Page 168 of My Husband’s New Fiancée

Aurenza Biotech and the Pharmaceutical Giant: A Strategic Partnership in the Works?

A rush of adrenaline shoots through me.

The trap is falling into place.

My hand reaches for my glass of water.

It’s barely trembling. Almost imperceptibly. And yet Dante notices immediately.

That sudden stillness.

The way his gaze lingers a fraction of a second too long.

He says nothing. Asks no questions.

But when he gets up to leave, he murmurs against my lips:

“Go home early today.”

“Is that a question?”

“No.”

“Okay.”

One of his eyebrows rises.

“Okay?”

“Yes. That was the plan.”

He studies me, searching for the hidden meaning behind my words.

Then I see the moment he understands.

He nods in agreement, though the concern on his face is still impossible to miss.

I can’t afford to get this wrong.

At 2:15 p.m., shortly after he leaves, I pack up my things and stop by Louane’s office.

The hardest part isn’t lying.

It’s making everyone believe that everything is normal.

She looks up from her computer.

“You’re leaving?”

“Yeah. I’m not feeling very well. I’m going to head home. Can I ask you a favor?”

“Of course.”

“Could you take care of the experiments that are still running?”

“No problem. I’m almost done with my presentation for tomorrow anyway. Go home and get some rest.”

I leave Aurenza and meet up with Stephen.