Chapter 7: The Original Design
"Daniel, you have to believe me. Alexander knows where it is.""
Olivia's voice trembled through the phone.
I stood in Patricia Parker's living room, staring at the declaration her father had signed before his death.
"Where is the original design?"" I asked.
"I can't tell you over the phone.""
"Then tell me why Alexander is coming for it.""
"He wants to destroy it.""
I looked at Michael.
He immediately took out his phone and began recording the conversation.
"Why would he destroy something worth millions?""
"Because the original design proves his father stole the technology. There's a second safety mechanism. It contains the evidence of what they did to your father's invention.""
I tightened my grip on the phone.
"What evidence?""
Olivia took a shaky breath.
"Your father and mine discovered that Whitmore had secretly altered the original cooling system during early testing. They removed several safety restrictions to make the technology cheaper to manufacture.""
Michael stopped writing.
"Olivia, are you saying Whitmore knowingly developed an unsafe version?""
"Yes.""
I felt cold.
My father had spent years warning me that shortcuts could kill people.
If someone had deliberately removed a safety mechanism from his invention, the consequences could have been catastrophic.
"Where is the design?"" I repeated.
"At my father's old laboratory storage unit.""
"Which one?""
"Storage unit 214, in Cambridge. I have the key.""
"Why didn't you tell me before?""
She was silent.
Then she whispered, "Because I was afraid.""
I almost laughed.
"You weren't afraid when you used my father's notebooks.""
"Daniel, I know what I did.""
"Do you?""
"Yes. And I know you have every reason to hate me.""
I looked toward Patricia.
She was crying quietly.
"Meet us at Michael's office in one hour," I said.
"Bring the key and every document you have.""
"Okay.""
"And Olivia?""
"Yes?""
"If you lie to me again, there won't be another conversation.""
I ended the call.
Michael looked at me.
"We need to involve the authorities before anyone attempts to retrieve that design.""
"I agree.""
Patricia stood.
"Daniel, please. Don't let my daughter get hurt.""
I looked at her.
"I can't promise to protect her from the consequences of what she's done. But I won't let anyone destroy evidence.""
An hour later, Olivia arrived at Michael's office.
She looked nothing like the confident woman I'd seen at graduation.
Her eyes were swollen. Her hair was unkempt, and she kept looking through the glass door as if someone might be following her.
She placed a small brass key on Michael's desk.
"Storage unit 214.""
Michael didn't touch it.
"Before we go anywhere, you need to explain your involvement in the patent documents.""
Olivia sat down.
"I accessed Daniel's father's notebooks during my doctoral research. I copied several diagrams.""
"Without permission?"" Michael asked.
She nodded.
"Yes.""
"Did you submit them as your original work?""
Olivia covered her face.
"Yes.""
I stared at her.
"Why?""
She looked at me.
"Because Alexander told me it was the only way I could secure a permanent position at Whitmore Technologies.""
"You had my father's notebooks for six years. You had me paying your rent. You had me selling the shop. And you still needed to steal his work?""
Her eyes filled with tears.
"I thought the company would eventually give us the credit.""
"Us?""
She looked down.
"I thought I could negotiate the rights later.""
I shook my head.
"You didn't want to negotiate. You wanted to take everything.""
Michael interrupted.
"Who forged Daniel's signature?""
Olivia's hands began shaking.
"Alexander arranged it.""
"And Richard witnessed it?""
"Yes.""
"Did you personally participate?""
She hesitated.
"Yes.""
The room fell silent.
I stood and walked toward the window.
I could forgive someone for making a mistake.
I could even understand desperation.
But this wasn't desperation.
It was a series of deliberate decisions.
Every time Olivia had looked me in the eyes and told me she loved me, she'd known what she was doing.
Michael closed his notebook.
"There's something else you need to tell us. Why does the second design contain evidence of deliberate safety alterations?""
Olivia looked at him.
"Because my father secretly documented everything.""
She opened her handbag and removed a folded photograph.
It showed two engineers standing beside an industrial battery testing chamber.
One was my father.
The other was Thomas Parker.
Behind them was a large cooling assembly.
On the back, Thomas had written:
*Original safety configuration — rejected by Whitmore management.*
Olivia pointed to a red circle on the photograph.
"That's the component they removed. My father kept the original engineering drawings because he knew someone would eventually try to hide what happened.""
Michael studied the photograph.
"Did your father ever report this?""
"He tried. But Richard threatened to accuse him of stealing company research.""
I looked at Olivia.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
She started crying.
"Because Alexander said if I revealed anything, he'd destroy my career.""
I gave her a cold look.
"And you thought sacrificing mine was acceptable?""
She couldn't answer.
Michael picked up the brass key.
"We'll arrange for the proper authorities to accompany us to the storage facility.""
Olivia nodded.
Then her phone vibrated.
She looked at the screen.
Her face went completely white.
"What is it?"" I asked.
She turned the phone toward me.
A message from Alexander.
*Alexander:* I know where you're going. Bring the original design to my office tonight, or I'll make sure your mother loses her house.
Another message appeared.
*Alexander:* And tell Daniel that his father's little invention isn't worth dying over.
I read it twice.
Then I handed the phone to Michael.
He immediately contacted the authorities.
But Olivia wasn't finished.
She reached into her handbag and removed another envelope.
"I found this in my father's belongings last night.""
Inside was a handwritten letter.
The first line was addressed to me.
*Daniel, if Richard ever tries to take the cooling system, ask him what happened to the first test engineer.*
I looked at Olivia.
"What test engineer?""
She shook her head.
"I don't know.""
Michael turned the page.
At the bottom was a name.
*Ethan Brooks.*
May you like
And beside it, my father had written:
*He never made it home.*
