Page 13 of Claws and Controllers

Zy took a deep breath, organizing his thoughts. “You remember Project Chimera? The advanced AI system we developed for character customization and adaptive behavior?”

“The one you personally oversaw? Of course. It’s one of our most innovative developments.”

“Well, I saw elements of it in Infinite Odyssey. Not just similar concepts, Adonis. I’m talking about specific interface designs, unique graphical transitions, even particular AI responses that I know for a fact we created.”

Adonis’s usually impassive face showed a flicker of surprise. “Are you sure? That’s a serious accusation, Zy.”

Zy nodded grimly. “I wish I wasn’t. But I’d recognize that code anywhere. It’s like seeing your own handwriting in someone else’s notebook.”

A heavy silence fell between them. Zy’s tiger, usually a comforting presence in the back of his mind, paced restlessly. The beast sensed his agitation, and it only added to the turmoil swirling inside him.

“What do you want to do?” Adonis asked finally. “We could file a cease and desist, start legal proceedings?—”

“No,” Zy cut him off sharply. “Not yet. We need more information. We need to be absolutely certain before we make any moves.”

Adonis nodded slowly. “Agreed. But how do you propose we get that information?”

Zy’s lips curved into a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “We get closer. I’ll approach Ellie and offer to help her with someof the issues she’s having with her game. It’ll give us a chance to look deeper into her code, see exactly what we’re dealing with.”

“And if she is using stolen code?”

The question hung in the air, heavy with implications. Zy’s jaw clenched. “Then we’ll deal with it. But something doesn’t add up. Ellie doesn’t strike me as the type to knowingly use stolen tech. There’s more to this story, I’m sure of it.”

Adonis raised an eyebrow. “You seem awfully confident about someone you just met. Don’t let your attraction cloud your judgment, Zy.”

Zy shot him a sharp look. “This has nothing to do with attraction. It’s about protecting what’s ours while also being fair. If there’s been a misunderstanding or if someone else is responsible, I want to know before we potentially ruin an innocent person’s career.”

“All right,” Adonis conceded. “But we should take a closer look at her game just to be sure. There’s a break in the schedule coming up. We could swing by her booth, try to get some hands-on time with Infinite Odyssey.”

Zy nodded, already moving toward the door. “Good idea. Let’s go.”

They made their way through the convention hall, weaving between excited attendees and elaborate displays. As they approached the Madden Gaming booth, Zy felt a strange mix of anticipation and dread. Part of him hoped he was wrong, that what he’d seen was just a coincidence. But another part, the shrewd businessman and protective leader, knew better.

To their luck, Ellie was nowhere in sight. Instead, a bubbly blonde woman Zy recognized as Ellie’s assistant manned the booth.

“I’ll keep her distracted,” Adonis murmured. “You take a look at the game.”

Zy nodded, moving toward one of the demo stations while Adonis approached the assistant with his most charming smile.

“Excuse me,” Adonis said, his deep voice pitched to carry. “I couldn’t help but notice your beautiful phoenix tattoo. Is there a story behind it?”

As the assistant launched into an enthusiastic explanation, Zy focused on the game in front of him. He navigated through the menus with practiced ease, his keen eyes searching for the telltale signs he’d noticed during the showcase.

It didn’t take long to find them. The character customization menu bore the same sleek, intuitive design that had taken his team months to perfect. The way the AI characters responded to player input mirrored his own code’s behavior patterns.

But the final proof came when Zy accessed a debug screen, ostensibly there for demonstration purposes. His heart sank as he saw line after line of familiar code syntax. There was no doubt now. Somehow, some way, Ellie Madden had gotten her hands on Ashford Entertainment’s proprietary technology.

Zy stepped away from the console, his mind racing. He caught Adonis’s eye and gave a subtle nod. They’d seen enough.

Back at their own booth, Zy pulled Adonis into a quiet corner. “It’s there,” he said quietly. “Clear as day. She’s using our code.”

Adonis’s expression darkened. “Then we need to shut this down. Now.”

Zy held up a hand. “Not so fast. We still don’t know how she got it, or if she even knows it’s stolen. We need to be smart about this.”

“Smart?” Adonis hissed. “Zy, she’s using our tech. Tech you developed. This could set us back years if it gets out.”

“I know,” Zy said, his voice tight with frustration. “Believe me, I know. But we can’t just go in guns blazing. We need to understand the full picture first.”

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