Chapter 359
“The physical stability is impressive, Ms. Carson,” he said, setting the prototype down. “The weight reduction alone is a breakthrough. But I have to be honest — the commercial drone market is incredibly crowded.”
Isolde sat across from him, her posture relaxed, her eyes sharp. “It is crowded with amateurs, Dr. Lewis. Companies building toys for photographers. We are building professional, military-grade stability for industrial applications. We are not competing in their market.”
Dr. Lewis chuckled and leaned back in his chair. “True enough. But money can buy professionals. And right now, there is a great deal of money moving in New York.” He picked up his coffee cup. “I hear Grayson Lancaster is sinking billions into a new pet project.”
Isolde kept her face perfectly blank. Her heart gave a single, hard thump against her ribs. “Grayson invests in many things,” she said, her tone mildly dismissive.
“This one is different,” Dr. Lewis said, his eyes glinting with the pleasure of insider knowledge. “It’s a gift company. For his partner. Belle Escobar.”
Under the table, Arland shifted his leg. The toe of his shoe found Isolde’s ankle. Do not react.
Isolde offered a faint, patronizing smile. “How romantic.”
“They are calling it InnoTech,” Dr. Lewis continued, oblivious to the undercurrent in the room. “Catchy name. They are pitching it to the major banks tomorrow.”
“Pitching what, exactly?” Isolde asked, keeping her voice light.
𝘛𝗵𝗲 𝘣𝖾ѕ𝘁 r𝘦а𝘥𝗂ng е𝗑𝘱еr𝗂en𝖼𝖾 𝗼𝘯 𝗀𝖺𝗅nо𝘷el𝘀.𝗰𝗼𝘮
“A revolutionary architectural AI,” Dr. Lewis said, waving his hand. “Something about self-assembling city units. Modular housing that adapts to terrain automatically.”
Isolde froze.
The air in her lungs turned to ice. The blood drained from her face, leaving her skin cold and clammy.
Self-assembling city units.
The phrase detonated in her mind, loud as a gunshot.
The memory hit without warning.
Three years ago. The penthouse library. Rain lashed against the panoramic windows. She had been unrolling a set of formal blueprints across the large mahogany desk — papers from her old life, from before him — while Grayson stood leaning over her shoulder, a glass of scotch in his hand.
“Look at this, Gray,” she had whispered, her eyes shining with the pure intensity of creation. “It’s a concept I designed before we met. Codename: Phoenix. The core is an AI that drives self-assembling modular units. It could revolutionize disaster relief housing. Imagine it.”
Grayson had swirled his drink, his eyes glazing over the complex equations. “It’s ambitious, Izzy,” he had said, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. “A bit theoretical for the current market, don’t you think? Let’s focus on the Lancaster Foundation gala.”
He had dismissed it. Dismissed her entirely.
“Ms. Carson?” Dr. Lewis leaned forward. “Are you all right?”
Isolde swallowed against the thick, acidic bile rising in her throat.
“Apparently, Ms. Escobar came up with the concept herself,” Dr. Lewis added with a skeptical laugh. “A real visionary.”
Isolde stood so quickly her chair screeched against the hardwood floor.
“Excuse me,” she said. Her voice sounded hollow, as though it belonged to someone else. “I need to pull a file for this presentation. Arland will answer your questions.”
.