Chapter  5 : the project 

James burst into his office, his anger now converted into resolve. If Lloyd Corporation wanted war, he would give them war.

"Get the PR team in," James told his assistant, Kelly, as he slung his coat onto the chair.

Kelly looked hesitant. "Sir, are you sure that's a wise move? Lloyd Corporation's reputation is—

"I don't care about their reputation!" James snapped, his voice cold and sharp. "They think they can humiliate Cox Corporation by pulling out of our projects? They think they can crush us without consequences?"

Kelly nodded nervously and left the room to call the team.

A Strategic Smear Campaign

Within an hour, James had his PR team assembled in the conference room. He paced back and forth, laying out his plan.

"We're going to flip the narrative," he began. "I want a statement released immediately claiming that Lloyd Corporation cut ties with us because they're trying to steal our designs."

One of the PR managers, Sarah, raised her hand. "But do we have any evidence to back that claim?"

James smirked. "We don't need evidence. We just need to plant doubt. Once the media catches wind of this, it'll spiral out of control. Lloyd Corporation's pristine reputation will be tarnished, and they'll have no choice but to come crawling back to us to clear their name."

Another manager spoke up cautiously. "Sir, this could backfire if they choose to sue us for defamation."

"Let them try," James said smugly. "If they sue, it'll only draw more attention to the story. Public opinion will sway in our favor, and Lloyd Corporation will look like the villain. Besides," he added with a sneer, "no one even knows who Theodore Lloyd is. They won't have a face to defend."

The team exchanged uneasy glances but nodded in agreement.

The Online Attack

By the end of the day, Cox Corporation's social media platforms were full of posts regarding the unethical practices of Lloyd Corporation.

One post read as follows:

"Breaking News: Lloyd Corporation cancels all projects with Cox Corporation over claims of stealing designs. Sources indicate that they will use Cox Corporation's innovative designs for their personal gain. The story unfolds!

Within hours, it went viral. News outlets picked up the story, and hashtags like #LloydScandal and #CorporateGreed trended across social media platforms.

The Fallout Begins

As the scandal spread, James felt a surge of satisfaction. His plan was working.

In the conference with his board members, he leaned back into his chair with a confident grin. "This is just the beginning," he said. "Once Lloyd Corporation starts to hemorrhage clients, they have no other choice but to negotiate with us."

Harrison, one of the elder men on the board, frowned. "If this doesn't pan out, we could face some real serious legal repercussions.

James waved him off. "You worry too much. Trust me, Lloyd Corporation is all smoke and mirrors. We have handled bigger threats than these before."

Behind the Scenes at Lloyd Corporation

In the sleek, glass-walled headquarters of Lloyd Corporation, Theodore Lloyd-known to the world as Adrian-sat back in his desk chair going over the latest reports that came in. His assistant, Nora, entered the office looking concerned.

"Sir, have you heard about the online accusations filed by Cox Corporation?

Adrian raised an eyebrow. "I have heard about them. What is the general feeling of it?"

Nora reached and handed him a tablet with trending headlines on it. "Mixed-public opinion is divided. While there is belief in these allegations, many are rather sceptical due to their poor background of Cox Corporation.".

No," replied Adrian calmly. "We will let him dig his own grave. The more he pushes this narrative, the more desperate he will look. In the meantime, I want our legal team to prepare a defamation lawsuit. When the time is right, we'll strike."

James' Next Move

Back at Cox Corporation, James wasn’t done. He convened a secret meeting with his closest allies, including Victoria's father and stepmother Clara with Sabrina, both of whom had vested interests in his success.

“We need to escalate this,” James said. “I want to leak a fake prototype design to the media. We’ll claim it’s one of the designs Lloyd Corporation stole from us.”

Clara frowned. "Isn't that a bit risky? If they prove it's fake, it could backfire."

"Not if we play it smart," James countered. "We'll leak it anonymously. By the time any question its validity, the damage will be done to Lloyd Corporation."

Sabrina leaned forward; the smile spread slyly upon her lips. "I like it. High time somebody takes them down a peg." 

James walked around his office, fuming because nothing seemed to be helping rebuild the reputation of Cox Corporation. He stared at the designs for the projects which were not approved and had cost him an unreal amount of money.

"These designs could have made us unstoppable," James whispered, talking to himself. "But Lloyd Corporation had to reject them."

