Chapter 387

Chapter 387:

Liam’s fingers flew across his laptop keyboard. The heavy laser printer in the corner of the room whirred to life.

Minutes later, the thick stack of contracts lay spread across the mahogany table, the paper still warm from the printer.

Isolde picked up the silver pen and signed — Isolde Carson — in sharp, aggressive strokes. The ink cut into the paper. She slid the document across the table.

Grayson picked up his own pen. He held it over her signature for a long moment before pressing it to the page. His signature came out thick, dark, and heavy.

𝘞𝗲 𝘂𝗉𝘥𝘢𝘵𝖾 𝘦𝘷е𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝖾𝖾k 𝘰𝗻

The deal was done. The trap was locked.

Director Caldwell stepped forward and shook both of their hands. “Highly offensive strategy from both sides. I like it. We will expect the first delivery in fourteen days p>

Isolde picked up her briefcase. She didn’t look at Belle.

“I will see you at the first audit, Grayson,” she said.

She turned and walked out through the heavy mahogany doors. Arland followed closely behind her, his face pale and sheened with cold sweat.

The interior of the Carson Dynamics limousine was a sanctuary of dark leather and soundproof glass. The chaotic traffic of Queens moved silently past the tinted windows.

Arland sat across from Isolde, his hands visibly shaking. He reached for the crystal decanter on the side console and poured himself three fingers of amber scotch, drinking half of it in one desperate gulp.

“You bet the entire company,” he said, his voice cracking. “A five billion dollar target, Isolde. That is beyond ambitious. It’s a fantasy — even with the federal backing p>

Isolde sat perfectly still, watching the Manhattan skyline draw closer through the glass. Her heart rate was completely normal. “It wasn’t a bet, Arland,” she said quietly. “It was a calculation p>

She reached into her briefcase, pulled out her laptop, and brought up a complex three-dimensional simulation model on the screen.

“I ran the numbers on the civilian application of this technology months ago,” she explained, turning the screen toward him. “Autonomous driving grids. High-speed drone delivery networks. Global, low-latency satellite internet.” Her finger traced the projected growth curves. “The total addressable market isn’t five billion. It’s fifty billion. Minimum p>

Arland stared at the glowing screen, his mouth opening slightly. “But do you really think the Department of Defense is going to release the IP for commercial use p>

“They have to,” Isolde said, a cold smile touching her lips. “There is a commercialization release clause buried on page forty-two of the federal contract. I wrote it myself p>

Arland slowly lowered his glass. He looked at her with a mixture of profound shock and absolute awe. “You rigged the game,” he whispered.

“I just read the rulebook more carefully than they did,” Isolde replied, closing the laptop with a soft click.

“And the InnoTech clause?” Arland pressed, his mind struggling to catch up. “Grayson’s factory really is Six Sigma. They don’t make mistakes p>

“Grayson’s machines are perfect,” Isolde agreed. “But the materials Belle specified are not p>