Chapter 6 - Secrets in the ShadowsThe boardroom was dead silent as Ethan plugged his tablet into the main projector, overriding his father’s slide presentation.
On the massive screen, a sleek, revolutionary interface appeared. It was a demonstration of an operating system entirely controlled by gaze-tracking, haptic feedback, and advanced sign-language recognition algorithms. It was breathtakingly advanced, far ahead of anything Hale Industries had currently on the market.
“‘This is Project Eleanor,’” I translated as Ethan signed with passion, his eyes shining. “‘A fully accessible digital ecosystem designed for people with physical and sensory limitations. I wrote the code myself. My father took my research, locked it in a private server, and tried to patent it under his own name while telling you I was incapable of basic thought.’”
Whispers erupted around the table. The board members leaned forward, staring at the screen in awe.
Christopher’s face went pale. He tried to laugh it off, but it came out as a desperate, dry chuckle. “This... this is a fabrication! He couldn't have coded this. He doesn't have the capacity!”
“‘The timestamps on the repository go back three years, Mr. Hale,’” I translated for Ethan, who glared at his father with fierce defiance. “‘All registered to my private, secure key. You didn't even know I had a mirror backup.’”
The elderly board member, Mrs. Albright, stood up. “Christopher, this is magnificent. If this is real, it could double our market cap. Why did we know nothing about this?”
“Because my father doesn't want Hale Industries to succeed under my name,” Ethan signed, and I delivered the words with stinging clarity. “He wants total control. And he will destroy anyone, including his own son, to keep it.”
Before Christopher could respond, the meeting was abruptly adjourned by Mrs. Albright, who demanded a full audit of the project and Ethan’s medical records.
As the board members filed out, throwing pitying and suspicious looks at Christopher, the billionaire stood frozen at the end of the table. Once the heavy doors closed, leaving only the three of us in the massive room, Christopher slowly turned his gaze toward me.
The mask of the sophisticated billionaire was entirely gone. His eyes were bloodshot, filled with a primal, venomous hatred.
“You think you’ve won?” Christopher whispered, stepping toward me. “You’re a cockroach, Mary. You and your little brother. Oh yes, I know all about him. Leo, isn't it? In that nice, expensive special school? It would be a shame if that school suddenly lost its funding. Or if a sudden accident happened to a little boy who can't even scream for help.”
My heart stopped. A cold dread washed over me, paralyzing my limbs. He was threatening my brother.
Before I could speak, Ethan stepped directly between me and his father. He grabbed Christopher by the collar of his expensive suit, pulling the older man down to his eye level. Ethan’s face was dark with a terrifying fury.
He didn't sign. He opened his mouth, and with a raw, strained, and painfully loud voice that he rarely ever used, he forced out three words:
May you like
“DON'T. TOUCH. HER.”
Christopher gasped, shock registering on his face as Ethan pushed him back. Ethan grabbed my hand, his grip tight and protective, and led me out of the boardroom, leaving his father trembling in the silence.