As he brooded, Sabrina entered, her arms crossed. “What’s your next move, James? This smear campaign isn’t enough if Lloyd doesn’t take the bait.”

James turned to her, his face lighting up with a twisted idea. “The designs,” he said. “We’ll leak them to the media and claim Lloyd Corporation stole them from us. But we’ll make them look incomplete so they can’t prove anything.”

Sabrina frowned. "You're referring to the designs that Victoria had come up with when she still worked for you? Those which you had planned to present as yours?"

James smiled. "Yes, precisely. It's something even Victoria does not know what it truly entails in value. Most probably she thinks it got discarded immediately after her exit. "

Victoria Holds the Key

At home, Victoria sat in her study, flipping through a leather-bound portfolio filled with her original designs. The detailed blueprints and concepts reminded her of the days when her creativity had been used by Cox Corporation without even an ounce of recognition.

Adrian came into the room; his face softened as he found her deep in work. "You have been quiet all evening," he said, sitting next to her.

Victoria looked up, flashing him a small smile. "I was just going through these old designs. I can't believe I almost let James take credit for them."

Adrian leaned in, interested. "May I?"

She handed him the portfolio. As he examined the designs, his brows furrowed. "Victoria, these are remarkable. Why didn't you patent them?

"I didn't think they were worth much at the time," she admitted. "And James always dismissed them as viable. But now I wonder if he had other plans for them."

Adrian's jaw tightened. "Do you know what projects Cox Corporation submitted to Lloyd Corporation before the fallout?"

Victoria shook her head. "Why?"

Adrian's mind was racing, and he couldn't let his identity be revealed as Theodore Lloyd yet, but he was developing a suspicion. "Let me put it this way-the designs could be more than you think they are. Keep these safe, Victoria."

James Puts His Plan into Motion

The following morning, the PR team at Cox Corporation released further statements, this time with accompanying photos of the designs James claimed were stolen by Lloyd Corporation. The posts accused Lloyd of using the stolen concepts to sabotage Cox Corporation and further tarnished Lloyd's name.

The media frenzy was immediate. Headlines read:

"Corporate Espionage: Lloyd Corporation Under Fire!"

"Cox Corporation Alleges Design Theft in Explosive New Claims!"

James was relishing the mayhem with full confidence in his plan being foolproof.

Adrian Connects the Dots

Back in Lloyd Corporation, Adrian sat in his private office, staring at the leaked designs on his computer screen. His suspicions were confirmed—they were Victoria's.

Nora, his assistant, came in quite urgently. "Sir, the legal team is ready to move forward with the defamation lawsuit. Do you want to approve it?"

Adrian shook his head. " yeah. I have a better idea."

Nora raised an eyebrow. "What's the plan?"

Adrian's lips arced into a knowing smile. "We're going to let Cox Corporation dig their own grave. Contact our tech team and prepare to trace the source of these leaks. Also, inform our PR department to hold off on any statements for now."

Victoria Learns the Truth

Later that evening, Adrian walked into the house to find Victoria still buried in her designs. It was time he told her everything.

"Victoria," he started off, sitting across from her. "There's something I have to tell you regarding Cox Corporation and your designs."

She looked at him puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Adrian paused, then spoke carefully. "The designs James submitted to Lloyd Corporation—those were yours."

Victoria's eyes widened in shock. "What? How do you know that?"

"I have my sources," Adrian said, choosing his words carefully. "James has been using your talent to boost his company's reputation, and now he's trying to use those same designs to discredit Lloyd Corporation."

Victoria's hands shook as the anger welled up inside her. "I knew he was manipulative, but this? Stealing my work and lying to the world about it?"

Adrian leaned over and took her hand. "You still have the originals, right?"

She nodded. "They are all here."

"Great," Adrian said. "Take care of them. The time will come, and we will show the world that James is a sham."

James Meets a Hiccup

Cox Corporation, James was at the receiving end of a surprise call from one of his board members.

"James, we have a problem," the voice on the other end stuttered.

"What now?" James shouted.

“Some of our investors are starting to question the validity of our claims against Lloyd Corporation. They’re worried about the lack of evidence and the potential backlash if this blows up in our faces.”

James slammed his fist on the desk. “Tell them to calm down. I’ve got this under control.”

But deep down, James felt the first stirrings of doubt.