Page 43 of My Husband’s New Fiancée

She pauses.

“We’ll probably throw you under the bus too, if necessary.”

She’s joking.

Right?

13. The Lab

Valeria

Wednesday, December 21

I wake before dawn, my mind already racing.

Starting today, my movements will become predictable.

Fixed hours. A recurring route. A personalized badge.

Too many vulnerabilities to exploit. But I don’t have a choice.

Every hour my research remains unsecured is an hour too long.

What Wald is after isn’t hidden in Aurenza’s patents. It’s in the files I never authorized to leave the lab.

NRX-889.

The most dangerous project I’ve ever worked on.

An unstable molecule. Potentially revolutionary. Potentially lethal in the wrong hands.

I had only told two people: Dante and Bianca. Yet somehow, Wald—who was already looking to acquire a stake in the company—knew about it.

He knew exactly what I was working on.

When I refused to give them access to my research and blocked their attempt to buy into the company, he tried to have me killed.

*

Stephen pushes reporters aside as they bombard me with questions, clearing a path to Aurenza’s entrance. Unfortunately, that’s as far as he can go.

Only Dante can authorize him beyond this point.

“At the first sign of trouble, call me,” Stephen says. “I’ll be here in under two minutes.”

I nod and step through the turnstile.

The receptionist, who clearly hasn’t missed my arrival, slides a pre-filled registry toward me.

“Good morning, Ms. Delorme. Please sign here.”

I do as instructed. She hands me a visitor badge.

“Ms. Nguyen is expecting you in her office.”

The elevator is already half full when I step inside.

“Good morning.”