Sign the Papers Mr. Langford novel Chapter 292

Even more ruthlessly, she leveraged the narrative of 'the child' and 'the family.'

The incident at Leo's open house had just happened, and it was impossible for the social circles to remain completely oblivious. By merely discussing complex family dynamics at The Langford Recovery Symposium, Willow ensured that everyone would naturally associate her words with Wren, and with the child who had publicly ripped off that 'Willow-Mom' sticker.

She didn’t even have to spell it out.

Her audience would connect the dots for her.

Maya couldn’t hold back her frustration. "Is she out of her mind? If she can’t beat our project, she resorts to weaponizing a kid?"

Phoebe immediately shot Wren a cautious glance.

Wren kept her eyes lowered, her fingers lightly tapping the edge of the tablet.

Of course, she was furious.

Willow was an absolute master at positioning herself in a way that made her immune to criticism. If you accused her of insinuating things, she would claim she was just discussing a medical project. If you accused her of exploiting a child, she would tear up and insist she merely cared about family support systems.

The real damage was that Stellaris’s narrative was being hijacked.

Wren finally set the tablet down. "We won't respond to her directly."

Maya’s eyes widened. "We’re just going to take this?"

"If we respond now, it devolves into a petty catfight between sisters," Wren said, turning to the whiteboard. "We only respond to The Institutional Review Board’s questions."

Phoebe nodded. "I agree. But this time, we can't just submit supplemental documents. We need to proactively host another Technical Ethics Symposium."

Wren looked up.

"Keep it small," Phoebe elaborated. "No media. We invite The Institutional Review Board, clinical experts, third-party auditors, and foundation representatives. We break down the three issues of 'silence, refusal, and withdrawal.' If Willow wants to talk about the human heart, we'll explain exactly why rules are required to protect it."

Maya finally sat up straight. "Does that mean I get to explain that the system doesn't judge emotions, but only records user interactions and doctor inputs?"

"Yes," Phoebe said. "But you are not allowed to get on stage and start swearing at people."

"I'll do my best."

"Not your best. It’s an order."

"...Fine."

Watching the two of them banter back and forth, the heavy knot in Wren’s chest slowly began to untangle.

She couldn't allow Willow to drag her down into the mud.

What Stellaris needed most right now wasn't to win a public relations shouting match, but to make the people holding the fate of their project understand: Boundaries were not about apathy. Boundaries existed so that human agency couldn't be overwritten.

"Yeah."

"Well, that's just fantastic," Phoebe scoffed. "That proves they know exactly how explosive this could get."

Wren didn't look at her phone again.

She opened her laptop and created a new document.

She typed out the title:

[Clarification on the Mechanisms of Patient Silence, Refusal, and Withdrawal]

Maya leaned in closer. "That title sounds like an academic thesis."

"I'm writing it for the people who can actually understand it first," Wren replied.

"And for the people who can't?"

Wren's fingers paused over the keyboard.

"Once we secure our footing, I'll write a version for the rest of the world."