Chapter 99
Chapter 99:
The drunken haze lifted from Julian’s expression, replaced by a sleazy, knowing grin. He deliberately stumbled forward, exaggerating his intoxication as he closed the distance between them.
“Well, well,” Julian said, his voice carrying in the quiet hallway. “Declan Hayes, doing late-night homework on Cole’s invisible wife? Looking for a little thrill with the soon-to-be divorcee p>
Declan’s jaw tightened. He fixed Julian with a look of pure ice, irritated that the man had glimpsed anything at all, and did not dignify the question with a response. He simply adjusted the briefcase in his hand.
“It is a standard M&A due diligence report on Apex Bio,” Declan said, his voice flat and professionally cold.
Julian let out a loud, obnoxious laugh, clearly unconvinced.
“Sure it is,” he smirked. “Just remember — Cole throws his trash away, but he doesn’t like other men digging through his dumpster p>
Declan looked at the spoiled, ignorant heir in front of him, decided he had no interest in explaining complex pharmaceutical patent law to an idiot, turned his back on Julian, and walked straight toward the private dining room.
He pushed the heavy mahogany doors open.
𝖶e 𝘶p𝗱a𝘁𝖾 𝗲v𝖾𝘳у 𝘄𝗲𝘦𝗄 𝘰𝗇
Cole was already seated at the head of the long table in a dark suit, his posture rigid. Alycia was pressed tightly against his side, wearing a couture gown that bared her shoulders. When she saw Declan enter, she arranged her face into a practiced socialite smile and sat up straighter, projecting the image of a future Mrs. Compton.
Declan did not glance at her.
He walked to the far end of the table, pulled out a chair, sat down, and placed the black briefcase flat on the polished wood.
Julian drifted in a few seconds later and took a seat toward the middle, his eyes moving between Declan and Cole with the hungry anticipation of a man expecting a scene.
Cole slowly swirled the red wine in his crystal glass, watching Declan with undisguised arrogance.
“So,” Cole began, his voice rich with condescension. “How was your little field trip to Apex Bio today p>
Declan rested his forearms on the table. His blue eyes fixed on Cole with the calm, unblinking focus of a sniper.
“Hayes Pharmaceuticals will not be dropping our pursuit of a partnership with them,” he said flatly.
Cole let out a harsh scoff and took a sip of his wine. “You are wasting your investors’ money. Apex Bio is an empty shell. Silas Vance is just a decent marketer propping up a mediocre lab p>
Alycia leaned in at once, eager to echo the verdict. “Exactly,” she said, her voice bright and certain. “I have read their preliminary data. It is completely amateur. They are simply desperate for funding p>
Declan looked at the two of them. A slow, dark smile curved his lips — the smile of a predator watching its prey walk willingly into a trap.
“The core asset inside Apex Bio,” he said, his voice dropping to a low, deliberate register, “is worth far more than the Compton Group could ever comprehend p>
Cole’s eyes narrowed. He assumed Declan was engineering a bidding war.