Gemotions

He ran a hand over his freshly shaved head, feeling the goosebumps rise. This project, it was everything. He’d poured his soul, his savings, his very sanity into it. The thought of someone else… well, it made his stomach churn.

The notification popped up: a shared file. He opened it, expecting updates from his team. Instead, he saw his own project, presented by a rival corporation. The same code, the same design, even the same quirky naming convention he’d used for the core module.

He reread the introduction, his jaw clenching. Every single detail. He scanned the presenter's name. A stranger. A threat. He felt a cold dread wash over him, a prickly sensation that travelled all the way down to his feet.