Just as Daniel was about to reply, his phone rang.
He answered.
"Yes."
His assistant's voice came through, tense and rushed.
"Sir, we have a crisis".
Daniel's gaze sharpened.
"Define crisis."
"Helix Corporation. Their new system update failed. Completely."
Daniel stood up instantly.
"Failed how?"
Jade looked at him, confused and worried.
"Their servers froze during a major transaction cycle. They lost millions of data entries. Their CEO is furious."
Daniel clenched his jaw.
"That update was tested for months."
"They don't care. Their legal team is preparing a lawsuit against Ooman Systems for negligence and breach of contract."
Jade stepped closer.
"What's wrong?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.
She had never seen Daniel like this.
"And the press already got the story," his assistant whispered.
Daniel hung up and walked straight into the living room, Jade following him.
Luccianho entered, his expression tense.
"Chefe, the paparazzi are outside."
Daniel grabbed his tablet.
The news was already everywhere.
Social media had exploded.
#OomanScandal
#OomanFailure
#TechKingFalling
Articles flooded the internet.
"Is DanielOoman losing control on his empire ?"
"Former employees accuse Ooman Systems of internal chaos."
Paparazzi surrounded his headquarters.
Investors demanded answers.
Partners started distancing themselves.
To the world, Daniel Ooman was no longer the untouchable tech prodigy.
He was a man who had failed.
And for the first time…
his empire was shaking.
"How did this happen?" Daniel demanded into the phone.
His voice was low, but deadly calm.
"I… I don't know, sir. It could be a mistake—"
"A mistake?" Daniel interrupted, his voice rising sharply.
"A mistake how?"
His fingers tightened around the phone.
"I controlled every step myself. I worked with the entire team throughout the process. How the hell can you call this a mistake?"
On the other end of the line, the assistant was clearly trembling.
Daniel ended the call without another word.
He turned sharply.
"Luccianho, let's go."
Then he looked at Jade.
"We'll continue our conversation later."
Without waiting for her response, he walked away, Luccianho following him.
They took a private exit, avoiding the paparazzi swarming outside.
The penthouse felt suddenly too quiet.
Jade stood there alone, her mind spinning.
I saw Daniel working on this project, she thought.
Even when we were at his parents' house, he never stopped.
She clenched her fists.
"I don't believe this was a mistake," she whispered to herself.
"Not from him. Not from his company."
And deep down, a strange thought crossed her mind—
What if this wasn't an accident at all?
.
.
The next morning, Ooman Tower was surrounded by reporters, cameras, and angry shareholders.
The once untouchable empire was under siege.
Inside the highest floor, the boardroom was filled.
Executives, lawyers, investors, and members of the board were already seated around the long glass table.
Their faces were cold, sharp, calculating.
At the end of the room, Daniel Ooman entered.
The room went silent.
He walked in with the same calm, elegant aura he always had.
Perfect suit. Straight posture. Cold amber eyes.
But everyone knew—
This time, the king was on trial.
Luccianho stood behind him like a shadow.
Daniel took his seat at the head of the table.
"Let's begin," he said calmly.
One of the senior board members, Mr. Harrison, adjusted his glasses.
"Helix Corporation has officially filed a lawsuit against Ooman Systems for negligence, data loss, and breach of contract," he announced.
A screen lit up, showing the legal documents.
"Damage claimed: 2.3 billion dollars".
A murmur spread through the room.
Another investor slammed his hand on the table.
"Do you understand what this means, Daniel?" he snapped.
"Our stock dropped by twelve percent overnight!"
"Investors are withdrawing," another added coldly.
"They don't trust you anymore."
Daniel didn't blink.
"Helix's system failure happened during a transaction cycle that their own internal network authorized," he said calmly.
"The update was tested for months. This is not negligence."
A woman from the board crossed her arms.
"Then explain why the system collapsed exactly after your patch deployment."
Daniel's eyes darkened.
"Because someone altered the code."
The room froze.
Harrison frowned. "Are you accusing your own team?"
"I'm stating facts," Daniel replied, his voice sharp.
"The encryption logs show irregular access at 02:17 AM. Someone bypassed internal protocols."
One investor scoffed.
"So now it's sabotage? Convenient excuse."
Daniel leaned forward, his presence suddenly suffocating.
"I do not make excuses," he said quietly.
"And I do not lose control of my systems."
Silence fell again.
Helix's legal representative stood up.
"We have testimonies from former employees claiming internal chaos and leadership pressure at Ooman Systems. They say your company ignored risk warnings."
Daniel's jaw tightened.
"Former employees who were fired for incompetence," he replied coldly.
"They will say anything for money."
The Helix lawyer smiled.
"The court will decide that."
He placed a file on the table.
"Until then, Helix Corporation demands a public apology, financial compensation, and temporary suspension of your system partnership."
The word suspension echoed like a gunshot.
Investors gasped.
Harrison turned to Daniel.
"This could destroy Ooman Systems' credibility."
Daniel stared at the screen, his expression unreadable.
Then he stood up.
"Helix Corporation will not suspend our partnership," he said calmly.
Everyone stared.
"I will personally investigate this breach.
And when I find who did this—"
His eyes turned dangerous.
"They will regret ever touching my system."
The room felt colder.
Luccianho glanced at him, knowing that Daniel wasn't talking like a businessman anymore.
He was talking like a predator.
Daniel knew his competence and the competence of his employees, he knew perfectly that this wasn't a "mistake" nor "negligence" as they said.
This was sabotage and he will proof it in anywhere.
"I have been working with you people for years and such things never happened" he said
"If you don't trust me or think that I will not resolved this situation you rather end this partnership"
The members of the boards wondered.
Daniel left followed by Luccianho leaving the place cooler and tensed.