Chapter 68 The Ultimatum

Chapter 68 The Ultimatum

As Michael stepped through the courthouse doors, the swarm of journalists, microphones thrust forward like spears, was immediate and overwhelming.

"Mr. Reyes! Mr. Reyes! Please, can you answer one question from us!"

"Mr. Reyes, how do you feel about today's proceedings?"

The questions flew at him from all directions, each voice trying to drown out the others for a moment of his attention. Michael, still processing the weight of the courtroom's atmosphere, found himself momentarily frozen, the real world crashing back with the force of a tidal wave.

The security guards, recognizing the potential for the situation to escalate, quickly formed a protective barrier around Michael.

"Please, give Mr. Reyes some space," one of the guards asserted as he gently guided Michael through the sea of reporters.

"But sir...please, just one question from us and we swear we will leave!"

The journalist who shouted that caught Michael's attention. He stopped in his tracks, facing the journalist who said that.

"Okay...I'll entertain one of your questions, what is it?" "Sir we want to know if the solar panel that you developed is not from Mr. Go's design." "Our design is too far from being similar to one another, so of course, there's no infringement or borrowing of ideas. In fact, I don't even Mr. Go existed so this is quite a shocker to me that there'd be someone claiming that my invention was already conceptualized earlier by someone else." "So you don't know Mr. Go at all?" the journalist asked, wanting clarification.

"I have not even met or heard his name," Michael reiterated.

As Michael's words hung in the air, a murmur swept through the crowd of journalists. The implication was clear: if Michael had never heard of Mr. Go, then the allegations of intellectual property theft seemed baseless, at least from his perspective.

The journalists scribbled notes, their expressions ranging from skeptical to intrigued. The security guards took advantage of the brief pause in questioning to usher Michael away from the crowd and towards his vehicle.

Meanwhile, in Francis's office.

"Sir, you have a visitor." "Who is it?" Francis asked, glancing up from his phone.

"Mrs. Antoinette Estolas."

"Mrs. Estolas?" Francis repeated, tilting his head to the side. "What the heck is she doing here?" "Sir...should I send her in? She is quite impatient."

"Send her in," Francis said, setting his phone down and straightening his posture.

Mrs. Estolas entered the room promptly, her expression serious and determined. "Mr. Peralta, I need to speak with you privately." Francis beckoned his secretary to give them a room. She obliged and left the office.

"Please, have a seat, Mrs. Estolas," Francis said, gesturing towards the chairs arranged around the table.

Antoneitte didn't move. "I won't beat around the bush. I have sources that you have paid a huge sum of money to Mr. Go to delay the release of the solar panel invented by Mr. Reyes. And I won't tolerate it as one of his investors. So if you want your company to cease to exist if they were to know about it, I advise you to tell them to drop the case. Because this won't end well for you."

Francis leaned back in his chair, a flicker of surprise crossing his features at Antoinette's directness. "You are so cunning, Mrs. Estolas." "Yeah...so are you going to abide by my terms or are you going to risk you and your company suffering severe consequences?" Antoinette retorted.

Francis considered his options carefully.

***

January 15th, 2024. Michael's phone buzzed as new messages arrive in his inbox.

[Mr. Go dropped the case.]

Michael sighed. "I knew this would happen."