Elysium anymore?”

Misha meets my eyes for a brief moment before speaking up. “You’re the one who couldn’t handle not being the golden boy,” he says coolly. “You stole from Dr. Stanley because you knew her work would outshine anything you could ever produce.”

The chairman leans forward. “Dr. Stanley, if what you claim is true and you can prove your ownership, we will take immediate action.” He retrieves a laptop from his briefcase, quickly navigating a few screens before sliding it over to me.

My heart skips a beat.

This is it.

Oliver leans in, connecting this laptop to the conference room’s display, too, so everyone can see what I’m about to reveal. My hands tremble as I enter the access codes, but the guys are right beside me, their presence grounding me as I dive into the core of the AR project.

Seconds stretch into what feels like hours as I dig deeper into the code, meticulously searching for the marker I left behind. And then, there it is—the sequence, my signature, hidden in plain sight, unmistakable and irrefutable.

“There. That’s my copyright marker. It’s been there from the beginning, embedded in the core code,” I announce as I type in the final command.

‘Ctrl-Shift-A-S.’

The room falls silent, every eye glued to the screen as they wait for what’s to come .

Signature

Code by Dr. Amelia Stanley. Unique ID: ASAR-4F29-2024-0918.

All rights reserved.

/Signature

Gasps ripple through the room, but I don’t look up. I don’t need to. I can feel the impact of that simple line of code, the proof that I’m the rightful creator of this project.

But I’m not finished.

“In addition to the Fibonacci sequence,” I continue. “I embedded a cryptographic signature. This signature can be verified using my public key, leaving no doubt that I wrote this code.”

I execute another command, and the signature is verified on the screen.

Signature Verified

Cryptographic Signature: Verified using Public Key.

Author: Dr. Amelia Stanley.

/Signature Verified

The evidence is irrefutable.

It’s as if the walls are closing in around Langley, who sits across from me, his face growing redder with each passing second.

The board members lean in, scrutinizing the screen. The chairman nods slowly, a grim expression settling on his face. “It’s conclusive. The work is yours, Dr. Stanley. ”

Relief floods me when I glance at Grey, who gives me a barely perceptible nod. He stands and walks over to the door to open it.

“Officers,” he says, and two police officers step into the room.

Langley’s eyes widen in panic as they approach him. “You can’t do this! This is a setup! I’m innocent!”

“Dr. Edward Langley,” one of them says, voice firm. “You’re under arrest for intellectual property theft, assault, and breaking and entering.”

Langley’s face pales. He tries to protest, but his words falter as they pull him to his feet and begin reading him his rights. They calmly but firmly cuff him, and as they lead him away, his wild eyes lock onto mine.

I stare back, unflinching, head held high.

He tries to maintain some semblance of dignity, but the sight of him being escorted out is almost cathartic.

Oliver leans in close again, whispering with a grin, “Guess we’re not the only criminals in the room, after all.”

I can’t help the small, victorious smile that tugs at my lips as I watch Langley being led away.

We did it.

We really did it.

The management board, still reeling from the shock, begins to murmur amongst themselves, their whispers a low hum that fills the room. But I’m not listening. My heart is racing, my mind buzzing with the urge to jump up, squeal, and pull my guys into a tight hug.

The CEO finally finds his voice, though it wavers as he tries to regain control of the situation. “Dr. Stanley,” he begins, his tone forced into something resembling authority. “We sincerely apologize for the wrongful actions taken against you. We recognize your significant contributions to the AR project and would like to formally acknowledge your work when we release it.”

I can feel the weight of every gaze in the room pressing down on me, waiting for my response. I take a steadying breath, meeting the CEO’s eyes directly. “I appreciate the acknowledgment,” I say slowly, deliberately. “But I have no interest in releasing my work with Elysium.”

The CEO’s face hardens, the pretense of friendliness slipping away as his mask cracks. “You developed this project while employed with us. There will be repercussions if you refuse.”

Before I can respond, Grey leans forward. “Dr. Stanley was hired as a system integration specialist at the Smart Home Development Department. What she does in her own time is none of your business.” The CEO’s mouth opens to argue, but Grey isn’t finished. “She may have benefitted from working for Elysium and its resources, but proving that will be difficult at best. And just so you’re clear, all four of us are quitting. Effective immediately.”

I smirk at Misha as we all stand as one, gathering our things.

The Elysium executives exchange panicked glances, the reality of the situation dawning on them. “Dr. Stanley may have grounds to quit under these… unexpected circumstances,” another board member finally speaks up. “But the rest of you are under contract. We have a binding agreement for you to develop this AI with us and launch it under Elysium. You can’t just walk away.”

“We’ll see about that.” Grey’s smile is cold, almost predatory. “Our lawyer is already drafting a proposal for arbitration. And don’t be surprised if we turn it into a demand for damages. Elysium promised us a safe environment to work on our project, and it’s clear now that it was anything but. ”

The CEO, trying to regain control, straightens in his seat. “If you want to play it that way, then we’ll hold both the AI and AR projects until our lawyers find an agreement. Nothing moves forward until this is resolved.”

Oliver laughs, a sound that catches everyone off guard. He pulls the laptop cord free and glances at Grey, who smirks back.

“Of course, do that,” Grey says with a shrug and an air of finality.

We turn to leave the room, the tension thickening behind us as we stride down the hallway, and I glance at Oliver. “Are we really just leaving the projects with them?”

Oliver’s grin is sly, almost mischievous. “While you guys were on it proving a point, I was busy pulling both projects over to our own servers. Every bit of code, every asset… we own it all. And to top it off, I wiped every trace of it from their servers. They’ll have nothing left to hold onto.”

My eyes widen as I process what he’s just said. “You did that while we were in there?”

Oliver nods, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “Grey and I have been preparing for this possibility for a while. It’s all about being one step ahead. Now, they can sit in that room and argue all they want, but there’s nothing left for them to hold over us.”

Stepping outside, the weight on my chest lifts, dissipating into the crisp air. Everything feels lighter—the world brighter, the future suddenly full of possibility.

“Thank you,” I manage, my throat tight with emotion. The words barely seem enough to convey the depth of my gratitude, but they’re all I can manage right now.

Misha grins, slinging an arm around my shoulders in that familiar, comforting way of his. “We’re a team, Amelia. We’ll always have your back.”

Walking away from the towering building, I glance back one last time. It’s a symbol of all I’ve endured, of the battles fought and won. But instead of regret or anger, all I feel is a profound sense of relief. I turn away, facing forward—toward the future, toward the life I get to build with these incredible men by my side.

But what will that future even look like?

I haven’t asked before.

“So… what now?”

“Now,” Grey says, taking my hand. “We crash at Grandpa’s for a while, talk to him and some lawyers. Then we find a place of our own, set up shop, and start our own company. We’re going to push out the AI and AR and make something that Elysium could only dream of.”

Misha’s arm tightens around my shoulders. “We’ll be millionaires, getting fat and happy together.”

“And then we’ll see what an AI-operated, lensless AR can do,” Oliver smiles at me, and I can’t help the rush of excitement that bubbles up inside.

The future suddenly seems so tangible, so close.

So full.

For the first time in a long while, I feel a sense of anticipation. “And what will our company be called?” I ask, a smile tugging at my lips.

The guys exchange looks, and then they all just snicker, leaving the question hanging in the air.

“What?”