Chapter 800

Emily Blair closed her eyes and let out a slow, measured breath.
Suddenly, she felt a gentle weight settle on her head-Tristan Davis’s hand, warm and reassuring, ruffling her hair in a soothing gesture.
Emily turned to look at him. He kept one hand on the steering wheel but reached down with the other to catch her hand, his thumb tracing lazy circles on her palm.
Before her heart had a chance to skip more than a beat or two, Tristan let go.
“Stop overthinking,” he said, his voice cool and clear as spring water. “Give yourself a break. You need some real rest.”
She glanced over at his profile. He turned to flash her a smile, his striking eyes catching the sunlight, impossibly bright and beautiful.
She managed a quiet, “Okay.”
But things were never as simple as Tristan made them sound. Rest was a luxury she couldn’t afford.
Even though Rabbit Gang’s official account quickly issued a statement denying any allegations of plagiarism, the internet wasn’t buying it. The scandal only grew, drawing more and more attention by the hour.
After a thorough review, it turned out the skin in question—a character design in their game—bore a notable resemblance to one from Travel Rabbit. The main similarity came from a piece of artwork found in Rabbit Gang’s licensed asset library, which they’d used as the inspiration for their design.
Rabbit Gang’s design team had paid for the asset well in advance. But, as luck would have it, Travel Rabbit had apparently drawn from the same source for their own design.
Technically, since Rabbit Gang had purchased the license, there shouldn’t have been any grounds for a plagiarism claim.
But here’s where things got complicated: when the design department reached out to the asset library, the staff apologized and admitted that the origin of the artwork was unclear. It had been mistakenly added to their system by an employee.
In other words, they’d refund Rabbit Gang’s money for the asset, but as far as the plagiarism accusations went they wanted no part of it. If there was a problem, Rabbit Gang would have to take it up with someone else.
Emily was left speechless. The fault wasn’t with their team, yet they were the ones paying the price.
Her assistant had already reached out to Andrew Lane’s office. The response was clear: the design in question was an original product of their own department, never authorized for external use. They regretted to inform Vertex International that they had no right to use it.
So, while Travel Rabbit’s skin was above board, Rabbit Gang’s was suddenly an infringement case.
Emily frowned, frustration knitting her brow.
Andrew Lane. Again.
The situation wasn’t catastrophic, but with Andrew Lane involved, she knew she had to tread carefully.
For now, their only option was to get on board and try to fix things as they went-a patchwork solution at best.
Her assistant added, “We also asked if it was possible to purchase the rights now. Mr. Lane’s side said he’d prefer to discuss this with you in person.”
Emily shot a glance at Tristan.
He didn’t say much, his face unreadable, arms folded across his chest. His fingers tapped a restless rhythm on his sleeve—he was clearly not in a good mood.
Emily exhaled, resigned. “Tell him I’ll do it. When is Mr. Lane available?”
“Tonight,” her assistant replied promptly. “He’s flying back to headquarters in Riven tomorrow, so this may be your only chance.”
Emily nodded. “Tonight, then. Go ahead and set it up.”
Once her assistant left, Tristan pulled up a chair and sat down across from her, fixing her with a steady gaze. “You’re taking me with you.”