The fallout was bigger than Ethan had anticipated.
He had expected blowback—maybe a smear campaign, some angry messages, maybe even legal threats. What he hadn't expected was how fast the truth would spread. Restart's server had barely recovered from the surge when the media requests began pouring in. People weren't just watching—they were listening.
And reacting.
Some with support.
Some with silence.
And some with danger.
On Saturday morning, Ethan received a letter slipped under his door.
No return address.
No signature.
Just a message printed in block letters:
"You've said enough. Stop digging before you're buried."
Sofia's hand trembled as she read it beside him.
"They're watching us," she whispered.
"I know," Ethan said quietly, folding the paper carefully. "But they're also scared. That means we're close."
Later that afternoon, Ethan met with Marcus in a discreet rooftop garden above an old office complex. The city hummed beneath them, unaware—or perhaps indifferent—to the quiet war unraveling above.
"They know we know," Marcus said, setting his phone on the table. "And they've started burning their own tracks. Half the names on that list? Gone. Deleted. Wiped."
Ethan frowned. "Project Phoenix is going underground."
"Or changing names," Marcus added. "Either way, they're still moving."
Sofia arrived moments later, dropping a USB drive on the table. "I got this from a journalist contact. It's encrypted, but it matches the filename mentioned in Marco's draft emails."
Ethan plugged it into his laptop.
Inside: audio recordings.
Meetings. Phone calls. Negotiations.
One voice stood out.
Marco's.
It wasn't just betrayal anymore—it was conspiracy.
In the recordings, Marco pitched Restart's algorithm and user data as a "ripe target for commercial leverage," suggesting a full acquisition and rebranding. Worse yet, he named Ethan directly as a "removable founder."
Ethan's stomach turned.
"He planned to erase me."
Sofia's jaw clenched. "He planned to steal your voice. Your idea. Everything."
Marcus looked grim. "If this gets out, they won't just come after your platform. They'll come after you."
Ethan closed the laptop.
"Then let them."
That night, Ethan couldn't sleep. Momo curled beside him on the couch, soft and warm. Her rhythmic purring was the only sound in the apartment. Outside, the wind howled against the windows, but the little silver cat didn't flinch.
"She's braver than I am," Ethan murmured.
Sofia walked in with two mugs of tea. "Or maybe she just knows she's safe with you."
He looked at her.
"Do you really believe we can win this?"
Sofia sat beside him.
"I don't know," she said honestly. "But I believe we have to try."
By Monday, Ethan had made a decision.
They would go fully public—with names, files, recordings, and all.
No more holding back.
But before that, he had one more move to make.
He met with a lawyer recommended by Sofia—a woman named Naomi Cho. Sharp, precise, and calm under pressure. She didn't flinch when he played the audio recordings.
"You'll need to be strategic," she said. "This is bigger than tech theft. It touches on privacy law, corporate espionage, defamation—"
"I don't care about legal wins," Ethan interrupted. "I care about the truth. And the people who trusted me."
Naomi leaned back. "Then I suggest a press conference. On your terms. With documentation. Let the public opinion guide the law, not the other way around."
The announcement came Wednesday morning.
Ethan scheduled it for Friday, noon.
The location: Restart's co-working studio. Open to the public. Livestreamed worldwide.
The headline?
"This is What They Tried to Hide."
Thursday night, Ethan stood at the balcony, looking out over the city. Sofia stood beside him. They hadn't said much all evening, both weighed down by what was to come.
"Are you scared?" she asked.
Ethan was quiet for a long moment.
"Yes," he finally said. "But I'm more scared of not speaking."
Behind them, Momo padded softly onto the balcony, brushing against Ethan's ankle. He reached down and picked her up. She nuzzled under his chin, as if sensing the tension.
"Even she knows something's coming," Sofia whispered.
Ethan stared out into the lights.
"Let it come."