“You cannot walk away over one clause.”
“The agreement allows us to terminate for material misrepresentation of intellectual-property ownership.”
“This is a negotiation tactic.”
“No,” she said.
“It is a title defect involving the principal asset.”
Alex’s hand began to shake.
He lowered it beneath the table, but not before three board members saw.
The attorney gave them until noon to provide evidence that the license remained valid.
Then the call ended.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
The champagne bucket clicked softly as the ice shifted.
Alex turned on Marcus.
“Fix it.”
Marcus looked exhausted.
“The revocation notice was properly served.
The twenty-four-hour period has expired.”
“Then call Brittany.”
“She is represented by counsel.”
“Call her counsel.”
Marcus closed the folder.
“Sarah Lin contacted me at six this morning.
Brittany will not discuss reinstatement while you continue claiming company ownership of her patent.”
Alex pushed away from the table so hard that his chair struck the glass wall.
Outside, employees looked up.
He lowered his voice.
“This company paid for development.”
“The company paid salaries and validation costs,” Marcus replied.
“The underlying invention predated Corivia.
That is why the license exists.”
Alex looked around the table, searching for someone who would support his version of reality.
Kevin avoided his eyes.
The marketing director slowly closed her tablet.
Evelyn Shaw, the board chair, removed her glasses and set them beside the acquisition documents.
“What exactly did you tell Intercolix during diligence?” Evelyn asked.
Alex’s jaw tightened.
“That we controlled the platform.”
“That was not my question.”
“I told them the intellectual property was secure.”
“Did you tell them Corivia owned the patent?”
Alex hesitated.
Marcus reached for another folder.
That hesitation was enough.
Evelyn’s expression hardened.
“Did you?”
“I described Brittany as an early technical contributor whose work had been incorporated into company property.”
“You told them Corivia owned it,” Marcus said.
Alex snapped toward him.
“Whose side are you on?”
“The company’s.”
The distinction landed sharply.
Alex had spent years treating loyalty to himself as loyalty to Corivia.
Now the board was hearing the difference spoken aloud.
Evelyn asked Marcus to explain the company’s exposure.
He did not soften it.
Without the license, Corivia could not lawfully deploy the diagnostic engine, distribute updates containing the patented method, or represent the platform as an operating asset.
Existing customer contracts might be affected.
