The special lab at Vertex was a smaller, ultra secure room behind two sets of locked doors. Inside, the air was cool and smelled clean. Dante stood with Dr. Anya Chen and three of her most trusted scientists. In a clear, ventilated chamber on the table, a small lab rat was moving calmly, with wires connected to tiny sensors in its body, which transmitted data to a group of glowing monitors.This was the first real test of VX-9.Dr. Chen checked the final readings on her tablet and announced, “All systems are ready. Administering the compound now.”One of the scientist, a young woman named Dr. Lee, carefully prepared a syringe with the clear VX-9 solution. She administered it into the chamber. Everyone in the room went silent, with their eyes glued to the monitors showing the rat’s heart rate, brain activity and metabolic functions.A soft, insistent sound came from the outer door. Knock. Knock. Knock.Everyone became tensed and Danre nodded at Liam slightly. Liam who had been standing

Dante was in his home study when his private phone rang. The number was not saved, but he recognized the figures. It was his double agent, the one who had met him at the parking lot weeks ago, the man who had first warned him about Mason’s plans for Vertex.“Yes,” Dante answered.“We need to meet,” the man’s said tensely in a low tone. “In person. It is urgent.”“Come to my office at Vertex. We can talk privately there,” Dante replied stiffly.“No,” the man said quickly. “Absolutely not. Mason has people watching your building now. I can not be seen walking in there. It would blow my cover completely. We need somewhere neutral, somewhere no one would look.”Danre thought for a moment and said calmly, “There is a small family owned Italian place at the outskirts of town. ‘Gino’s.’ It is quiet and out of the way. Be there in an hour.”He hung up and immediately called Caleb and Liam. “Meet me at Gino’s on route 9 in on hour. Do not come together. And be discreet.”An hour later, Dante p

The secured lab at Vertex was quiet, but the air buzzed with the spirit of victory. Dante stood with Dr. Anya Chen, Liam, and the small team of trusted scientists. Their eyes were fixed on the isolation chamber and the glowing monitors beside it.Inside the chamber, the lab rat was active, clean and alert. It nibbled on a food pellet, with its movements sharp and normal.“Forty-eight hours post administration,” Dr. Chen announced, in a trembling voice filled with excitement. “Vital signs are all optimal range. The neuro-toxin markers have been reduced by nine-four percent. There is no sign of organ stress or rejection. The subject is not just surviving…it is thriving.”A soft cheer and laughter went up among the scientists. Smiles broke out on face that had been lined with stress for week. This was the moment they had worked hard toward for years.Dante breathed deeply with relief and nodded, then said happily, “Outstanding work, everyone. This data is everything we hoped for and more

The living room of Dante’a penthouse was very comfortable and warm, which was a huge contrast to the sterile labs of Vertex. Evening light shone through the windows, which reflected on the polished oak table. Dante was seated on the sofa, looking over security logs on his laptop. Caleb leaned against the kitchen island, with a glass of water in his hand, while Eleanor sat on the armchair by the fireplace holding a cup of tea as she looked at the fire with all seriousness. The door opened suddenly and Elena entered the living room, as she wiped her hands on her apron. “Mr Vance? I am so sorry to interrupt,” Elena said softly. “Those men who came by two days ago, the well dressed ones? They are back. They are waiting at the foyer. They asked for Ms. Carlisle.” Eleanor placed her teacup down on the saucer without a sound and looked at Dante for go ahead. “Ofcourse,” Dante said with a smile and closed his laptop. “Show them in, Elena. Thank you.” Elena nodded briefly and went bac

The boardroom at Vertex was filled with a different kind of tension than the lab. It was quiet and sharp. Dante stood at the head of the table, with a large screen behind him displaying charts from the preclinical trials. Six investors sat around the table from the capital firm funding the VX-9 trails. They were all dressed in expensive suit, their faces a mix of hope and cautious calculation.“The data is unequivocal,” Dante said, his voice calm and confident as he pointed to a graph on the screen. “Ninety four percent reduction in neuro toxin markers across all subjects. Zero adverse effects at seventy two hours. Organ function is not just stable, it is not improved. The subject are not surviving. They are thriving.”A man in his fifties, Mr Aldrich, the lead investor, leaned forward, with a smile on his face. “Dante, this is remarkable. Truly. What you and your team have accomplished in this timeframe…it is more than we dared hope for. You have taken a theoretical concept and turne