Chapter 87
Chapter 87:
Declan slowly swirled the olive in his martini glass, his eyes tracking back to June. As she shifted her iPad, the screen briefly illuminated the lanyard hanging from her leather briefcase. The bold blue geometric logo was unmistakable.
The glass in Declan’s hand stopped moving.
His fingers clamped down hard on the crystal stem. The casual amusement vanished from his face, replaced by sharp, predatory shock.
Apex Bio.
Declan was the CEO of Hayes Pharmaceuticals. He knew exactly what Apex Bio was — the company that had just sent shockwaves through the entire oncology sector with its revolutionary nerve-blocking cancer drug. He had a team of fifty analysts tearing the city apart trying to identify the hidden Chief Scientist behind it so he could launch a hostile takeover.
He looked back at June. The woman who had calculated collision physics in three seconds. The woman who had thrown five hundred dollars at him without blinking.
𝗬𝘰𝘂𝗿 𝘥𝗮і𝘭𝗒 d𝗈𝘀e o𝘧 nо𝘃𝘦𝘭𝗌 𝗈𝗻
His pulse quickened with the thrill of the hunt. She wasn’t just interesting anymore. She was a walking gold mine.
Down on the dock, Cole pushed through the cheering crowd, his face dark, Alycia hurrying to keep up. He marched straight up the wooden stairs toward June’s chair.
June heard the heavy footsteps. She locked her iPad and stood, ready to leave.
Cole stepped in front of her, blocking the path. “Did you enjoy the show?” His voice carried a bitter, provocative edge.
June slowly removed her sunglasses. She looked at his wet sailing shirt, then at his angry eyes — the way a scientist regards a misbehaving lab rat.
“Compared to the massive carbon footprint you just dumped into the ocean,” she said, her voice flat and bored, “it was incredibly dull p>
She stepped around him and walked away.
Cole stood frozen, the insult lodged in his throat. He clenched his fists until his knuckles cracked.
A few yards away, Declan took a slow sip of his martini, a wide, dangerous smile spreading across his face.
Night fell over Emerald Cove. The ocean breeze turned cool.
June stood on the second-floor open-air terrace of the resort, holding a flute of sparkling water. Silas stood beside her with a glass of champagne, both of them studying a digital chart on his phone.
“If we alter the protein binding sequence here,” June murmured, pointing at the screen, “we can reduce the liver toxicity by fifteen percent p>
Silas let out a low chuckle, his eyes filled with unfiltered admiration. “You’re terrifyingly brilliant, June. I don’t know how your brain works so fast p>
June smiled — small and genuine, reaching her eyes.
Three floors above them, behind the floor-to-ceiling glass of the Presidential Suite, Cole stood in the dark. He held a heavy crystal glass of whiskey, staring straight down at the terrace. He watched Silas lean closer to June. He watched June smile.
A violent spasm of jealousy ripped through his chest. The glass groaned under the pressure of his grip. His blood felt like it was boiling.
Alycia came up behind him and followed his gaze to the terrace. She stepped closer and pressed herself against his back.