Chapter 5: The Investor's Secret
Marcus Reed placed a photograph on the table.
It showed a young girl standing beside a small robotic device.
The girl looked about twelve years old.
She had dark curly hair, round glasses, and a nervous smile.
I leaned closer.
The machine beside her looked familiar.
Not exactly like Iris.
But close enough to make my stomach tighten.
"What is this?"" I asked.
Marcus looked at me.
"My daughter, Olivia.""
I glanced at him.
"I didn't know you had a daughter.""
"She's twenty now. She was diagnosed with a degenerative neurological condition when she was eleven. During her childhood, she spent years moving between hospitals and rehabilitation centers.""
His voice softened.
"She hated feeling dependent on everyone. She wanted to do things herself. Even simple things, like switching on a light or calling a friend.""
He tapped the photograph.
"This was her first robotics project. We called it Companion One.""
I examined the machine.
It had a rounded body, two small cameras, and a basic voice interface.
It was primitive compared with Iris.
But the intention was unmistakable.
"Did you build this together?"" I asked.
Marcus nodded.
"I did most of the engineering. Olivia came up with the idea. She wanted a machine that could recognize when someone needed help without making them feel helpless.""
I looked at him.
"That's what Iris does.""
"Exactly.""
He opened another folder.
"Five years ago, I began funding a research initiative to develop affordable assistive robotics. I wanted to make the technology available to people who couldn't afford private caregivers.""
He showed us a document.
*COMPANION PROJECT — RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT.*
One of the listed development consultants was Ethan Cole.
My stomach twisted.
"Why was Ethan involved?""
Marcus answered immediately.
"He was a technical contractor. He had access to preliminary research files, but he was never authorized to distribute them.""
Vanessa shifted in her chair.
Marcus noticed.
"Is there something you'd like to tell us?""
She crossed her arms.
"I have no idea what you're talking about.""
Marcus pulled out a printed email.
"Then perhaps you can explain why Ethan sent you confidential development materials six months ago.""
He read the subject line aloud.
"Prototype integration specifications.""
Vanessa looked toward the exit.
Marcus continued.
"These documents contained preliminary concepts for voice recognition, movement monitoring, and emergency response. They were part of my company's confidential research.""
I stared at the paper.
"Those are Iris's main features.""
"Yes.""
"But I developed those independently.""
Marcus nodded.
"Which is why this is becoming very complicated.""
Dr. Hayes leaned forward.
"Are you suggesting that Miss Carter's project contains stolen technology?""
"No," Marcus replied.
"I'm suggesting that someone may have used my company's confidential research to create a false ownership claim over her independent work.""
He turned toward Vanessa.
"And then sold that claim to me.""
The words struck like a physical blow.
Vanessa stood.
"That's absurd. I built Vantage Living Solutions from nothing.""
Marcus looked at her.
"You built it using money that wasn't yours, technical documents that weren't yours, and an invention that wasn't yours.""
Her voice rose.
"You approved the investment!""
"I approved the investment because you presented Brielle as the inventor and provided documentation showing that she owned the intellectual property.""
"She does!""
Marcus slid another document across the table.
"Then why does the original development archive identify Maya?""
Vanessa looked down.
For several seconds, she said nothing.
Then she turned toward Brielle.
"Tell them.""
Brielle wiped her cheeks.
"Tell them what?""
"Tell them Maya shared the designs with you.""
Brielle looked at me.
I remembered her entering my bedroom without knocking.
I remembered her borrowing my tablet.
I remembered her asking whether she could use my laptop to print a school assignment.
I had trusted her.
"Did you copy my files?"" I asked.
Brielle looked away.
Vanessa snapped her fingers.
"Answer her!""
Brielle began crying.
"Mom said I could use them.""
"Use what?""
"The project files.""
My chest tightened.
"Did you take them from my computer?""
She nodded.
"When?""
"During the summer.""
I remembered that week.
I had gone to visit my grandmother for four days.
