Chapter 4

The celebration took place on the hotel's top floor.

By the time I arrived, Gabriel was already on stage for an interview. He stumbled through an explanation of my research methods. Whenever the host pressed him for critical data, he dismissed it as a trade secret.

The audience applauded anyway.

Katherine sat in the front row. She glanced at my injured leg, then quickly looked around at the other guests.

"If you're having this much trouble walking, you didn't have to come," she said. "Everyone here today is an investor. Don't make them think I forced you to show up."

Nera immediately chimed in, "Gabby specifically invited you out of respect for all the years you've spent looking after Katherine. The least you could do is show some gratitude."

I took a seat at the last table.

A documentary about the research began to play on the screen behind the stage. In the footage, Gabriel wore a white lab coat as he operated the equipment.

I recognized every scratch and sign of wear on those machines. After all, the footage had been shot in my own basement.

The host asked how long it had taken him to solve the technical problem.

Gabriel said three years.

Katherine led the applause.

Three years ago, she had still been sitting beside me, helping organize my experimental data.

Halfway through the banquet, Gabriel approached me with a glass in hand. He had clearly had quite a bit to drink, and his voice was louder than usual. "Micah, why are you sitting all the way back here? Given your contribution, you deserve a seat up front too."

Several company executives nearby laughed.

Someone asked which part of the research I had worked on.

"He kept everything at home running smoothly. Kate could focus on her career all these years because he took care of the groceries and school runs," Gabriel answered for me.

He chuckled. "You could call him the unsung hero behind the scenes."

He placed a glass of liquor in front of me. "This one's for you."

I didn't touch it. "The doctor told me not to drink."

Gabriel pulled out the chair beside me and sat down.

"It's just a concussion. Don't make it sound worse than it is." He gave a dismissive laugh. "Men who spend all their time at home tend to get a little soft."

Nera called out from two tables away, "Gabby's proposing a toast to you. At least have a little."

Katherine looked over as well. "Don't ruin the mood today."

I picked up the glass and set it aside. "Toast received."

Gabriel leaned closer, and the smell of liquor filled the air between us. "Micah, do you seriously think you're still the man of the Lawson household? That agreement has already been taken care of."

He smirked. "The house, the company, the savings. None of it has anything to do with you anymore."

He lowered his voice, though every word remained perfectly clear. "You signed away custody too. If Kate wants to keep you around to cook, you can stay. If she doesn't, you won't even get to see Milo."

I looked straight at him. "Who told you that agreement is valid?"

"It's already been notarized." He patted my shoulder. "Maybe you just didn't read it carefully before you signed."

He shrugged. "You can't blame anyone else for that."

Then he added, "Once you're gone, I'll take care of Milo. Sooner or later, he'll have to start calling me something else."

I picked up the bottle on the table and filled his glass to the brim.

Gabriel took it as a sign of surrender and raised his glass with a smile.

Katherine approached us. "What are you two talking about?"

"I'm convincing Micah to accept reality." Gabriel drained his glass. "Maybe then he'll stop causing trouble for you with things like that school transfer."

Katherine turned to me.

"I still haven't settled the score with you over that." Her expression hardened. "After the banquet, you're going straight to the school to withdraw that application."

I took out my phone. "Take a look at these two things first."

The first was a certificate of evidence issued by the city's intellectual property protection center. The underlying code, formula revision records, and laboratory logs all contained continuous timestamps.

The earliest record predated the establishment of Gabriel's shell company by two years.

The second was a forensic examination report. According to the findings, the signature reading "Micah Lawson" on the transfer agreement submitted for examination did not match my handwriting sample.

I placed the phone in the middle of the table.

Katherine stared at the date on the report: November of last year.

Nera picked up the phone and scrolled through several pages. "You submitted this for examination six months ago?"

"Yes," I replied.

Gabriel reached for the phone, but I pulled it away before he could touch it. "My lawyer already has a backup. The notary's office has a sealed copy as well."

Katherine grabbed my arm. "Micah, let me explain."

I shook off her hand. "There's no rush. Tonight's celebration isn't over yet."

I looked at her. "And we've only just begun to settle our accounts."