Time was running out. Nine days.
Max, Ellie, and Nicholas worked with furious efficiency, running simulations, cross-checking financial records, and monitoring board member activity. Everything was checked, double-checked, and channeled into a time-release system. Activated, it would flood the inboxes of key players, news outlets, and regulatory agencies simultaneously.
"Redundancy is everything," Nicholas grumbled, connecting encrypted backups on various servers around the world. "If they try to bury it, ten more versions will come up."
Ellie, focused on her screen, tracked the board dynamics. "Four of the nine board members are on the fence about Gregory. Two are die-hard loyal to Samantha. If we can sway three, we tilt the scale."
Max investigated the pasts of all the board members: career histories, financial ties, political ties. It was a war zone, and he was laying down landmines on every foot.
"Pressure points," Max said. "That's the way we win."
One of the board members, Franklin Pierce, stood out to Max. A conservative investor who was infamous for prioritizing stability over allegiance. Max smiled grimly.
"Pierce doesn't care about loyalty," Max said. "He cares about the bottom line. If he sees Gregory as a liability, he'll dump him."
"How do we convince him?" Ellie asked.
Max snapped open a folder labeled Pierce Holdings. "Easy. Show him that Gregory's scandal can drop the stock by twenty percent." He opened a projection model—one Nicholas had mocked up showing how media backlash could unseat NXT's financial projections.
Nicholas whistled. "Damn. Even I'd jump ship if I saw that."
Max nodded. "We file it anonymously through a channel Pierce already monitors."
Ellie leaned in, excitement blazing in her eyes. "And when he realizes?"
"He'll be acting solely on self-interest," Max said. "He'll rally the others, behind closed doors at first. By the time Gregory realizes the board's walking away, it'll be too late."
The apartment vibrated with steady, concentrated energy as they unfolded the final steps of the plan.
Nicholas finished the upload, carefully checking redundancies across twelve nodes worldwide. "Failsafes are in place. If anyone tries to kill the leaks, they'll end up spreading the fire."
Ellie leaned back, finally allowing a thin smile. "This is actually happening."
Max stood at the window, watching the city lights glint like stars on the horizon.
"We're not finished yet," he said. "Not until they're stripped of everything they used to destroy me."
Outside, the city hummed, oblivious to the war raging in the shadows.
But soon, it would know.
And so would Gregory and Samantha.