She watched who entered.
Who greeted whom.
Who avoided whom.
Who whispered after looking at her.
She noticed details others ignored.
A nervous investor repeatedly checking his phone.
A woman wearing a Carrington Foundation badge who never drank anything.
A man near the balcony arguing quietly with a financial adviser.
And, most importantly, a silver-haired gentleman standing alone near the fireplace.
Naomi recognized him.
Richard Hale.
Chairman of Hale Industries.
One of the most influential technology investors in the country.
Ten years ago, he had been one of the men who wanted to invest in Brooks Applied Systems.
He had also been one of the first people to believe Daniel Mercer's accusations.
Naomi hadn't seen him since.
Their eyes met.
Richard stared at her.
His face changed.
"Naomi?"
She nodded.
"Mr. Hale."
He approached slowly.
"I thought you..."
"Disappeared?"
He looked uncomfortable.
"Something like that."
"I did."
"Why are you here?"
Naomi glanced across the room.
"Evan invited me."
Richard looked toward Evan.
Understanding dawned on his face.
"Oh."
Naomi smiled.
"Yes."
Richard lowered his voice.
"You should leave."
"Why?"
"Because..."
He stopped.
Naomi waited.
"Because people here don't forgive weakness."
She looked at him.
"And you think I'm weak?"
"No."
His voice was immediate.
"I think you are the last person in this room who should be underestimated."
Naomi smiled.
"Then perhaps you remember me better than I thought."
Before Richard could answer, Evan appeared.
"Everything all right?"
Richard looked at him.
"Perfectly."
Evan smiled.
"Naomi, I wanted to introduce you to a few friends."
They moved toward a group of investors.
Evan's tone became theatrical.
"This is Naomi Brooks. She works in the building."
One man smiled.
"Ah."
Evan continued.
"She cleans my office."
Someone chuckled.
Naomi looked at the man.
"Would you like to know what I used to do before that?"
The man shrugged.
"Sure."
"I designed energy-storage systems."
The room became quieter.
Evan laughed.
"Naomi has an interesting imagination."
She looked at him.
"I have patents."
Silence.
Evan's smile tightened.
One of the investors frowned.
"Brooks..."
He looked at her more carefully.
"Naomi Brooks?"
She nodded.
The investor's face changed.
"You founded Brooks Applied Systems."
"Yes."
Another man whispered, "That's impossible."
Naomi looked around.
"Why?"
"Because the founder disappeared."
"She didn't disappear."
Richard Hale spoke from behind them.
"She was forced out."
Every conversation around them stopped.
Evan stared at Richard.
"What are you doing?"
Richard ignored him.
"I remember the case."
Naomi's eyes remained on Evan.
"So do I."
Evan's expression hardened.
"That was a decade ago."
"Exactly."
Naomi turned toward the room.
"Long enough for everyone to forget."
She reached into her purse.
And placed a small black notebook on the table.
Daniel Mercer's name was written on the inside cover.
Evan looked at it.
"What is that?"
"My original research."
Someone laughed nervously.
"Original?"
Naomi opened the notebook.
"I wrote these equations before Brooks Applied Systems ever existed."
She turned several pages.
Then stopped.
A man standing nearby leaned closer.
His face went pale.
"I know this formula."
Naomi looked at him.
"You should."
He swallowed.
"It's the foundation of the Carrington battery division."
Naomi smiled.
"Exactly."
The room fell silent.
The Name They Buried
Evan stepped forward.
"This is ridiculous."
Naomi closed the notebook.
"Is it?"
"You've been cleaning my offices for three years."
"Yes."
"You expect everyone here to believe you secretly invented half our technology?"
"No."
Naomi looked directly at him.
"I expect the evidence to speak."
Richard Hale stepped forward.
"Bring up the Carrington patent portfolio."
An assistant pulled out a tablet.
Several documents appeared.
Richard read silently.
Then he looked at Naomi.
"The original patent application."
Naomi nodded.
"Filed under your name."
"Yes."
Evan's face changed.
One of the investors spoke.
"But the patent was sold."
"Under false authorization."
"To whom?"
Naomi answered quietly.
"Daniel Mercer."
A murmur spread through the room.
Evan looked toward his legal adviser.
"Find the files."
The adviser hesitated.
"Now."
Within minutes, documents appeared.
Naomi watched.
Her expression remained calm.
Then the legal adviser spoke.
"There is a problem."
"What?"
"The original transfer agreement doesn't match the archived signature."
Naomi looked at him.
"Because I never signed it."
Richard's face hardened.
"Then someone forged it."
Naomi nodded.
"Yes."
Evan stared at the documents.
"Why didn't you expose this years ago?"
Naomi looked at him.
"Because I tried."
The room became quiet.
"I spent two years fighting in court," she continued. "I lost investors. Lost my company. Lost my home. My mother became sick. By the time the case ended, I was exhausted."