Chapter 86
Chapter 86:
June sat under a large canvas umbrella in the spectator stands, wearing dark sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat. She had tried to stay in the business center, but Silas had insisted she come outside. The Apex Bio team needed fresh air, he’d said, and as the core of the team, she needed to show her face.
Down on the wooden dock, Cole climbed into the driver’s seat of a black-and-white carbon fiber yacht. He wore a tight professional sailing shirt that showed off his broad shoulders, a heavy Rolex gleaming on his wrist. Alycia stood right behind him in a tiny neon bikini and denim cut-offs, arms wrapped tightly around his waist, laughing loudly and tossing her hair for the crowd.
Julian and his wealthy friends whistled and cheered from the pier.
“Look at them!” Julian yelled. “The king and queen of the Hamptons p>
June sat in the shade, her face behind the sunglasses completely blank. She felt nothing. The only thing bothering her was the vibration of the yacht engines giving her a mild headache.
A few yards away, Declan Hayes sat on a white leather lounge chair, cold martini in hand, not watching the boats at all. His sharp blue eyes were fixed on June.
The starting gun fired — a sharp crack over the water.
The six yachts shot forward like bullets, throwing massive walls of white spray into the air. Cole drove like a maniac, pushing the throttle to its limit. At the first sharp turn around the buoy, he wrenched the wheel violently. The yacht tilted at a terrifying angle, drifting across the waves and surging instantly into the lead.
T𝘩e 𝘣𝖾𝘀𝘁 𝘳е𝗮di𝗇𝗴 ех𝗉𝗲r𝘪𝗲nce 𝗈ո
Alycia screamed in a mix of terror and excitement, burying her face against Cole’s back.
A large digital screen on the dock broadcast the drone footage of the race. Everyone watched Cole and Alycia.
June didn’t look at the screen. Her iPad rested on her lap, fingers moving steadily as she approved budget allocations for the Phase II clinical trials of Apex Bio’s new drug.
Thirty minutes later, the race was over. Cole crossed the finish line first by a wide margin.
The crowd erupted. The black-and-white yacht idled back to the dock, and Cole jumped onto the wooden planks. He turned, grabbed Alycia by the waist, and lifted her off the boat, setting her down with a picture-perfect display of chivalry.
But the very first second his boots hit the wood, his head snapped toward the spectator stands.
He searched the chairs. He wanted to see June’s face — wanted to see her gripping her armrests with jealousy, wanted proof that he was untouchable.
He found her.
June was looking down at her iPad. She hadn’t even removed her sunglasses. She was ignoring him completely and utterly.
The triumphant smirk died on Cole’s face. His chest felt hollow.
Julian popped a massive bottle of champagne beside Declan, the cork sailing out over the water. He took a long drink and wiped his mouth, following Declan’s gaze toward the stands.
“I heard she’s working at that Apex Bio startup,” Julian snorted. “They got lucky with one drug. She’s probably just fetching coffee for the real scientists to feel important. Pathetic, really — playing at being independent while living off Cole p>