Chapter 40
Chapter 40:
Her gaze cut straight through him, sharp enough to strip away any pretense. No shadowed thought could survive beneath that steady stare.
A jolt ran through Brayden, and his eyes dropped on instinct. He knew little about her, truly, yet he found himself willing to take the risk.
Drawing a pen from his jacket pocket, he signed his name with quick precision, then flicked the contract toward her with practiced ease. “The transfer goes out tonight,” he said coolly. “Don’t give me a reason to regret this p>
Gracie accepted the document, her lips curving as she traced the bold, confident signature. “I’m not foolish enough to sabotage myself. Here’s to a profitable partnership p>
She pushed the door open and stepped out of the car without looking back.
Brayden lowered the window, his voice cutting through the hum of traffic. “Where are you off to p>
“Back to the lab,” she said, glancing over her shoulder with a faint grin. “I can’t let my team work overtime while I sneak home for a nap, right p>
She lifted a hand in casual farewell, her heels clicking briskly against the pavement as she disappeared through the glass doors of the building.
From the opposite sidewalk, a man in black flipped through the images he’d just captured and sent them off to the one paying him.
Thirty minutes later, inside the towering walls of Stanley Group, Brayden and Charlie stepped out of the elevator and were met by Lia, who stood waiting with a stack of documents in her arms.
“These need your signature right away p>
Brayden arched a brow. “Didn’t you clock out already p>
m𝓸r𝓮 𝓾ρda𝓽es 𝓲𝓷
“I know you were too busy to have dinner with me,” she said softly, her tone half-teasing, half-dutiful. “As your assistant, it’s my responsibility to make sure everything’s taken care of.” With a gentle smile, she shifted her gaze toward Charlie. “You can head home, Charlie. I’ll stay and help Brayden tonight p>
Charlie hesitated, glancing at Brayden for guidance. When Brayden strode toward his office without a word, Charlie exhaled quietly and left.
Once alone, Lia slipped her phone from her pocket and opened the message she’d just received. The photos on the screen made her eyes darken, a subtle chill replacing her earlier smile. She couldn’t tear her gaze from the screen—Gracie stepping gracefully into Brayden’s sleek car, then the two of them talking quietly inside.
When a man and woman shared a confined space for that long, rumors practically wrote themselves. Lia refused to believe any woman could remain indifferent to someone like Brayden—brilliant, rich, and effortlessly magnetic.
“I’ve come too far to let anyone steal him from me p>
Tucking her phone into her purse, Lia straightened her posture and strode after Brayden, heels clicking with sharp determination.
Three days later, tension hung thick in the air outside the laboratory. Phoebe and the other staff stood rigid at the entrance, hardly daring to breathe.
The atmosphere inside was electric—Gracie was encircled by researchers, every eye locked on the neuron sample glowing faintly under the microscope’s lens.
Gracie leaned closer to the lens, her breath shallow as she released a droplet of serum onto the pale neural tissue.
A heartbeat passed. Then another. On the third second, the dead neurons flickered—faint, pulsing lights blooming like fireflies under the microscope.