Chapter 455
Chapter 455:
Directly across the table, Daron McKnight slouched in his chair, swirling amber whiskey in a crystal glass. His eyes dragged over Isolde with undisguised contempt.
“I never thought the former hostess of the Lancaster house would get a seat at this table,” Daron slurred. “I remember Grayson saying you had a mind for theory, Isolde, but no stomach for the real world. Still just picking tablecloth colors p>
The clinking of silverware stopped.
Belle sat next to Grayson. She covered her mouth with a manicured hand and let out a soft, breathy laugh, leaning forward to play the peacemaker.
“Daron, don’t be like that,” Belle said, her voice dripping with false sympathy. “Isolde is the mascot of Carson Dynamics now. We should be supportive p>
Isolde did not look at Belle. She picked up her heavy linen napkin and draped it across her lap, her movements slow, deliberate, and perfectly controlled.
“Tablecloth colors are actually very important,” Isolde said, her voice flat and carrying easily across the quiet room. “Especially when some people have such ugly eating habits. You need dark colors to hide the mess they make p>
Daron stopped swirling his whiskey. The smirk slid off his face.
Grayson sat rigid at the head of the table, his right arm still immobilized in its black sling. The muscles in his jaw jumped.
“Shut up, Daron,” Grayson ordered, his voice low and sharp.
𝖠𝖽𝖽і𝖼𝗍i𝘃𝘦 𝘴𝘁𝗈r𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝗼𝗻
The waiter arrived with the first course. Plates were set down in silence.
The Nexus CEO cleared his throat and steered the conversation toward the upcoming ISSDC competition.
“The energy module for the lunar base is the primary bottleneck,” an investor near the end of the table noted. “Specifically, the extraction efficiency of Helium-3 from the lunar soil. We need a viable solution p>
Belle sat up straighter and adjusted the collar of her white dress.
“InnoTech already has a mature proposal for this,” Belle said smoothly. “We plan to use the traditional centrifugal separation method. It is stable and cost-effective p>
Isolde picked up her steak knife and sliced through the rare meat on her plate. A drop of red juice stained the white porcelain.
“Centrifugal separation loses forty percent of its efficiency in a lunar gravity environment,” Isolde said, without looking up from her plate.
The room went completely silent.
Belle swallowed hard. A flush of pink crept up her neck. She had forgotten to factor in the moon’s gravity parameters entirely.
Daron let out a harsh scoff and leaned across the table.
“Thermoacoustic drive?” Daron mocked. “That’s a pipe dream. It’s still stuck in university labs. Isolde, did you read that on Wikipedia while getting your nails done p>
Isolde set her knife and fork down. The metal clinked sharply against the plate. She raised her head and locked eyes with Daron.
“I read it in the peer-reviewed propulsion journals that cite DARPA-funded research,” Isolde said. The temperature in the room seemed to drop. “Perhaps you should drink less whiskey and read more books, Mr. McKnight p>
Grayson stared at her. His chest tightened. She had just referenced a highly specific, cutting-edge field of research with the casual ease of someone discussing the weather.