Chapter 5: The Press Counter-Strike

The news broke precisely at 7:00 AM. Financial news networks across the country blared headlines about Breckenridge’s shell company transactions.

Lindqvist Holdings stock tumbled 14% in early trading. Panic spread through the financial district, a ripple effect from the leaked documents.

“It worked,” I whispered to Sarah, watching the news crawl on a coffee shop television screen near the courthouse.

But Julian was quicker to counter than we expected.

My phone rang, a rapid series of calls from unknown numbers. Process servers, armed with official documents, swarmed the courthouse steps.

Julian had launched a $50 million defamation lawsuit against me, citing the leaked documents. He also obtained an immediate emergency freeze on all company documentation, sealing off any further access to records.

Aunt Beatrice emerged from a black sedan, her face a mask of fury. She pointed directly at me, shouting something I couldn’t make out over the din of news crews.

A process server pushed a thick stack of papers into my hand. My name was on the top, alongside the grim words: “Cease and Desist. Damages sought: $50,000,000.”

I found myself cornered outside the courthouse steps, bright camera lights glaring. News crews shoved microphones in my face, asking about the “corporate espionage” and “family betrayal.”

I could see the public defender, Ms. Evans, pushing through the crowd towards me, her face grim. Julian had turned our weapon against us, twisting the narrative. The courthouse doors, once a symbol of justice, felt like the entrance to a trap.