Mara did not argue in the lounge. She returned to the main room and began collecting proof. She watched the slides on the big screens and recognized her own phrases in the bullet points. She saw diagrams that matched sketches she once drew by hand. Even the menu layout on the demo station looked like the interface she built late at night.
As she moved, she noticed people watching her. A security guard stood too neatly near her path. Mr. Patel stayed close, hovering like a shadow. Mara understood she was no longer just a guest. She was a problem they wanted to keep quiet.