Vanessa had insisted Brielle stay home because she had a school project.
My laptop had been left in the garage.
"Did you send the files to Ethan?""
Brielle nodded again.
I felt sick.
"Why?""
She started crying harder.
"Mom said it was just for a presentation. She said we needed someone to make the design look professional.""
Vanessa stepped forward.
"That's enough.""
But Brielle kept talking.
"She said Maya was going to waste the project anyway. She said I could have something that would make people respect me.""
I looked at my stepsister.
For a moment, I saw the little girl who had once followed me around the house asking me to teach her how to draw circuits.
Then I remembered the way she had stood onstage.
"Did you know she was going to sell it?""
Brielle shook her head.
"Not at first.""
"At first?""
She covered her face.
"Mom told me yesterday.""
I looked at Vanessa.
"You knew everything.""
Vanessa's eyes hardened.
"I was trying to give Brielle a future.""
"By taking mine?""
"She needed an opportunity.""
"And I didn't?""
Vanessa's voice dropped.
"You always had your father.""
The sentence made me go still.
"What?""
She looked at me with years of resentment.
"Your father paid for your school supplies. Your father bought your computer. Your father gave you everything. Brielle had to work twice as hard just to get noticed.""
I stared at her.
"My computer was bought with my scholarship money.""
"Which I managed.""
"My school supplies were bought with money I earned.""
"Don't be ungrateful.""
"And my robot?""
Vanessa said nothing.
I stepped closer.
"You took my robot because you couldn't stand the idea of Brielle not being better than me.""
Her face twisted.
"You have no idea what I've sacrificed.""
Marcus interrupted.
"Enough.""
He turned toward Dr. Hayes.
"I would like to make an official statement. My company will immediately suspend the Vantage Living Solutions investment pending a full forensic investigation.""
Vanessa's expression changed.
"Marcus, you can't do that.""
"I can.""
"You signed the agreement!""
"Subject to verification of ownership and the accuracy of your representations.""
He closed the folder.
"Both conditions have failed.""
Vanessa looked toward my father.
"Daniel, do something!""
Dad stood slowly.
"I think you should tell the truth.""
She stared at him.
"You're taking her side?""
"I'm taking the truth's side.""
For the first time, my father sounded certain.
Vanessa laughed bitterly.
"After everything I've done for this family?""
Dad looked at her.
"What have you done for Maya?""
She opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
The security officer escorted Vanessa and Brielle into a separate room while the judges arranged the next steps.
Marcus remained with me.
"I'd like to speak with you privately," he said.
I looked at him cautiously.
"About what?""
He hesitated.
"About the original grant. And something else I found in the files Ethan sent me.""
He opened his briefcase again.
This time, he removed a photograph of a handwritten engineering notebook.
I recognized it immediately.
It was mine.
The notebook I had kept beside my bed.
The notebook containing the first sketches for Iris's emotional-response system.
"Where did you get that?"" I asked.
"Ethan provided it as evidence of Vantage's development history.""
I stared at the photograph.
Someone had photographed pages from my private notebook.
Marcus turned to the final image.
A handwritten diagram showed the internal architecture of Iris.
But beneath it was a second drawing.
One I had never made.
It showed a much more advanced machine.
A machine designed to recognize human emotional distress and respond by accessing a person's personal communication history.
I frowned.
"I didn't design this.""
Marcus nodded.
"I know.""
He placed another sheet beside it.
It was a technical proposal bearing Vanessa's signature.
And at the bottom was a line that read:
*PHASE TWO: AUTONOMOUS BEHAVIORAL PREDICTION AND PERSONAL DATA ACCESS.*
I looked up.
"What does that mean?""
Marcus's expression darkened.
"It means someone intended to turn a care assistant into something much more invasive.""
My stomach tightened.
"Why would they do that?""
He looked toward the room where Vanessa had been taken.
"Because the company wasn't planning to sell just a robot.""
May you like
He lowered his voice.
"They were planning to sell access to the people who used it.""
