My sister smashed my glasses the morning of my thesis defense. ‘I guess you’ll have to fail,’ she laughed.

with decoy copies. The real model lived on an encrypted server requiring two-factor authentication and my biometric key.

Lila had stolen fragments.

What she had given away was herself.

She was charged with unauthorized computer access, theft, and conspiracy-related offenses. Dad faced charges tied to attempted trade-secret theft and unlawful access. Mom avoided serious counts, but her recorded messages proved her involvement. She also lost her position on a local charity board after the case became public.

I did not celebrate.

I simply stopped protecting them from consequences.

Six months