Chapter 2
The Signature That Wasn't Mine
I ended the call and walked straight toward Ryan.
He saw me coming.
His smile disappeared.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
I stopped inches from him.
"What is Blackstone Automotive Holdings?"
His expression barely changed.
But I noticed his fingers tighten around his phone.
"Never heard of it."
"Really?"
"What's this about, Ethan?"
I stared at him.
"Someone transferred the Raven X1 designs to that company."
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then he shrugged.
"Sounds like a paperwork mistake."
"A paperwork mistake?"
I could barely control my voice.
"The patents, Ryan. Dad's designs. Our research files. Everything."
He looked toward the crew.
"Lower your voice."
That sentence told me more than any confession could have.
My brother wasn't shocked.
He was worried someone might hear us.
I grabbed his arm.
"Did you do something?"
He pulled away.
"Don't start accusing me because you don't understand the business side."
I felt my anger rise.
"Then explain it."
He glanced toward the road.
"We should talk at the office."
"No. We talk now."
Ryan's expression hardened.
"You're embarrassing yourself."
I almost laughed.
Our father had spent three years fighting illness while designing that car.
I had spent thousands of hours finishing his work.
And my brother was concerned about embarrassment.
Before I could answer, the director approached.
"Ethan, everything okay?"
I forced myself to remain calm.
"Pause the shoot. Nobody moves the car until I say so."
The director nodded.
Ryan immediately stepped forward.
"That isn't necessary."
I turned toward him.
"Why not?"
He looked uncomfortable.
"We have a schedule."
"The schedule can wait."
I walked toward the road where the Raven X1 had disappeared.
A few moments later, the test driver returned.
The matte-black machine rolled toward us, its red taillights glowing as it slowed.
I watched every movement carefully.
The enormous rear wing.
The aerodynamic body.
The black wheels turning beneath the sunlight.
The car still belonged to us physically.
But somewhere, someone had filed documents claiming ownership of the ideas that made it possible.
And I had a terrible feeling my brother knew exactly how.
I called Rebecca again.
"Tell me everything."
She explained that an assignment agreement had been submitted through an electronic document service.
It contained what appeared to be my signature.
The paperwork purported to transfer several design rights from Walker Performance Engineering to Blackstone Automotive Holdings.
I asked when it happened.
"Six days ago."
My stomach tightened.
Six days earlier, I had been working late in the engineering lab.
Ryan had brought me dinner.
He had offered to handle some administrative messages while I checked the car's engine calibration.
I remembered leaving my laptop open.
I remembered giving him my office access card because he said he needed to retrieve a contract.
And I remembered thinking how fortunate I was to have a brother I could trust.
"Rebecca, I didn't sign anything."
"I believe you. But we need to preserve the records immediately."
She instructed me not to confront anyone further until we could review the evidence.
I looked toward Ryan.
He had moved away from the crew and was texting rapidly.
"He's here," I whispered.
"Then make sure the original car and engineering records remain secure."
I told the director we were stopping production for the day.
The crew was disappointed, but nobody argued.
Our chief engineer, Marcus Reed, approached me.
Marcus had worked for my father for nineteen years.
He was fifty-six, with graying hair and hands permanently marked by decades of mechanical work.
"Something wrong, son?"
I looked at him.
There were very few people in the world I trusted as much as Marcus.
"Someone may have stolen the design rights."
His face changed.
"What?"
I explained what Rebecca had discovered.
Marcus listened without interrupting.
Then he looked across the road at Ryan.
"Your brother know?"
"I think so."
Marcus slowly shook his head.
"Your father warned me this might happen."
I stared at him.
"What did you just say?"
He looked down.
"Not here."
We arranged for the car to be transported back to our secure workshop.
I personally verified the transporter documentation and made sure Marcus remained with the vehicle.
Ryan watched from beside the production van.
When I approached him again, his expression was cold.
"You've ruined the shoot."
I stared at him.
"Someone's trying to steal our father's life's work."
He laughed bitterly.
"You always make everything about Dad."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"He built this company."
"And you think that makes you better than everyone."
I stepped backward.
"What?"
Ryan pointed toward the transporter.
"You got the workshop. The engineering team. The title of chief executive. Dad handed you everything important."
I felt as though he had struck me.
"We divided responsibilities exactly the way he wanted."
"Because you were his favorite."
I shook my head.
"Ryan, that's not true."
He looked away.
For the first time, I saw years of resentment behind his eyes.
Resentment I hadn't known existed.
Then his phone rang.
He checked the screen and quickly declined the call.
I caught the name before it disappeared.
Vanessa.
My wife.
My stomach tightened.
"Why is Vanessa calling you?"
Ryan's eyes narrowed.
"She's your wife, Ethan. Maybe she's worried about you."
I stared at him.
My marriage had been strained for months.
Vanessa complained about my long hours.
She said I cared more about a machine than my family.
Lately, she had become unusually interested in the company's financial arrangements.
She repeatedly asked how much the Raven X1 patents would be worth.
I had assumed she was trying to understand my work.
Now I wasn't so sure.
That evening, I returned home exhausted.
Vanessa was sitting at the kitchen island in a white silk blouse.
She smiled when she saw me.
"How did filming go?"
I set my keys down.
"Someone tried to transfer the car's intellectual property."
Her smile vanished.
"That's terrible."
I studied her face.
"Rebecca is investigating."
Vanessa stood.
"Maybe you should let the lawyers handle it."
"Of course."
She walked toward me.
"You look exhausted."
I stepped away.
"Did you speak to Ryan today?"
She froze.
Only for a second.
But I saw it.
"Why?"
"Answer me."
She crossed her arms.
"He called about the launch."
"What did he say?"
"Nothing important."
I looked at the woman I had loved for seven years.
Suddenly, I felt as though I was standing in front of a stranger.
My phone vibrated.
A message from Marcus appeared.
I opened it.
Ethan, I found something in the prototype's onboard system. Come alone.
I read the message twice.
Then another arrived.
Do not tell Ryan or Vanessa.
I looked up.
Vanessa was watching me.
"Who is it?"
I locked my phone.
"Just Marcus."
She smiled.
May you like
But her next question made my blood run cold.
"Did he find the hidden recording?"
