Chapter 587

Chapter 587:

Belle reached out and seized Grayson’s sleeve, her fingers digging into the expensive wool. “Gray,” she pleaded, her voice collapsing into a whimper. “Say something. Defend me p>

Grayson looked at Isolde. His eyes were a storm of conflicting emotions—profound shock, crushing guilt, and a sudden, fierce spark of raw admiration for the brilliant woman standing before him. Without a word, he reached down and peeled Belle’s fingers from his sleeve.

“The Professor is right,” he said, his voice flat and hollow. “We are leaving p>

He turned and walked toward the door. At the threshold, he paused. He turned his head and looked back at Isolde one last time—a look of total surrender. Something between them had shifted, irrevocably and without question.

Grayson pushed through the heavy glass doors of the main building and marched into the sprawling parking lot. His stride was long and aggressive, his jaw clenched so tightly his teeth ached. The cool Virginia wind whipped at his suit jacket but did nothing to cool the burning sensation in his chest.

“Gray! Wait p>

Belle was practically jogging to keep up with him, her high heels scraping awkwardly against the concrete. She was out of breath, her face flushed with panic and anger.

“That old man is senile!” she gasped, grabbing at Grayson’s arm. “Isolde obviously manipulated him. She probably slept with him to get that consultant title p>

Grayson stopped so suddenly that Belle nearly slammed into his back. He spun around. His eyes were completely dark, stripped of warmth or patience.

“Eldridge Nelson is a decorated member of the National Academy of Sciences,” he said, his voice a low, lethal vibration. “And you are accusing Isolde of seducing him to fake a fluid dynamics equation p>

𝗪𝗲е𝗄𝗅𝘆 𝗋𝘦𝗅e𝖺𝘀е𝘴 𝗼𝗻

Belle swallowed hard and stepped back. “Well—how else could she possibly know that math? She must have memorized it from a textbook p>

Grayson let out a harsh, humorless laugh. “Memorized it?” he challenged, taking a step toward her. “Then recite the third quadrant drag coefficient for me right now, Belle. Go ahead. I am listening p>

Belle opened her mouth. No sound came out. She stared at him, her eyes wide with fear.

“Admit it,” Grayson said, his voice dropping to a whisper that cut deeper than a shout. “She destroyed you in there. She is a genius. And I have been a blind, arrogant fool for five years because I listened to you p>

Belle’s face turned the color of chalk. It was the first time Grayson had ever called her a liar to her face, and the protective wall he had long built around her was crumbling to dust.

Before she could formulate a response, the heavy glass doors of the building swung open again.

Isolde walked out. She had exchanged her lab coat for a simple, elegant beige trench coat and held her car keys loosely in one hand, her posture relaxed and unhurried. She was heading toward the visitor parking area to pick up Effie.

Grayson saw her. He immediately abandoned Belle—leaving her standing alone on the concrete—and walked quickly in Isolde’s direction.

“Isolde,” he called out, his voice tight with urgency. “We need to talk p>