Chapter 6 - The AccusationBefore Claire could speak another word, Daniel stood up.
"This is absurd!" he shouted, his voice echoing off the high ceiling. The entire auditorium turned to look at him. Lorraine grabbed his sleeve, trying to pull him down, but Daniel was panicked. He knew that if that download completed under the current security logs, he was ruined. He had to go on the offensive.
"Members of the committee, I apologize for this disruption," Daniel said, adjusting his jacket and trying to project an air of righteous indignation. "My name is Daniel Vance. I am Claire’s husband. I had hoped to handle this privately, but my wife is suffering from a severe mental breakdown."
A gasp ran through the audience.
"She has been under immense academic stress," Daniel continued, pointing a finger at Claire. "Last night, in a fit of mania, she shaved her own head and destroyed her own research notes. What she is showing you now is a desperate, fabricated stunt. This software—Veritas—was actually developed by my own technology consulting firm. She stole my files from our shared home network and is trying to pass them off as her doctoral research."
Lorraine stood up beside him, her face a mask of tragedy. "It’s true! We tried to stop her last night, to get her help, but she ran out of the house. Look at her! She’s not well. She’s trying to ruin my son’s business out of spite!"
The committee members looked at each other in shock. Dr. Vance looked physically sick. The tech investors in the back began to whisper excitedly, sensing a massive scandal.
Claire stood perfectly still behind the podium. She did not yell. She did not cry. She simply waited for the room to quiet down.
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"Are you finished, Daniel?" she asked quietly.
"I am saving my intellectual property, Claire," Daniel sneered, gaining confidence. "And I am taking you home where you belong."
