Chapter 498
Chapter 498:
“I know,” he said. “I’m not in a hurry, and I won’t push you. I just want you to know how I feel, so you don’t have to guess p>
He stepped back, giving her space willingly, his tone steady and sure.
“Whether you accept me or not, I’ll be in the audience tomorrow cheering for you. You are the finest engineer in that room. No one comes close p>
He leaned down slowly and pressed a light, feather-soft kiss to her forehead — respectful, crossing no lines.
“Good night, my Valkyrie p>
He turned and walked away.
Isolde stood frozen in the doorway, her fingers drifting up to touch her forehead, her heart still pounding.
Valkyrie. That had been her old engineering code name, buried for years, never shared with anyone outside the classified project. He had known all along — had understood her past and her pride without ever making a show of it.
She swiped her card and stepped inside, leaning back against the closed door. Her chest was full of something tangled and difficult to name — gratitude, panic, and underneath it all, a quiet, secret flutter she didn’t quite have the courage to examine.
In another suite down the hall, Belle was in the middle of a full tantrum, sweeping decorations from the table with one furious arm, her face twisted with resentment.
“She must have seduced Sterling! The competition isn’t fair!” Belle shrieked, jealousy and rage pouring out of her in equal measure.
Your 𝗱𝗮і𝗅у 𝘥𝘰s𝖾 o𝖿 n𝘰ve𝗹𝗌 𝘰n g𝖺lոo𝗏𝖾l𝘀.с𝘰𝗺
Grayson sat on the sofa, his left hand freshly bandaged, drinking in silence. He did not look at Belle at all.
“If she can make Sterling stand up for her willingly,” he said, his voice cold and flat, “that is her ability. All you do is scream and cause trouble p>
Belle stared at him. “You’re taking her side p>
Grayson closed his eyes, his expression drained of everything but exhaustion.
“Get out,” he said. “I want to be alone p>
Belle trembled with rage. She slammed the door on her way out, already silently vowing to humiliate Isolde publicly at tomorrow’s final.
In her own suite, Isolde settled her mind, sat down at the desk, and opened the Aether final model for one last check. Her eyes found the hidden signature buried deep in the design’s architecture — Sophia — her original intention, her original confidence, intact and unchanged.
Tomorrow, she would need no one’s protection. She would silence every doubt and every insult with nothing but her own work.
The DOD Demonstration was held in a secured hangar at a private airfield outside the city — a coliseum of brushed steel and serious men in suits.
InnoTech was very much present. Their invitation had not been revoked. In fact, they were the opening act.
On the vast central stage, a colossal holographic screen shimmered to life, displaying the sleek, aggressive logo of InnoTech.
Belle stood confidently at the podium in a pristine white power suit, the very picture of corporate success and unshakeable self-assurance.
“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen,” she began, her voice smooth and practiced. “Today, InnoTech is proud to unveil the future of propulsion p>