Novels by Shadow

Chapter 88The atmosphere on campus was buzzing with life as students spilled out of lecture halls and lounges, creating a lively hum of chatter and movement. Jamal sat on a bench near the main quad, sketching out ideas for a new project in his notebook. Skilbridge was still in the back of his mind, but he decided to let it simmer while focusing on other aspects of college life. He hadn’t realized how much he needed to take a break from the pressure. The app, the meetings, the constant rush—it all felt like a weight that had slowly crept onto his shoulders.Leah joined him, balancing a tray of iced coffee and a small paper bag filled with pastries. “I got your usual,” she said, handing him a cup with a smile.“Thanks,” Jamal replied, taking a sip. “You’re a lifesaver.”Leah settled next to him on the bench, tearing into one of the pastries. “So, how’s the app coming along?”Jamal paused, glancing at his phone screen where the Skilbridge dashboard sat open in front of him. “It’s… comin

Chapter 87The room fell into an uneasy silence as everyone huddled around Ethan’s laptop. The subject line of the email glared back at them like a warning beacon.“Cease and desist?” Zoe asked, her voice filled with disbelief. “What does that even mean? What are they claiming?”Ethan opened the email, scanning the contents quickly. His brow furrowed as he read aloud.“To Whom It May Concern: It has come to our attention that your product, Skilbridge, infringes upon proprietary features and intellectual property owned by Zenith Networks. We demand that you immediately cease all development and distribution of your app, or we will pursue legal action…”He trailed off, his face pale. “They’re claiming we stole their idea.”“That’s ridiculous!” Leah said, pacing the room. “Our app is entirely original. Zenith Networks focuses on corporate networking events—we’re not even in the same space!”“Makes sense,” Zoe muttered, folding her arms. “Milo always bragged about how his dad’s company wa

Chapter 86The morning of the investor pitch was met with nervous energy. Jamal woke early, sitting on the edge of his bed, staring at the pitch deck on his laptop for the hundredth time. The stakes had never felt higher.Ethan was already awake, of course, sipping on a mug of coffee and fine-tuning the app’s demo on his screen. “You ready for this?” he asked without looking up.“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Jamal replied, closing his laptop. “How’s the demo looking?”“Solid,” Ethan said confidently. “It’s running smoother than ever. We’re good to go.”The rest of the team slowly trickled in. Leah arrived with a large paper bag of pastries, followed by Zoe, who was balancing a tray of coffee cups. Evan strolled in last, carrying a rolled-up banner that read: "Skilbridge: Bridging Gaps, Building Connections."“Why do we need a banner?” Ethan asked, raising an eyebrow.“Presentation is everything,” Evan said, unfurling it dramatically. “You’re welcome.”Leah chuckled. “I’m with Evan on th

Chapter 85The following morning, Jamal woke up to the sound of his phone buzzing on his nightstand. Groggily, he reached over, glancing at the screen. It was a message from Rachel."Hey, can we do that video call later today? I have a few ideas that might help us with the next pitch."Jamal quickly typed back. "Sure! How about 3 p.m.?"Rachel replied almost immediately. "Sounds perfect. Talk soon!"After the brief exchange, Jamal rubbed his eyes and glanced at the clock. It was already past noon, and the group was expected to meet with Professor Clarke again in a few hours for a final review of the pitch. He could already feel the weight of the day pressing down on him. There was so much to get done, and with the investor pitch looming, the pressure was building.As he grabbed his laptop and headed out the door, Leah was already in the hallway, carrying a pile of printed documents.“Got everything for the meeting?” Jamal asked.“Yep,” Leah said, her face set in determination. “We nee

Chapter 84The sun rose over campus, casting a warm glow on the bustling college grounds. Jamal was the first to wake, thanks to the blaring alarm he had set on his phone. He groaned, fumbling to turn it off before dragging himself out of bed. The faint sound of Ethan’s keyboard clacking could already be heard from the other side of the dorm.“You don’t sleep, do you?” Jamal asked, rubbing his eyes.“Sleep is for the weak,” Ethan replied without looking up. “I’m tweaking the user analytics dashboard. We need better insights on engagement metrics before the next beta test.”Jamal chuckled. “You know that’s not healthy, right?”“Neither is missing our meeting with Clarke,” Ethan shot back.Jamal’s eyes widened. “What time is it?”“Relax,” Ethan said with a smirk. “We’ve got two hours. I just wanted to see you panic.”“You’re the worst,” Jamal muttered, grabbing his towel and heading to the bathroom.---By the time Jamal returned, the dorm was alive with activity. Leah and Zoe had arriv

Chapter 83It had been a week since Rachel and Alex returned to their respective lives, and the team was finally settling back into the rhythm of college. The energy Rachel and Alex left behind was palpable, driving Jamal, Leah, Zoe, Ethan, and even Evan to work harder on their dreams. Yet, college life waited for no one. Between classes, projects, and social obligations, they still found themselves juggling more than they thought possible.Jamal sat in the lecture hall, scribbling notes furiously while Professor Clarke discussed negotiation strategies. Leah was seated a few rows ahead, her notebook already filled with diagrams and bullet points. Every now and then, she’d turn back to give Jamal a knowing look as if to say, Keep up.Once the lecture ended, the two made their way to the campus café, where Zoe was waiting. She had her sketchpad open, and her pencil danced across the page as she worked on designs for a potential Skilbridge branding overhaul.“You’re early,” Zoe said, not