The anger in me didn't vanish. But something loosened around it, because truth spoken plainly has a way of making room for grief.
"I want the letter," I said. "Today."
"Yes."
I turned to Derek. "And I want the full Nexora archive tied to the original research. Every license, every transfer, every version of the ethical charter, every board note that mentions Ashford or Kingsley."
"You'll have it," Derek said without hesitation.
"Legal will need to—" Vanessa started.
"They can organize access," Derek said, not looking at her. "Not block it."
It was small, but I noticed the shift. Derek was still Derek — careful, ambitious, hardwired to protect what he'd built. But for the first time all day, he'd chosen transparency before advantage.
Walter left to arrange the letter. Vanessa rose to follow.
"No," Derek said.
She turned. "Not now, Derek."
"Now," he said. "We need to talk about what you found and what you sat on."
