And I’m not six anymore. I don’t need you to walk me to school or help with every homework assignment. I’m 12. I can handle you working late sometimes. You’re sure? I’m sure, but I’m also worried. Not about you working late, about you getting hurt. You gave up being a lawyer because of mom. Because you didn’t want to lose yourself in work and lose me, too.

What if you go back and it’s just as bad as before? What if you get so caught up in this that you forget why you left? Lucas reached across the table, took her hand. I won’t forget. Your mom’s death taught me what matters. That hasn’t changed. This case is important, but you’re more important.

If I ever lose sight of that, I trust you to remind me. Oh, I will. Nah grinned suddenly. I’ll be super annoying about it. Dad, remember what matters. Dad, you’re working too much. Dad, we have a standing pizza date and you’re not cancelling. Deal. Lucas squeezed her hand. 7 days, Nina. That’s all I’ve got to prepare. It’s going to be intense.

But after that, win or lose, I’ll know I did everything I could for someone who deserved a real defense. Then you’d better get started. Nina pulled her hand back, picked up another slice of pizza. Eat fast. You’ve got a meeting, right? In an hour. How did you Dad? You told me the entrepreneur needed help preparing her case.

You’re not going to wait until tomorrow to start. That’s not who you are. She paused. It never was. Lucas looked at his daughter and felt a surge of something between pride and heartbreak. When had she grown up so much? When had she stopped being the six-year-old who needed him to check for monsters under the bed and become this perceptive, supportive, almost teenager who could read him better than he could read himself.

“Your mom would be proud of you,” he said quietly. “She’d be proud of you, too, for standing up.” They finished their pizza quickly, talking about Nenah’s day at school, her upcoming science project, the book she was reading. Normal things, anchoring things. Lucas paid the check, hugged his daughter in the parking lot, and watched her bike away toward home before climbing back into his truck.

His phone buzzed. A text from Evelyn. Office address 2847 Industrial Parkway, Sweet 300. Sarah and I are here whenever you’re ready. Take your time. Lucas checked his watch. 4:30. He told them 2 hours, and it had been almost 3. But Nino was right. There was no sense in waiting. 7 days wasn’t much time to prepare for a case that had already consumed 8 months of someone else’s work.

He drove across town to the industrial park, found the building, rode the elevator to the third floor. Aquaver Technologies occupied a corner suite with glass walls and modern furniture that managed to feel functional rather than showy. Through the windows, he could see people working at computers, examining what looked like water filtration equipment, engaged in intense discussions over blueprints.

The receptionist looked up when he entered, her expression moving from polite inquiry to confusion as she took in his workclo and tool belt. Can I help you? Lucas Reed, I’m here to see Evelyn Moore. Oh. Recognition dawned. You’re the from the courthouse this morning. I heard about that. Miss Moore said to send you right back when you arrived, conference room B, down the hall and to the left.

Lucas found the conference room easily. It was dominated by a long table currently covered in boxes, file folders, and loose papers. Evelyn and Sarah sat at one end, Sarah typing on a laptop while Evelyn sorted through documents. They both looked up when he entered. “Welcome to war room,” Evelyn said with a tired smile. “Sorry about the mess.

We’ve been trying to organize 8 months of Brighton’s work. It’s not well organized. Lucas set his tool belt down by the door, suddenly feeling the weight of what he’d committed to. Where do we start? Sarah gestured to a whiteboard on the wall where she’d written a timeline. I’ve been trying to create an overview. The lawsuit was filed 8 months ago.

Meridian Solutions claims that you, Evelyn, stole their intellectual property when you worked as a consultant for them 3 years ago. They say your Aqua Verde filtration system is based on research and designs you had access to during your time there. Which is completely false. Evelyn added, I did consult for them, but I was working on a completely different project.

The Aquaverie system is based on research I conducted years before I ever met anyone from Meridian. Lucas pulled out a chair, sat down, walk me through it from the beginning. How did you end up consulting for Meridian? Evelyn leaned back, gathering her thoughts. Four years ago, I was a graduate student at State University, finishing my PhD in environmental engineering.

My dissertation focused on lowcost water filtration systems for developing regions. I developed a prototype using a combination of ceramic filtration and UV sterilization that was more efficient and cheaper than anything else on the market. Your Aquaverie system, the foundation of it, yes. After I graduated, I founded Aquaverie to commercialize the technology, but startups need funding and I needed industrial partnerships to scale production.

Meridian Solutions approached me. They said they were interested in sustainable water technologies, that they wanted to expand into developing markets. It seemed like a perfect fit. Sarah pulled up a document on her laptop. This is the consulting agreement Evelyn signed with Meridian. 6 months working on improving their existing commercial filtration systems completely separate from her own research.

Lucas scanned the document, his legal training kicking in automatically. This is a standard non-compete in NDA. You agreed not to work for their competitors and not to disclose their proprietary information, but there’s no clause here claiming ownership of your prior work. Exactly. Evelyn said, I was careful about that. I even had an attorney review it before I signed.

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