chapter eight

Benjamin arrived at the company, where he met Alex outside. Alex's expression was serious.

"If I told you over the phone, you wouldn't believe me," Alex said. "I think it's best I show you."

Alex led Benjamin into the company, navigating through the corridors until they reached the conference hall. Benjamin's eyes widened as he took in the scene before him.

Inside the hall, Nicholas stood confidently at the podium, presenting Benjamin's project to a crowd of press and onlookers. The room was filled with cameras, microphones, and reporters, all eager to capture the moment.

Benjamin's eyes locked onto Nicholas, his mind racing with shock, anger, and betrayal. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Benjamin's anger boiled over as he watched Nicholas bask in the glory of his stolen project. He couldn't take it anymore. Pushing through the crowd, Benjamin made his way to the stage.

"Nicholas, you thief ! How could you ?" Benjamin shouted, his voice echoing through the hall.

The audience gasped in shock, and Nicholas's smile faltered. Security guards rushed towards Benjamin, grabbing him by the arms.

"What's going on here? one of the guards demanded. Mister you're not suppose to be here.

"This is my project!" Benjamin struggled against the guards. "He stole it from me!"

Nicholas's face turned red with anger. "That's not true! "

The guards dragged Benjamin away, tossing him out of the conference hall like a trash bag. Benjamin landed hard on the sidewalk, his dignity bruised.

As he struggled to his feet, Benjamin locked eyes with Nicholas, who stood at the entrance of the hall, a smug smile on his face.

"This isn't over," Benjamin vowed, his voice low and menacing. We will meet in court.

Nicholas's smile faltered, and for a moment, Benjamin saw a flicker of fear in his eyes.

But it was quickly replaced by a mask of confidence. "I'm not worried," Nicholas sneered, turning back into the hall.

Benjamin's anger simmered, fueling his determination to expose Nicholas's deceit and reclaim his stolen project. The battle was far from over.

Benjamin went back in the hall, collected the microphone, and apologized to the audience. "Sorry, that wasn't meant to happen," he said.

Rachael hastily approached him, whispering urgently, "You're being summoned to the Board of Directors' office."

Benjamin's eyes scanned the hall, but to his surprise, none of the directors were present with Mr Elijah. His heart began to pound in fear.

As they walked to the office, Rachael asked, "What was that all about?"

Benjamin replied, "We discussed about it later. Now, I have to face the consequences. Wish me luck."

As they entered the office, Benjamin and Rachael found it empty. Rachael turned to Benjamin, curiosity etched on her face. "What was that all about, Benjamin?" she asked again.

But Benjamin remained silent, lost in thoughts of fear and uncertainty. His mind was racing with worst-case scenarios.

A few moments later, the CEOs and Mr. Elijah arrived, their faces stern and serious. Mr. Elijah's eyes locked onto Rachael, and he asked her to leave, his tone gentle but firm.

"Rachael, please excuse us," he said.

Rachel nodded and quickly gathered her things, casting a curious glance at Benjamin before exiting the office. The door closed behind her, leaving Benjamin alone with the CEO's and Mr Elijah.

Mister Elijah's face turned red with anger as he glared at Nicholas. "What the hell was that about?" he thundered.

Nicholas shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Benjamin is my friend, sir. We've been working on the project together for a while now."

CEO's eyes narrowed. "So, you're saying that Benjamin was just trying to sabotage you?"

Nicholas nodded. "Yes, sir. He can't just come in here and claim that he's the owner of the project."

Mister Elijah rubbed his temples, a look of frustration on his face. "We have a problem, gentlemen. There were presses all over the place, and you were both recorded. We need to notify the public, saying it was a wrong accusation."

Nicholas nodded, relief washing over his face.

Mister Elijah turned to Nicholas. "You need to explain to the public that you are the owner of the project. We can't have our company's reputation tarnished by this scandal."

Nicholas nodded eagerly, but Benjamin's face appeared in his mind, and for a moment, he felt a pang of guilt.

Little did Nicholas know, Benjamin was not one to back down from a fight.

Mr Elijah instructed Nicholas, "The press is still gathered at the company entrance. Go address them and clarify the situation."

Nicholas nodded and made his way to the entrance, where the press was eagerly waiting. He stepped forward, lots of microphones right up on his face and so many cameras.

Nicholas cleared his throat and began to speak, his voice calm and confident. "Ladies and gentlemen of the press, I'd like to address the allegations made by Benjamin earlier today. I want to assure you that his accusations are completely false."

He paused for a moment, surveying the sea of expectant faces before him.

"Benjamin is a friend and colleague, and he did indeed assist me with the project. However, he had no right to claim ownership of it. We collaborated on the project, but I am the sole owner of the intellectual property."

Nicholas's words were met with a flurry of questions from the press, all clamoring to know more about the controversy.

Nicholas didn't answer any of the questions the press threw at him. Instead, he politely excused himself and made his way back into the building.

As he entered the reception area, he spotted Rachael sitting at the receptionist's desk, waiting for him. She looked up and caught his eye, a mixture of concern and curiosity etched on her face.

"Hey, how did it go?" she asked, her voice low and gentle.

Nicholas shook his head, his expression grim. "It was a nightmare. They wouldn't let up, they're already crucifying me."

Rachael nodded sympathetically. "I can imagine.

Nicholas sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I just want to get this whole thing sorted out."

Rachael leaned forward, her eyes locked on his. "Do you want to talk about what's going on? Maybe I can help. One of the guards said, "Benjamin said something about suing you."

Nicholas hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. But something about Rachael's kind expression put him at ease. He took a deep breath and began to explain...

Nicholas's eyes darted around the room, ensuring they were alone. "It's just a big misunderstanding," he said, his voice low and measured. "Benjamin's been feeling a bit left out of the project, and I think he's just trying to get attention."

Rachael's expression was skeptical, but she didn't press the issue. "I see," she said, her voice neutral. "And what about the lawsuit? One of the guards mentioned something about that."

Nicholas expression turned incredulous. "That's ridiculous, you know Benjamin's been struggling with a lot of things lately and that's just an empty threat. Benjamin's all bark and no bite. But He knew he was lying to himself about that."

But as he spoke, a faint glimmer of guilt flickered in his eyes, betraying the fact that he wasn't telling Rachael the whole truth...

Rachael's face softened, and she reached out, placing a hand on Nicholas's arm. "You'll get through this, Nicholas.